ATFa Coaching Philosophy:
My book is evidence of how I learned from history that when teaching tennis: Do No Harm. Using guided discovery, we allow each student to experience the efficient biomechanics of the pros, even if at slower speeds initially at younger ages. Our first rule is to only teach techniques that are aligned with the desired end result. Our second rule is that anything we practice should have meaningful purpose. When you take an ATFa lesson, regardless if you are an adult, beginner, or aspiring junior wanting to see how far you can go, we promise our wealth of knowledge and experience is taken from the best evidence and coaches on earth using the principle of congruency.
ATFA offers something we think is unique: a way to hold us accountable. We offer to take videos of players periodically that we send to parents for objective analysis that the child is getting better with our coaching. You have our blessing to take it to a different coach and if he claims he can do better; we would rather you find out sooner than later. We have some great juniors and feel free to talk with the parents why they continue with ATFA. We claim to offer world class coaching and best of all, it’s delivered in a simple understandable form. We don’t claim to be the right coach for everyone or claim to have every answer, We are confident we can find the answers you are looking for with our vast network of coaching relationships. We also serve as consultants to other coaches and parents who don't have access to our vast resources on best practices.
Mission:
We know how to bring out talent in players given we stay on the cutting edge of modern tennis instruction but also seek to grow the talent pool. More good players means more better players. If we are to make tennis more popular we must recognize 1) tennis instruction should be simplified, 2) tennis is best played using natural, efficient mechanics aligned with feel and instinct and 3) tennis is a vehicle for something far greater: a sense of community between any two people no matter how different, self-achievement, great exercise, and the pure joy of seeing our youngsters learn important values through sportsmanship.
Quote from Ivan Lendl, who for eight years consecutively played in the US Open Finals, won eight Grand Slams total, and is credited with taking Andy Murray to the #1 world ranking. "Many tennis coaches are enablers. They need the job more than the player needs the coach, and if the coach needs the job more than the player needs the coach, he can't effect change."
