ParentingAces - The Junior Tennis and College Tennis Podcast

Welcome to Season 15 Episode 15 of the ParentingAces Podcast! This week, Coach Rod Ray is back to talk about his role as "coach" to Wofford tennis players and what he looks for in recruits.
Rod has been coaching for 26 years, and he's seen so many changes to tennis development and the college recruiting process. Underneath it all, however, wanting "good people" on his team has never changed. Rod explains what that means to him - hint: it goes well beyond wins and losses!
From the parents' perspective, Rod discusses what parents should be looking for in a coach for their child(ren). That again goes beyond wins and losses and really centers around character. Rod's own sons pursued sport at a high level, so he has learned along the way the importance of finding that good coach and being that good coach for so many other athletes.
To get in touch with Coach Rod, you can reach him via his website at https://hardcomesfirst.com/ or by phone at 864-809-8827. His email is [email protected]. Rod is also on Instagram at https://instagram.com/rodray17.
As always, I am available for one-to-one consults to work with you as you find your way through junior tennis and the college recruiting process. You can purchase and book online through our website at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://parentingaces.com/shop/category/consult-with-lisa-stone/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.
If you’re so inclined, please share this – and all our episodes! – with your fellow tennis players, parents, and coaches. You can subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts or via your favorite podcast app. Please be sure to check out our logo’d merch as well as our a la carte personal consultations in our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠online shop⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.
CREDITS
Intro & Outro Music: Morgan Stone aka STØNE
Audio & Video Editing: Lisa Stone

Welcome to Season 15 Episode 14 of the ParentingAces Podcast! This week, we learn about a new app to help tennis families find a court any time, whether at home or while traveling to a tournament.
CourtsApp, the first AI-powered marketing andbooking platform built to modernize court marketing and reservations, helps players instantly find and book open courts for tennis, TYPTI, pickleball, padel, and more. Bonus: you can download and use CourtsApp at no cost!
CourtsApp founder and CEO, Daren Hornig, has been intimately involved in the tennis space for most of his adult life. “CourtsApp was born from pure frustration,” said Hornig, an avid tennis and pickleball player. “For years, my friends and I struggled to find open courts in real time and near where I wanted to play. We wanted a simple, reliable solution that matched how people already book restaurants, travel, or fitness. Now, with CourtsApp, they finally have one.”
Hornig calls CourtsApp the “OpenTable for courts. The Expedia of racquet sports,” and added, “Beyond convenience, CourtsApp connects people; helping friends meet toplay, helping communities stay active, and making racquet sports more accessible to everyone. It is also a critical marketing tool for facility owners. Most operators lack the funds and expertise to market effectively in today's complex digital environment, and CourtsApp does this for them and more. Our goal is to get players on the courts and help clubs keep their courts full. It’s really a win-win scenario for all.”
Players and clubs can learn more or join the platform at CourtsApp.com and download CourtsApp from the Apple App Store for iOS and the Google Play Store for Android.
As always, I am available for one-to-one consults to work with you as you find your way through junior tennis and the college recruiting process. You can purchase and book online through our website at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://parentingaces.com/shop/category/consult-with-lisa-stone/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.
If you’re so inclined, please share this – and all our episodes! – with your fellow tennis players, parents, and coaches. You can subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts or via your favorite podcast app. Please be sure to check out our logo’d merch as well as our a la carte personal consultations in our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠online shop⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.
CREDITS
Intro & Outro Music: Morgan Stone aka STØNE
Audio & Video Editing: Lisa Stone

Welcome to Season 15 Episode 13 of the ParentingAces Podcast! This week, Tennis Parent Greg Gilbert shares his family's tennis journey from the early days through the college recruiting process.
The Junior Tennis Journey is a long and winding road. Greg candidly shares the things his family did well as well as the mistakes they made along the way. Daughter Ariana will be playing college tennis beginning Fall 2026, but her path to college was definitely tricky as she dealt with injury and other challenges.
Luckily for Ariana, her parents were committed to learning and growing with her as she pursued her dreams. Greg admits to being on information overload at points through the journey and feeling challenged to manage his expectations of what Ariana could achieve at each stage.
Greg also shares details of Ariana's recruiting journey - leading to her full-ride offer at Florida State University - which should prove helpful to those of you with College Tennis in your future.
You can reach out to Greg via email at [email protected] - he is more than happy to answer any questions you have!
As always, I am available for one-to-one consults to work with you as you find your way through junior tennis and the college recruiting process. You can purchase and book online through our website at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://parentingaces.com/shop/category/consult-with-lisa-stone/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.
If you’re so inclined, please share this – and all our episodes! – with your fellow tennis players, parents, and coaches. You can subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts or via your favorite podcast app. Please be sure to check out our logo’d merch as well as our a la carte personal consultations in our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠online shop⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.
CREDITS
Intro & Outro Music: Morgan Stone aka STØNE
Audio & Video Editing: Lisa Stone

Welcome to this Bonus Episode of the ParentingAces Podcast!Y'all should be very familiar with Coach Todd Widom by now and know he is not afraid to speak his mind. In this episode, we discuss Todd's latest social media posts about the Easter Bowl going to a 10-point tiebreaker in lieu of a full 3rd set given the extreme heat during the early days of this year's tournament. Todd and I would both love to hear your thoughts so please share them in the Comments or feel free to reach out to us - [email protected] and [email protected].
As always, I am available for one-to-one consults to work with you as you find your way through junior tennis and the college recruiting process. You can purchase and book online through our website at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://parentingaces.com/shop/category/consult-with-lisa-stone/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.
If you’re so inclined, please share this – and all our episodes! – with your fellow tennis players, parents, and coaches. You can subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts or via your favorite podcast app. Please be sure to check out our logo’d merch as well as our a la carte personal consultations in our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠online shop⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.
CREDITS
Intro & Outro Music: Morgan Stone aka STØNE
Audio & Video Editing: Lisa Stone

Welcome to Season 15 Episode 12 of the ParentingAces Podcast! This week, sport psychology coach, Josh Burger, joins the pod to dig deeper into the mental side of tennis for both players and parents.
Josh is a former Division I tennis coach at Sacred Heart University and also coached at the International Tennis Hall of Fame. He is a sport psychology professional who works with tennis players of different ages and levels, mostly junior players from 10-18.
In this episode, Josh talks about the challenges Tennis Parents face as their children are pursuing their dream of playing high-level tennis. He offers some tangible tools for parents to practice and use in order to manage their own stress while watching their children train and compete.
For more information on Josh Burger and his work, visit his website TiebreakerPsych.com or the Tennis IQ Podcast which he co-hosts alongside fellow sport psychology coach Brian Lomax. You can email Josh at [email protected]. Be sure to follow him on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/TiebreakerPsych/ and Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/tiebreakerpsych/As always, I am available for one-to-one consults to work with you as you find your way through junior tennis and the college recruiting process. You can purchase and book online through our website at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://parentingaces.com/shop/category/consult-with-lisa-stone/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.
If you’re so inclined, please share this – and all our episodes! – with your fellow tennis players, parents, and coaches. You can subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts or via your favorite podcast app. Please be sure to check out our logo’d merch as well as our a la carte personal consultations in our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠online shop⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.
CREDITS
Intro & Outro Music: Morgan Stone aka STØNE
Audio & Video Editing: Lisa Stone