In this conversation, Bogdan Grygorenko interviews Jason Roussel, a tennis parent, about his experiences raising his son Felix, who is a promising young tennis player. They discuss Felix's early interest in sports, the importance of finding the right coaching environment, and the challenges of balancing sports with education. Jason shares insights into the sacrifices made for Felix's tennis career, including financial and time commitments, and emphasizes the importance of passion and motivation coming from the athlete. They also touch on Felix's injury and recovery, his training regimen, and future plans, including his commitment to the University of Kentucky. The conversation concludes with reflections on the role of a supportive parent in a young athlete's development.

Pierre Lamarche (born January 2, 1947) is a Canadian former tennis player and coach.

Raised in Montreal, Quebec, Lamarche played collegiate tennis in the United States for Mississippi State University and was known for having a fiery on court persona. He made a solitary Davis Cup appearance for Canada in 1974, featuring in the doubles rubber of a tie against Mexico in his home province, which he and Réjean Genois lost to Raúl Ramírez and Vicente Zarazúa. From 1991 to 1996 he served as the team's non playing captain and steered the Canadians into the World Group for the first time. He founded tennis academy Ace Tennis in Burlington, Ontario and in 2004 was inducted into the Tennis Canada Hall of Fame for his contributions as a coach.

Philip Bester (born October 6, 1988) is a Canadian former professional tennis player from North Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Bester was a finalist at the 2006 junior French Open. In doing so he became the first Canadian male to reach a Grand Slam final in singles.

Rob has played competitive sports since he was 8 years old. Developing in academies and athletics at a high level in hockey, baseball and volleyball. Rob has trained athletic development for the last 10 years in multiple sports including hockey, baseball, football, soccer, tennis and track. The focus for the last few years has been on holistic athletic development, as well as child development/ neurology and development of athletic systems to get the most performance out of his athletes by training the entire body and all of its functions.

Mike Hall is currently the Tennis Director for The Tennis Centre in Langley, BC. He is a Tennis Canada certified Coach 4 and graduate of their mentorship program. Mike has also received the Tennis Canada Excellence award multiple times and is a winner of the TPA Coaching Excellence award. Previously was the Tennis Director at ACE Tennis where he helped guide many players to national and international championships as well as NCAA scholarships. 

Marlene has been a long time physiotherapist for Tennis Canada from 1990 to 2019, Consulting therapist to the WTA and ATP working with many top players. She is a true expert in her field with over 30 years of experience on the highest level of her craft. Marlene worked with numerous players that range from professional to juniors or all ages. She also is certified NCCP instructor, teaching many seminars to level 2 through 4 coaches.

Alisa Baranovska is a Ukrainian tennis player who is currently transitioning from junior to professional tennis. She is a former Tennis Europe #1 in U14 category. Alisa also was a member of Junior National Team Ukraine and represented her country on numerous occasions in team competitions, including junior world cup. She recently won adult national championship in Ukraine.

It was great catching up with Kayla. I've known her since she was 10. In this interview we talk about her childhood, travelling, as well as her coaches. hope you guys take something valuable away from this!

This episode was recorded in 2019!

It featured Dr. Dominique Harmath on the topic of Tennis Injury Risk, Training Load and Recovery. Whether you are a competitive tennis player, coach, parent or someone that just loves playing the sport, this podcast will explain how to manage training loads to reduce the risk of injury and take you through some recovery strategies to meet performance goals.

Dr. Harmath is an evidence-based chiropractor and a Sports Sciences Resident with the Royal College of Chiropractic Sports Sciences Canada, the most extensive sport specialty
training program in the chiropractic profession. She has received international awards for her research and work in the field. Her passion lies with helping people move better to enhance their quality of life and achieve their sports performance goals. Her approach to care is individualized and she is trained in active release therapy (ART), soft tissue treatment, medical acupuncture, adjustment and joint mobilization, soft tissue tools, rehabilitation, and exercise prescription. 

As a former professional tennis player, four-time Canadian Junior National Champion and top 50 Division I NCAA player for Rice University in Houston, Dr. Harmath holds a special interest in biomechanical movement and injury prevention strategies in sport. She has worked with various sports events including International Tennis Federation tournaments, The Toronto Triathlon and The Taekwondo Championships.

For additional questions please contact Dr. Harmath at:
Instagram: @thesportstherapist
Email: dr.harmath@esmclinics.com

Research References:

Gabbett TJ. Debunking the myths about training load, injury and performance:empirical evidence, hot topics and recommendations for practitioners. Br J Sports Med. 2018 Oct 26. pii:bjsports-2018-099784. doi:10.1136/bjsports-2018-099784.[Epub ahead ofprint] PubMed PMID: 30366966.

Wahl P, Güldner M, Mester J. Effects and sustainability of a 13-day high-intensity shock microcycle in soccer. J Sports Sci Med. 2014;13:259–65.

Bosquet L, Montpetit J, Arvisais D, et al. Effects of
tapering on performance: a meta-analysis. Med SciSports Exerc 2007;39:1358–65.

Dylan David Moscovitch is a retired Canadian pair skater. He competed with Liubov Ilyushechkina from 2014 to 2018. They were the 2017 Four Continents bronze medalists, two-time bronze medalists on the Grand Prix series, and three-time Canadian national medalists. With former partner Kirsten Moore-Towers, he was the 2013 Four Continents silver medalist, 2014 Olympic team event silver medalist, and 2011 Canadian national champion.

This episode was recorded in 2019. I apologize for the sound quality, the studio mic was not working and I found out only after recording. Rookie mistake :)

Carol Zhao is a professional tennis player with a career high of 131 WTA in singles. She was the first Canadian to be ranked #1 in NCAA. Carol represented Canada on several occasions in FedCup. She also is a talented musician, songwriter and most importantly great human being. We talked about her childhood, her junior career, university, and pro experiences and all the challenges she had to overcome along the way.

This was recorded in 2019.

Dean Coburn is a former coach of Peter Polansky, former national coach with over 25 years of experience. He represented Canada on numerous occasions as a captain for U14 girls' team in World Junior Tennis Championships, as well as other team competitions. Dean's expertise ranges from working with young players to professionals on the tour.

Whole Player Development Pathway: https://www.tenniscanada.com/play/whole-player-development-pathway/

In this episode, Bogdan Grygorenko interviews Marie-France Mercier, the director of coaching education at Tennis Canada, discussing her journey into coaching, the evolution of coach education in Canada, and the importance of competency-based coaching. They explore the qualities that make great coaches, the significance of community among coaches, and debunk myths surrounding coaching qualifications. The conversation emphasizes the need for a growth mindset and the development of essential coaching skills, encapsulated in the framework of the five Cs: culture, character, connection, confidence, and competence. In this conversation, Bogdan Grygorenko and Marie-France Mercier delve into the intricacies of coaching in tennis, discussing the importance of feeding and challenging players, developing a coaching eye, and the pathways for aspiring coaches. They explore mentorship opportunities, the increasing representation of female coaches, and the vital communication between parents and coaches. Marie-France shares personal insights from her journey as a coach and a parent, emphasizing the long-term goals of player development and the importance of maintaining a supportive environment for young athletes.

Here's what Marie-France says about herself:

"For over 35 years, my career has been dedicated to the development of both coaches and athletes at all levels in the sporting industry. I am passionate about seeing people evolve and nothing makes me prouder than to see an individual or team develop.

My path in tennis development has ranged from a competitor, on court coaching, a parent of 3 National level tennis players to overseeing the coaching development department at Tennis Canada. In my current role as Director, I manage the Certification Program, Community Tennis Development, and the Coaching Association (TPA) which has over 4300 members. I have also recently taken on the leadership of the Pickleball certification.

I am dedicated to the growth of tennis in Canada and focused on creating an ecosystem that supports coaching excellence and future tennis leaders. Increasing participation in the country and making tennis more inclusive and accessible is my key priority.

A couple fun facts unknown to many, is that long ago, I was an Alpine skiing coach and I also graduated from the Université du Québec à Montréal with a degree in Education. Reflecting on my career journey sport and education have always been part of my DNA.

I also enjoy speaking at international conferences to share perspectives, learn and collaborate to build innovative new ideas and approaches. The best innovative ideas are created when you come together and share."

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Coaching Education
02:58 The Journey into Coaching
05:50 Evolution of Coach Education in Canada
08:59 The Shift to Competency-Based Coaching
12:01 Maintaining Gold Standard in Coaching
14:51 Qualities of Great Coaches
17:49 Transforming Coaches' Mindsets
21:01 Building a Community of Coaches
24:03 Debunking Myths in Coaching
27:00 The Five Cs of Coaching Competence
30:04 The Art of Coaching: Feeding and Challenging Players
31:50 Developing a Coaching Eye: Insights for Coaches
36:17 Aspiring Coaches: Pathways to Success
39:39 Opportunities for Coaches: Mentorship and Development Programs
43:31 Increasing Female Representation in Coaching
49:29 The Parent-Coach Dynamic: Building Effective Communication
56:33 Lessons Learned: Mistakes as a Tennis Parent

In this episode of No Strings Attached, host Bogdan Grygorenko interviews Katy Shulaeva, a former professional tennis player and coach. They discuss Katie's early influences in tennis, her journey from junior to professional levels, the importance of coaching, and the lessons learned from her long-time coach Pierre Lamarche. Katie shares insights on resilience, the challenges of transitioning to professional tennis, and the impact of injuries and overtraining on her career. In this conversation, Katy Shulaeva and Bogdan Grygorenko discuss the critical aspects of training, injury prevention, and the mental health of athletes. They emphasize the importance of rest and recovery, the role of coaches and parents in player development, and the challenges athletes face when transitioning out of competitive sports. Katy shares her personal experiences with overtraining and the identity crisis that followed her tennis career, while Bogdan highlights the need for a more balanced approach to training. They also reflect on the evolution of coaching and the continuous learning process that comes with it.'

Katy Shulaeva is a Senior Tennis Professional at the Toronto Lawn Tennis Club, one of Canada’s premier tennis institutions. She holds a Coach 3 certification from the Tennis Professionals Association (TPA) and serves as a facilitator for TPA’s Coach 2 and Coach 3 courses, playing a pivotal role in advancing coaching education in Canadian tennis. Katy has also had a successful career as a professional tennis player, representing Canada on the international stage. Her playing experience brings valuable insights to her coaching, as she has competed at a high level and understands the demands of professional tennis.

In addition to her coaching and professional playing background, Katy has been recognized for her leadership in the sport. She participated in the “Women Leaders in Tennis” panel discussion, where her contributions to the game and her advocacy for women in sports were celebrated.

Her expertise, leadership, and dedication to tennis make her a respected figure in the Canadian tennis community.

In this video  I talk with Aleksandar Mitric, Canadian tennis player who won U18 boy national title, secured a scholarship with Princeton University. We talk about his childhood and teenage years. Alex also shares valuable insights and tips for younger generation.

Katherine Sebov is a rising Canadian tennis star who has made a significant impact on the professional tennis circuit. Born on January 5, 1999, in Toronto, Ontario, Katherine began her tennis journey at a young age and quickly rose through the ranks, showcasing her exceptional talent and determination.

Sebov achieved a career-high WTA singles ranking of No. 136 in April 2023, solidifying her position as one of Canada’s top tennis players. Her breakthrough came in 2023 when she qualified for the Australian Open, marking her Grand Slam debut. She continued to impress by securing her first WTA 1000 main draw victory at the Miami Open, defeating world No. 50 Linda Fruhvirtová.

Throughout her career, Katherine has also excelled on the ITF Circuit, winning several singles titles, including a notable $60k tournament in Toronto. She has represented Canada in the Billie Jean King Cup (formerly Fed Cup), contributing to the team’s success with her skill and competitive spirit.

Katherine is known for her powerful baseline game, resilience, and commitment to improving with every match. As a member of Canada’s new wave of tennis talent, she continues to inspire young athletes and make her mark on the global tennis stage.

Miron began coaching at the Richmond Hill Country Club in 2008 primarily starting with recreational level players working his way up the ladder. He was awarded The Gary Caron National Scholarship Award in 2012 awarded the top Under 30 coach in Canada.  Miron has been a Team Ontario Provincial Coach for over 5 years and also a Tennis Canada Mentor Coach travelling internationally with the likes of Felix Auger-Ailliasime when he was U14. In 2019 Miron received a Tennis Canada Coaching excellence award. Miron is a certified Level 3 coach, he was previously in charge of RHCC High Performance Program and is currently the Director of Racquet Sports at the Richmond Hill Country Club while being heavily involved in all aspects of
the club's overall well-being.

Jon is a strong Coach 3 Club Pro 3 joining us after his last 15 years developmental coaching. He spent his career developing provincial and national juniors working with the Toronto Tennis Academy, U10 and U12 provincial teams and as a National Coach. Jon was awarded a National Coaching Development Award in 2015.  Over the past five years, he has been dedicated to coaching one player who is currently 1400th in the junior ITF rankings while traveling over North America, the Caribbean and Europe. Jon values giving back to the coaching community and has been heavily involved in coaching leadership. He has been an Ontario Coach Developer for the past 9 years delivering courses on behalf of the OTA and Tennis Canada. 

Outside of tennis Jon also pursues other athletic endeavours. He is currently passionate about rock climbing, hiking and snowboarding but is happy to perform in any sport. Jon also has a musical side and toured across Canada with his band prior to joining the world of tennis. 

Chris Manzinali has been part of the tennis community for over 20 years. As a junior he spent most of his career training with Milos Roanic, reaching top 50 in Canada. He was mentored by Casey Curtis, former coach of Milos Raonic. Chris is currently the Director of High Performance at Tennis Clubs of Canada coaching multiple players to top 10 in Canada and has worked as a Team Ontario coach for U12 and U14 Nationals.

Séverine Tamborero is a high performance coach, speaker, consultant and author. Being involved in the tennis world for more than 30 years, she graduated from the National Institute of Coaching in Montreal and holds her Level 4 National Coaching Certification Program (NCCP).

Séverine is a renowned speaker and consultant. She works with parents, athletes, coaches and federations in various sports. She is the author of the book « Casser le Moule » and co-author of the book “La performance à quel prix” ». She has been with Tennis Canada since 2000 as a coach and director of development for ages 10 and under and high performance clubs. Regularly invited on various media platforms, she is asked to share her opinions on subjects often related to the prejudices and stereotypes encountered in the sports world. She is also asked for her advice and recommendations so that parents and coaches can ensure the healthy development of an athlete.

Séverine led the National Wheelchair Tennis Team from 2000 to 2009, competed in three Paralympic Games (Sydney in 2000, Athens in 2004 and Beijing in 2008) and numerous World Cups with the Men’s National Team.

A successful junior, Fontang won the Petits As in 1984 and was the French 16s champion in 1986.

Fontang had his best year on tour in 1991 when he reached two ATP Tour finals. He was runner-up in the San Marino Open and won a tournament in Palermo.

The following year he reached the quarter-finals at Palermo and was also a quarter-finalist in the Estoril Open. At these tournaments he had wins over three top 40 players, Franco Davín, Javier Sánchez and Fabrice Santoro.

Fontang took part in seven French Opens but didn't register a win until his final attempt, in 1997, when he defeated Patrik Fredriksson in the opening round.

He later became coach of Jérémy Chardy and remained with him for 12 years. During this time Chardy won the 2005 Wimbledon Championships Boys' Singles title, won ATP 250 title in Stuttgart and reached the fourth round of the French Open the next year.Fontang is the current coach of Felix Auger-Aliassime.

Coaching history of Frederic Fontang :

- coach of Caroline Garcia from March 2011 to June 2012. Final US Open Juniors and semi Final at French open Juniors

- coach of Vasek Pospisil from October 2012 until August 2016. from no 140 to no 25 ATP singles ranking and career high in doubles no 4

- coach of Felix Auger-Aliassime from Jan 2017 until now. semi final masters 1000 Miami 10 finals on ATP TOUR best ranking so far no 6.

This conversation was recorded in 2019.

Robert Steckley (born 16 February 1980) is a Canadian former professional tennis player.

Steckley, who had a best singles ranking of 464, made his only ATP Tour main draw appearance as a wildcard at the 2005 Rogers Cup, a Masters tournament in Montreal, where he lost his first round match in three sets to Kenneth Carlsen. He won an ITF Futures title at Rockhampton in 2006.

A member of the Canada Davis Cup team in 2005 and 2006, Steckley played in three singles rubbers. On debut in 2005 he defeated Daniel Vallverdú of Venezuela, but lost both his matches in 2006, one of which was through a retirement.

Steckely has coached several players on tour, including Lucie Šafářová and Denis Shapovalov.

Alastair is the owner and Tennis Director of The Supreme Court, including The Supreme Court Tennis Club’s in Toronto and Sierra Vista, Arizona. Alastair is one of only a handful of Tennis Canada Coach 3 and Club Professional 3’s in the country. Alastair has helped athletes achieve 3 National Titles and 7 Provincial Titles since 2019 and has helped develop ITF juniors to reach rankings as high as #53 in the world, including wins over Junior Grand Slam finalists.

This is the first session of its kind where you guys asked me a bunch of questions and I responded to all of them. If you have more questions please ask them below. Also you can follow me on instagram and ask me questions there: https://www.instagram.com/bgd.tennis/

This is a conversation I had with Dr. Felice in 2019.

Dr. Carmine Filice is a performance therapist, chiropractor, and certified strength and conditioning specialist. He has a doctorate of Chiropractic studies from Southern California University of Health Science and was the only non-medical student ever allowed into Harvard’s Medical Acupuncture program.  

Carmine has worked around the world with the top specialists and the most elite training facilities. He works with professional athletes and teams from a variety of major leagues – MLB, MLS, NHL, AVP, MMA, World Champions and Olympians.

He believes in using a scientific approach in order to minimize injury recovery time while maximizing physical performance.

Andre Labelle has been coaching his entire life on the highest possible international arenas including the Olympics, pro tour, and Grand Slam tournaments. He was responsible for developing many international tennis starts from Canada like Bianca Andreescu (ages 13-19) and Felix Auger-Aliassime (up to U13). He has been working for tennis Canada for many years as a Head National Coach, making direct impact on top juniors in Canada. Andre continues to work at TC in his home town of Montreal to this day.

This interview was very special because I worked with Andre for 4 years and it was one of the best times of my coaching career. His knoweldge and expertise is among the best in the world and I was truly blessed to work under his guidance.

Hope you guys enjoy this.

I APOLOGIES FOR THE TECHNICAL ISSUES IN THIS VIDEO. IT WAS OUT OF OUR CONTROL. I HOPE YOU STILL ENJOYED THIS EPISODE!

Kristaps Petrovs is experienced Fitness coach with over 2 decades of coaching experience. He has worked with over 16 different sports (summer and winter) from juniors to professionals - Olympians and is currently heading the Granite Club's Sports Science department where he oversees and manages 6different sports (water, sliding and racquet sports). Currently he is also working with a professional badminton player in preparation for summer Olympic games 2024 in Paris.

Kristaps has also previously worked in Tennis Canada on and off from 2014 till now in various roles and is currently involved in TPA Coach 2 & 3 physical preparation – Fitness content creation and delivery.

Kristaps graduated from Latvian Academy of Sports Education with a Bachelor's Sports Science degree with major in Physical education and minor in coaching. He also holds a Master's degree in Sports Science - Strength and Conditioning from Cardiff Metropolitan University (UK Wales).

During his time off from coaching duties Kristaps enjoys traveling and exploring new places, loves outdoor activities and spending time with his family!

Zack Ohlin is responsible for men's tennis at the Academy of KLTK in Stockholm, Sweden. He is also travelling the ITF Junior and Pro circuits, the junior Grand Slams. At the same time Zack is completing a Master's of Education in High Performance Coaching (UBC) and doing consulting for coaches, clubs, and players. Zack is a former Junior Davis Cup Coach, touring coach on the WTA Tour, and a director of high performance at The Tennis Centre Coquitlam. He is a a recipient of High Performance Coach of the Year (Tennis BC, 2018), Gary Caron Award (Tennis Canada, 2019), and Tennis Canada Coach 3, PTR Professional, Tennis Performance Trainer.

A past winner of Tennis Canada’s triumvirate of awards—Course Facilitator of the Year, Tennis Professional of the Year, and Coach of the Year—Simon Bartram leads the club’s tennis operations. Certified as a Level 4 Coach and Club Pro 3 by Tennis Canada, and a former ATP-ranked competitor, Simon has been a central part of Toronto Lawn Tennis since 1990. With nearly unrivalled experience in all facets of tennis, Simon has coached former WTA players, and is a past recipient of the Tennis Canada Coaching Excellence Award for his work with Daniel Nestor and other members of the Sunshine Cup winning team.

Carson is a fully certified Coach 3 and Club Pro 2.  He has been coaching at the Saville Community Sports Centre for more than 20 years currently working mainly with athletes aged 10-18.  Carson has been a Provincial Coach for Tennis Alberta leading teams at roughly 40 Junior Nationals.  In 2015 Carson coached the Canadian Women's team at the World Universiade games.  As a player Carson is currently ranked #1 in Canada for the over 35 Masters singles and doubles rankings.  He is also a multiple time Alberta Provincial Open champion.  Carson is one of the founders of the Owen Schlosser World Team Tennis which raises funds towards the Owen Schlosser Memorial Tennis Scholarship at the University of Alberta.

About Coach Lindsay:

Coach Lindsay has worked with athletes involved with Tennis Canada since 1996, as well as having been a National Strength Coach with the organization. 
Coach Lindsay has also provided programming to University Varsity Teams, OHL hockey clubs, European professional hockey clubs, and a wide variety of Minor Associations. Dennis formerly worked in a multidisciplinary rehabilitation clinic as a Physiotherapy Assistant (PTA). Prior to that, he has held fitness and health programming positions in Community, Private Industry, Municipal and Corporate Health centers.
Dennis has trained over 100 current NHL Players (and hundreds of retired players) and has been the strength and conditioning consultant to Toronto Maple Leafs. He has trained over 20 medalling individual Olympians, 5 Olympic Teams, and dozens of professional athletes from other sports.



About his programs:
Our program is designed around that base of experience and the need to better prepare players for the long term of the sport.
We program relative to age of development, and focus on all physical literacies. Enhanced athletic ability is the purpose behind the program.
Athletes in our Fitness Programs get progressive development in speed, agility, quickness, strength and endurance capacities.

Karl Hale has an accomplished tennis history. He has played competitive tennis internationally, participated as a player and coach in Davis Cup for Jamaica, and is a former Fed Cup coach for Canada. He was named tournament director of National Bank Open presented by National Bank in Toronto on December 11, 2006.

Hale was born in Falmouth, Jamaica and played Davis Cup tennis from 1988 to 1999 and again in 2004. He held the Davis Cup record for longest three-set match, winning 23-21 in the final set. In 2003, Hale was coach of the Canadian Fed Cup team that advanced to a World Group play-off tie against Austria. He later returned to his native Jamaica to coach the Davis Cup team in 2005.

Hale’s relationships with the players, and sports and entertainment celebrities have helped raise the profile of this world-class tennis event.  Karl was also vice-president of the PTR (the largest tennis coaching organization in the world with over 20,000 members) in 2017/18.  

Most importantly, Hale is a passionate supporter of children’s charities.  Hale is well-known and respected for his tremendous philanthropic work. He founded the Helping Hands Jamaica Foundation, which has raised over $2,000,000 for education in his native Jamaica and built 18 kindergarten schools (including one with Serena Williams). He also developed the Daniel Nestor Celebrity Charity event, which raised more than $1,000,000 in support of the Go for Gold Olympic program and North York General Hospital. He has spent tennis time overseas, coaching in Tokyo for five years, teaching adults and juniors at the prestigious Kashiwa Lawn Tennis Club. He worked with several top players and his juniors have received over $1,000,000 in tennis scholarships.

If you would like to donate to Karl's foundation you can do so here: helpinghandsjamaica.com

In this conversation we discuss lack of tennis courts and tournaments in Ontario, use of video in coaching, coaching decision making and more. For separate interviews with my guests please visit separate links:

Alastair: https://youtu.be/GQvdwFsiKHw?si=GyDB9SoC_CvWkD6H
Zack: https://youtu.be/F9AvNNxS7rU?si=fu6Ypkrp3Rq1UDh9

Chris Manzinali has been part of the tennis community for over 20 years. As a junior he spent most of his career training with Milos Roanic, reaching top 50 in Canada. He was mentored by Casey Curtis, former coach of Milos Raonic. Chris is currently the Director of High Performance at Tennis Clubs of Canada coaching multiple players to top 10 in Canada and has worked as a Team Ontario coach for U12 and U14 Nationals.