Preparing The Next Generation of Players: Mary Wynne Burns
AMESBURY, MA - Mary Wynne Burns has spent the last 20+ years teaching and developing young players at the New England Tennis Center (NETC). The longtime Director of 12U Tennis at Orchard Hills Athletic Club (Lancaster, MA), works with kids of all levels, from recreational players transitioning to their next ball color to Junior Team Tennis (JTT) and top-ranked USTA tournament players. Her JTT highlights include leading her 12U team to the 2019 New England Championship and developing players on the 14U team that reached Nationals in 2018.
Burns also has run several Nike Tennis Camps, including 12U camps and the first-ever 10U Nike Camp. She is the junior varsity tennis coach at Acton-Boxborough (AB) High and is beloved by her students wherever she teaches.
Burns now works at WestFit (Westford, MA) leading the 12U programming at the club, also part of the NETC family.
How and when did you get into coaching?
Mary Wynne Burns has taught and developed 12U players for more than 20 years.
My son was a hockey goalie in high school at AB, and after his freshman year, I introduced him to tennis. That was in 2003, and I figured since I was teaching him already, I’d try coaching myself. And it was right around that time I was offered the JV tennis coach job and I’ve been there since. My son’s love for tennis continued, as he played USTA tournaments and eventually won the state doubles championship.
How would you best describe yourself as a coach?
My main focus is helping the children see who they can become. I give them a picture or a vision of what they can do. I’ll give them a goal and we problem solve. If they had a bad result, we work on what they did well and improve from there.
How do you navigate the family dynamic when coaching players at such a young age?
My involvement is with the whole family since they’re so young. Watching a child develop their skills and confidence and seeing how excited their parents are is a special feeling. At the 10U level, winning doesn’t matter. There are no rankings, so I tell parents to let me be the coach and you be the fans. Let me work on what needs to be addressed. These parents invest in lessons, and I do the important job of making sure the child feels safe to make mistakes. I tend to stay friends with many parents; the relationships don’t cease when the kids graduate. It’s an amazing experience for me also having been on the other side with a son who competed in tournament play.
What’s the relationship like amongst your students?
All these kids see themselves as teammates, not opponents. I don’t pit them against each other unless we’re preparing for a doubles tournament. They encourage each other and help each other develop. I try to provide as many mini camps as possible on holidays or on other days when they can come in together.
Do you keep in touch with your students as they grow up?
Many of my kids actually have and continue to compete for me or against me at AB. I’ve also hired several high school students to come back to work for me, mentoring kids in the 10Us, sharing their experiences and what was difficult for them growing up. And the young kids feel they have these amazing high school players as their friends. They even watch them play their high school matches. It’s a full-circle experience.
How would you reflect on your coaching experience so far?
Burns has coached New England players from beginners to team and individual champions.
I wasn’t a college player, I just love to play the game, and if I had my choice, I would’ve taught tennis from the beginning. What I’ve been exposed to has been phenomenal. I’m a former professor at Boston University, so teaching is in my character. I know who I am, and I’m not looking to present myself in any great light, I just work to prepare these children for their futures.
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