Junior World Team Tennis Coach's Corner: Connor Majdalani

Teamwork has always been an enormous part of Connor Majdalani’s life for as long as he can remember. After being introduced to tennis at the age of two, Majdalani worked tirelessly throughout his childhood and high school years at the sport he loved.

Because of his hard work, Majdalani had the chance to continue his tennis career at the collegiate level, first at St. John’s University in Toledo, Ohio and then finishing up his eligibility at the University of Findlay. Majdalani enjoyed the thrill of competition and the idea of working as a cohesive unit towards a common goal.

Following his graduation, Majdalani decided to return to coaching the game he had developed a deep appreciation for, a pastime he started during high school. While coaching began as an extra way to make money, Majdalani came to find that he craved helping younger players realize their potential. For the past three years, Majdalani has made coaching his full-time profession.

It was only natural, then, that this young and energetic coach would lead the Junior World Team Tennis team to come out of Northwestern Ohio. After being recommended to the district by his boss, Mark Faber, Majdalani found that coaching the team was a perfect fit. Majdalani entered his third year coaching this year and says that the atmosphere keeps him coming back for more.

“I’ve been about team my whole career, so I figured I had a bunch of knowledge and could spread the wealth for the kids and see how they would grasp being on a team,” said Majdalani.

Each Jr. World Team Tennis event reminds Majdalani heavily of his college experience, allowing each junior player a glimpse of what it’s like to be on a team, fighting for the same outcome. It is an extra opportunity for junior players to play in a team environment in a sport that is known for its individual nature.

For Majdalani, the draw comes from the electric energy that is present throughout his team, something he does not always get to experience with other tournaments at his club.

“We got really fired up this year, and I love getting five or six kids cheering each other on and pushing each other to keep fighting and keep grinding to do whatever it takes to get that extra game or that extra point for the team,” said Majdalani.

Majdalani’s team brought their all this year to the USTA Midwest Jr. World Team Tennis Section Championships with a second-place finish. It is Majdalani’s goal to bring even more players into the Jr. World Team Tennis scene next year, demonstrating that teamwork really does make the dream work.