The USTA Newsletter for Tennis Coaches
2010
11
High Performance Coaching
Vol. 11, No. 2
The USTA Newsletter for Tennis Coaches
2010
Coaching Spotlight
An Interview with Marcy Hendricks
Marcy is Score Tennis and Fitness
Club's Head Tennis Professional. She
is a graduate of Purdue University
where she was an All American in
1993. As a junior player she was an
Indiana High School State Champion,
Gateway National Champion and
was ranked top 10 in the country.
She is currently coaching a national
champion, two players ranked in the
top 25 in the country and 15 players
ranked top 50 in the Midwest. Marcy is a former Chicago
District Tennis Association Tournament Director of the Year.
Martin Blackman, Sr. Director, Talent ID & Development,
recently spoke with coach Marcy Hendricks about her
tennis career both as a player and teaching professional.
Below are the highlights from their discussion -
How did you get started in tennis?
My parents got me started. They were league players.
Tennis was a reward for good behavior. I started playing
tournaments when I was 10 years old and got serious
about tennis when I was 11. I was very lucky to have some
good young coaches who believed in me. They were
actually older boys who played high school tennis.
What were some of the challenges and successes you
experienced while playing tennis at an early age?
I played high school tennis and played #1 as a junior and
senior. I was diagnosed with Crohn's disease and I had
to learn to compete when I wasn't at 100%. It gave me a
very different perspective on how to play the game. One
of my most memorable experiences was cramping during
a match against a girl that I would normally have beaten. I
was just grateful that I was able to finish the match.
What coaches helped you in your development as a
tennis player?
My first serious coach was Jeff Smith and I grew up with
a handful of very good juniors like Kent Kinnear, Andrea
Calvert-Sanders, Bryan Smith and others. My favorite
player was Gabriella Sabatini. I loved her game - her
physicality and athleticism. I think she was the first female
player to hit heavy topspin which I liked.
How did you get your start in coaching tennis?
I played in college at Purdue University in Indiana which I really
enjoyed, but unfortunately I "blew out" my shoulder during my
sophomore year and wasn't able to compete again. For awhile
I felt lost without tennis. I realized how much I loved the game.
That's when I started coaching. I tried a brief stint in an
office job and realized that it wasn't for me. I had done some
summer coaching when I was in college and decided to take
a job as a tennis coach at *Score Tennis and Fitness Club in
Countryside, Illinois (Chicago area) and I've been here ever
since for 15 years!
What characteristics to you think has helped you be an
effective tennis coach?
I feel that as a coach all of my past experiences as a
player and dealing with Crohn's disease have made me a
better coach.
I think that I have a good eye for technique. As a coach,
you have to teach every player a little differently but still
accomplish the same thing. Every player has their own style.
What is different about being a female coach?
I think female coaches can be stricter with their players
than male coaches because of their femininity. I feel very
fortunate because I have been accepted by our Midwest
coaching community.
Do you have any advice you would like to give to
other coaches?
Never think that you know it all, always listen listen
and learn...And to female tennis coaches Don't be
afraid to coach high level boys! We need to have more
women coaching girls and boys. Female coaches don't
want to be treated differently, just taken seriously like
their male colleagues.
*More information about Score Tennis & Fitness Club, currently designated
as a Certified Regional Training Center located in Chicago, Illinois can be
found at
www.scoretennis.net
as well as information on the USTA Midwest
Section at
www.midwest.usta.com
. More information on the USTA Player
Development Regional Training Center Initiative can be found at
www.usta.
com/About-USTA/Training-Centers/Regional_Training_Center_Overview
.
THE REAL PLAYERS AND
THE REAL GAMES
ON THE COURT AND OFF
The player who hit the
casinos as hard as he hit
his serve...
The keys to beating Roger
Federer at his own game...
Junk-food junkie, all-around
screw-up, Grand Slam
champion...
All that and more inside
Hardcourt Confidential.
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