In the Trenches: The Rx for Tennis Coaches

Last month, I wrote about what Swedish clubs are doing to keep players engaged. This month, let’s look at us—coaches. Because if we’re being honest, the way many of us have approached teaching has helped push people out of tennis.

And here’s the big truth we need to face:

We’re in the fun business.

Fun Isn’t Fluff

When I heard a panelist say that at Racquet X in Los Angeles, I almost jumped out of my chair. For too long, coaches have treated “fun” like a dirty word. The serious coaches dismissed it as “hit-and-giggle.” High-performance coaches leaned into the drill-sergeant persona.

But here’s the reality: that mindset has cost us players. People don’t leave tennis because they don’t want to learn. They leave because they don’t enjoy the environment we’ve created.

Take Steve, a 45-year-old exec I sub in to coach when his regular pro is unavailable. For over a year he’s been taking private lessons—three or four a month. I encouraged him to try a LA LiveBall class. Then he joined in. His review?

“It’s the most fun I’ve had doing an activity in my adult life! I can’t wait to go again.”

That’s what we’re up against. Players aren’t chasing “perfect technique”—they’re chasing connection, laughter, challenge, and the feeling that their time on court is the highlight of the week.

Joy fuels effort, effort fuels learning, and learning fuels growth.

Why Pickleball Is Winning

Look at pickleball. New players can learn in 90 minutes, start playing, and walk away smiling. It’s fast, social, and—yes—fun. Tennis, meanwhile, often makes players grind for weeks before they even play a real point. Which sport do you think people stick with?

If we want tennis to thrive, we have to match that kind of experience.

The Coaching School Effect

Here’s where Gary Avischious’s CoachingSchool comes in. That course took years of research and turned it into practical nuggets coaches can use tomorrow.

It’s billed as kid-focused, but I’ve found it works for everyone: adults, seniors, and adaptive athletes, too. In just three 30-minute sessions, I learned more actionable ways to make lessons and clinics engaging than in any certification course I’ve ever taken.

This isn’t theory. CoachingSchool gives you concrete tools to create dynamic, game-based environments where players:

• move more

• laugh more

• learn more

• and leave hungry for the next session

That’s the Rx our sport needs.

The Tennis Parti Mindset

My own philosophy has always been shaped by my family—Frank, Mildred, and Jeanne—who inspired me to make every session uplifting and joyful. Later, Victor from SportsEdTV put a name to it: The Tennis Parti, with the Nardi.

That’s how every session should feel. A mix of energy, learning, and community where players get a workout, improve, and have a blast doing it!

Laughter, smiles, and losing track of time are good signs.  When practice ends,

Do they say, “Wait—is it over already?”  That’s a really good engagement goal.

We are ALL hardwired to PLAY.

The Prescription

So here’s the Rx for coaches:

• Stop being boring.

• Stop hiding behind “high performance” labels.

• Teach sound fundamentals, but wrap them in fun, play, and connection.

Because in the end:

Fun isn’t the enemy—it’s the cure.

Time Breaker Bonus: 3 Nuggets from Coaching School

1. Engagement First – Players learn best when they’re having fun.

2. Random Beats Repetition – Game-based learning improves long-term skills.

3. Coach the Person, Not Just the Stroke – Motivation and joy matter as much as mechanics.

I encourage everyone to check out www.coaching-school.com

Take the CoachingClass course. You will walk away a better coach.