For Arthur Ashe Youth Tennis and Education, the game of tennis is much more than what happens between the lines. We strive to teach the fundamentals needed to play competitive tennis but more importantly, we empower young people to become positive and productive citizens in their communities and in the larger society. The fundamental driver for this holistic development resides with our very talented and dedicated coaches. These men and women fill the role of both the coach who teaches the technical aspects of the game and also that of a mentor and role model to our young people. Having worked in the youth and education field both locally and nationally over the past 15 years, I can say with confidence that pound for pound, I’d put our coaching staff up against any youth-serving organization anywhere.

Jim Thompson of Stanford University began the Positive Coaching Alliance (PCA) in 1998 with similar objectives in mind. The PCA seeks to create “The Double-Goal Coach®, whose first goal is winning, and whose second, more-important goal is teaching life lessons through sports.” Every person on our staff aims to be a Double-Goal Coach®, and create an environment in which players can learn and grow. AAYTE coaches are committed to our youth and their development. Not every player will become a competitive collegiate or even high school athlete, but we can instill in them qualities and values that will be beneficial for a lifetime.

Interestingly, our coaching staff is highly diverse with a large number of African-American males who came up through the AAYTE program. These coaches can easily relate to our young people, their families and their communities. We have this intangible element which educators call “cultural relevancy,” an invaluable asset to serving urban young people. This relevancy helps our coaching staff bring a certain perspective which allows them to provide meaningful guidance and advice to our kids about both tennis but also broader dynamics going on outside of our programs at the Center and in the neighborhoods.

These player-coach relationships are particularly meaningful to our young people. They provide a bond that enhances the AAYTE experience for everyone. DreShaun Jarmon, an AAYTE participant since he was five years old, is a talented player from South Philadelphia with a close relationship to Vice President of Tennis and National Partnerships Lance Lee. When DreShaun was nine, Lance noticed his raw ability and focused on helping him achieve more in tennis and life. Over the past seven years, the relationship has developed into something more. DreShaun says, “When Lance took an interest in me, I started getting serious about tennis. He has been a mentor for me and has really acted as a big brother figure. He is a role model for me on and off the court.”

The coaches at AAYTE go above and beyond the role of just a coach and also focus on the players’ personal development. It is important to all of our coaches that they know their players on a personal level so that they can help them to become well rounded people. Co-Director of Player Development, Justin O’Neal, says, “I consider myself a teacher first and a coach second. A tennis coach is someone who helps students with tennis related skills such as forehands, serves and point strategy. A tennis teacher is someone who teaches life skills such as self confidence, integrity and honesty in the context of tennis.  Being a tennis teacher is more important to me because it helps establish the foundation for a positive and successful life.” We strive to be tennis and life teachers on a daily basis and we are always thrilled when we see the positive impact we have had on our players. Co-Director of Player Development, Jon Glover, puts it best when he says, “nothing is more rewarding than when a student comes back as an adult and tells you that you had a profound impact on their life; that should be our goal as coaches.”

As we move into the New Year, our focus remains on fostering quality tennis players and mentoring these young people so that they are also quality people. AAYTE is proud to have a coaching staff that is committed to the development of its players both technically and personally, and we look forward to continuing to watch our players achieve success both on and off the court.