I Play THIS Tennis Game Once a Week (Friendly Competition)

play singles tennis game

I want to share something with you…

A solution to playing competitive tennis and enjoying your time on the court…

You see, I know this junior player whom I coach once in a while. She is a 17-year-old who LOVES tennis.

That’s why I agreed to play and practice with her once a week.

But, as much as she would like to play matches and see whether she can beat me or not, I came up with a game that suits us both: she gets to play competitively against me, and I get a good workout and practice my strokes.

It goes as follows:

We play a tennis game that continues until we decide to put a stop to it. 

There is no score. 

I serve for two points, she serves for two, alternating. We play every point out, but do not count it.

In this way, we play competitively, but do not keep track of the score. 

No egos involved, no frustrations when missing a shot…

We just have a good time playing tennis, enjoying every point, learning from mistakes, and improving our tactics based on the decisions we make. 

You can try this too. With your tennis partner(s).

It is a good way to play competitive tennis without the pressure of winning or losing. You will practice your strokes technique, get a good workout, and work on your match tactics in a relaxed way. 

Try it and let me know how it goes in the comments below.

Cosmin Miholca

Cosmin Miholca

Certified Tennis Coach

Check out my work at WebTennis24 where I share with you my best video tennis lessons, drills and tips for players, coaches and tennis parents.

Why I Decided to Teach My Daughters Tennis

Do you consider that every tennis coach has a duty to introduce their children to tennis? Even if only to teach them the basics so they can enjoy it later with their friends?

These were questions I was asking myself as my baby daughters were turning 4 and 5 years old. 

Many days and nights had I thought about it: what if they didn’t like tennis? Is there a social expectation from a tennis coach to have his children pick up the sport he likes so much? 

I was young and did not have answers to those questions…

One of the biggest thoughts that I could not shake off was the one that eventually made me decide to take this step and introduce my daughters to tennis:

“Would I forgive myself after 20-30 years if I did not teach them to play tennis?”

No, I would not. 

And this is how I got my daughters started with this sport. 

There is more to this story, but I have to keep it short – 

My daughters began with group classes so they could see other kids enjoying tennis, and only after they got a taste of this sport, they asked me to be their coach. 

It was not easy because my daughters have strong personalities. And they “knew better than me” how to hit the ball and would not accept anybody telling them how to do it. 

Even though their father was a tennis coach…
They knew tennis better than I. 🙂

Teaching your kids is not an easy task, but it would give a parent great satisfaction seeing them grow in the sport, become competitive, and learn to work hard to develop their skills… not to mention the hours you spend with them on the court is just… priceless.

So yes, I did manage to teach my two daughters to play tennis and we did this process together for 9 years. 

Best part?

Occasionally, my wife would record some of their lessons. 

If you want to see how I did it, and learn the techniques, the games, and the ways I interacted with my daughters on the tennis court, you can watch the whole 9-year process in this WebTennis24 section called My Daddy / My Coach.

Was it easy, or was it hard? 

It does not matter. 

The time I spent with them on the court during all those years is just precious. 

If you are teaching your children or intend to do it soon, I am here for you. 

I’ve done it, so I know what you will be going through. 

Cosmin Miholca

Cosmin Miholca

Certified Tennis Coach

Check out my work at WebTennis24 where I share with you my best video tennis lessons, drills and tips for players, coaches and tennis parents.

10 Tips to Becoming a Better Tennis Coach

As a tennis coach, your success depends on your ability to connect with your students, earn their respect, and attract more clients. In this article, we will discuss ten tips that will help you achieve these goals and become a better tennis coach.

1. Make eye contact and be approachable
When meeting your students for the first time, or greeting them as they come to your classes, do not wear sunglasses. You should be able to see their eyes, and they should be able to see yours. By taking off your sunglasses and showing your eyes, you will create a good connection with them.

2. Maintain a positive attitude
Your students should not know that you had a sleepless night because of your newborn baby or had a tough lesson with another client. Always reset and put on a smiling face for the next student or class. Keep your attitude positive and show that you are excited to see them every time.

3. Remember and use your students’ names
Learn your students’ names and say them a few times during their lessons. Everyone enjoys hearing their name mentioned, and it shows that you respect and value them.

4. Stay focused during lessons
Never pick up or talk on the phone during your tennis lessons. Imagine that you are a parent who is paying for their child’s lesson, and you see the coach talking on the phone instead of interacting with and instructing your child. Always give your undivided attention to your students during the time they employ your services.

5. Be punctual and respectful of your students’ time
Never be late for your lesson; otherwise, it should be free for your client. If you know you will be late, find a way to let your student know ahead of time. Always arrive at the court at least 15 minutes before your lesson to get the court and any teaching aids that you will be using for the class ready.

6. Avoid negative talk
Do not gossip or talk negatively about your other clients, fellow coaches, or competing tennis clubs/organizations. Negative talk will reflect on you, and your clients will associate what you say with the feeling they have toward you. Keep your actions and words as positive as possible.

7. Show appreciation
Show respect for your tennis students, even those who have stopped taking lessons with you. They can be great ambassadors to promote your services to their friends and families.

8. Organize get-togethers
Offer free lessons to those who cannot afford them, and organize weekly get-togethers where your students and their friends can play together. It is an excellent way to meet their families and spread the word about you and your services.

9. Present yourself professionally
Always look clean and smell nice. As a coach, you may need to rally with your students, so it is important to have spare clothes and a way to take care of your appearance before and after each lesson.

10. Keep learning and sharing knowledge
Find ways to constantly improve your tennis knowledge about the latest teaching techniques and share what you know with your younger fellow coaches. Be available to share your experience, not only with your students but with their parents or anyone who is willing to learn.
Knowledge should not be kept a secret. It should be shared so that others benefit from it.

By following these ten tips, you can improve your coaching skills, connect with your students, gain their respect, and attract more clients. Keep these tips in mind, and you will become a better tennis coach.

Cosmin Miholca

Cosmin Miholca

Certified Tennis Coach

Check out my work at WebTennis24 where I share with you my best video tennis lessons, drills and tips for players, coaches and tennis parents.

Into the Final for the First Time

When my older daughter turned 10, I knew it was going to be tough to split between the green and orange level tournaments – my younger one was still determined to win an orange tournament before joining her sister in the full-court / green level competitions.

During the indoor season, we unsuccessfully tried to participate in several tournaments – the distance impeded the fact that my two daughters had to play on different days due to their separate levels.

When spring came and the outdoor season kicked in, we finally managed to book our spot in a tournament that would host both levels (green and orange) on the same day and just a few hours apart. Which meant less wait between matches and less travel for all.

My older daughter, Cezara, was first to play beginning at 12:30pm. Even though a day before she caught a bad cold she decided to take part in her first green-level competition anyway.
I could see in her movement and body language that Cezara was far from being fit enough to concentrate and compete… Nonetheless, she played all 6 matches (round-robin, first to 7-point tie-break) winning two and losing four. A good performance considering the health issues she had to deal with and her first time competing on a full court and against tougher opponents.

At 3pm, the time came for orange-level matches. My younger daughter, Bianca (8 years and a half), blended among the players during the warm-up. She was the last in line and visibly the shyest one.
Nothing could tell that she would end up within a couple of hours getting everybody’s attention and admiration…

They were divided into two groups of 6 players who were going to play in a round-robin format (every player against each other in a game with a 7-point tie-break). The top 4 players from each group would go on to the quarter-finals: first player vs. the fourth from the opposite group, second vs. third player, and so forth.

Bianca had won 4 out of her 5 group matches and went on to be the top player in her group.

Before the quarter-final began, I went to the fence and told her that she would be playing elimination matches from now on meaning she should erase from her memory whatever happened before and focus only on how to win the next matches. I suggested to Bianca to not be satisfied with the past performance (a big mental trap) and to keep her mind busy in the “now-and-next” mode.

(Some of the pieces of advice I gave my daughters before the tournament were the following:
– during the warmup, they should keep their feet moving to get the blood flowing and resist hitting the ball hard;
– make mental notes of their opponents’ possible weak shots – e.g. backhand, serve spin, etc.
– use more slice serves because some kids are not familiar with handling spin serves;
– mentally they should keep their focus by always knowing the score and visualizing winning the next point.)

To my satisfaction, I saw that Bianca followed most of the advice I gave her in regard to the warm-up and strategies.

daughter serving in tennis tournament

She won the quarter-final in a heavily contested line calls and long rallies match. The umpire made some mistakes on both sides. Eventually, Bianca prevailed 7-3.

Again, I went to the fence (while she was resting and waiting for the next match) to help her stay focused on the present and what was coming ahead. She told me that this is how far she had gotten in previous tournaments – 4th place was the highest achievement.
After giving her a few tips on staying loose and focused, I left her on the bench, alone.

To our surprise, her semi-final match was going to be against, what we considered, the best player in the tournament. This girl, who traveled from out of the country to participate in this tournament, had a beautiful technique (great backhand, nice slice serve) and looked very confident.
We still don’t know how this happened, but Bianca marched to victory and sent her opponent to play for the 3rd and 4th places…
All I could say is that Bianca kept her focus from the beginning to the end, played steady shots, and ran for every single ball. That, in the end, paid off.

Our delight was immense: not only for her victory against one of the best players she’d ever played but also for the fact that for the first time she’d be in the final and so close to winning a tournament.

The final match put her against a player who lacked the technical elements but who was very persistent and smart in hitting a lot of balls in.
After a good start when Bianca was leading 3-0, she found herself contemplating the win and very certain of first place in the tournament. This is the mental trap that is hard to get out of the head afterward…

Bianca found herself slowly beaten and denied the first place.

Even so, by playing with confidence, focus, and persistence, my daughter made us all proud to see her getting a medal and recognition for her achievement.

We, after all, celebrated with a pizza and some of our close relatives waiting for us at home to congratulate both sisters. 🙂

Conclusion:
Even though every tournament that we go to means a lot of pressure for both parents and kids, in the end, the fact that we dare to get out of our comfort zone is what matters.
Experiences, bad or good, are what make life worth living and sharing.
It is not the winning or losing in tournaments that matters; it is the fact that we meet new people, get good exercise, and make a difference in the world by giving a good example of hard work and respect for others.

Cosmin Miholca

Cosmin Miholca

Certified Tennis Teaching Professional

Check out my work at WebTennis24 where I share my best video tennis lessons, drills and tips for players, coaches and tennis parents.

“Silly Balls” Tennis Drill

kids tennis drill

Here is an exercise idea that I call Silly Balls, which is great for developing great ball tracking, quick reaction, and feel…

As a coach, I sometimes carry with me a basket containing mixed types of balls: some bouncy (new or old), some “dead” (that lost their inside air), some “spongy” (the oversized sponge ones for little kids), etc. This basket I take out on the court when I want to work with my students on the quick reaction, footwork, and feel.

I feed those mixed balls to my students and challenge them to hit all the balls over the net. The benefit of this drill is making the player get out of their comfort zone by not having to deal with the same bounce and speed of the ball all the time. They also develop a quick first-step reaction by having to adjust quickly to the bounce and depth of the different types of balls.

If you are a coach or parent of a tennis player, try doing this drill at times, but make sure they warm up very well beforehand.

Cosmin Miholca

Cosmin Miholca

Certified Tennis Coach

Check out my work at WebTennis24 where I share with you my best video tennis lessons, drills and tips for players, coaches and tennis parents.

The 10 Commandments For Tennis Coaches

1. You shall not wear sunglasses when talking with your students or greeting anyone.

2. You shall always have a positive attitude.


3. You shall always remember your students’ names and greet them as soon as they enter your tennis court.


4. You shall not pick up, talk, or text on your phone during tennis lessons.


5. You shall never be late to your tennis lesson otherwise it is free for your client.


6. You shall not speak poorly of your fellow tennis coaches (or any clubs or tennis organization affiliations) regardless of their teaching methods.


7. You shall show respect to your clients and make them feel welcome even after they have stopped coming to you for lessons.


8. Once in a while you shall give free lessons to those who cannot afford them, and spend extra time with your clients who need more help.


9. You shall always look clean and smell nice.

10. You shall always look for ways to improve your tennis knowledge and share it with your students and younger fellow coaches who seek guidance.

Cosmin Miholca

Cosmin Miholca

Certified Tennis Coach

Check out my work at WebTennis24 where I share with you my best video tennis lessons, drills and tips for players, coaches and tennis parents.