Utah Women's Tennis

Team Building

2010-11-29T15:20:00.000-08:00

Previously I have talked about many things that can affect the concept of Team Building. In my mind team building begins during the recruiting process as we as coaches go out to try to find and convince young women to join us here at the University of Utah. If you are going to do a good job of team building you must recruit young women who have the skills necessary to thrive in a team environment. Some coaches feel very strong about doing a lot of team building activities....I am not a huge advocate of that....However I am very much an advocate of putting all the challenges to team unity on the table and dealing with them in an open matter.....What might some of those be? Selfishness (Big in a wealthy persons sport like tennis!), "In your face" competitiveness (I love it, so they have to deal with that cause I am not going to make it go away), passive aggressive behavior (Get it out in the open and deal with it!), Oh and one of my favorites: female stereotypes regarding open dialogue, recently I had a player defend this by saying "you know coach we are girls!" to which I replied no you are not you are Young Women and I expect adult like behavior and that things get dealt with in a "grown up" manner.

In it's simplest form team building involves respecting and getting along with others.....If I want to like you I can focus on the things about you I really like about you and easily find common ground.....If I don't to like you I can focus in on what annoys me about you and easily not like you and have "good" reason not to.

In closing I once said winning is the "magic bullet" the van ride shorter after a win, the food tastes better after a win, the person next to you smells less after a win etc.....but the real challenges to team unity come after a loss. I say judge me on how I handle adversity that is my true measure and I hope by handling it with dignity my team learns from me.....I also know that if they see how much I care about each one of them they will care about each other! As a coach you must take responsibility for team building and sometimes taking responsibility is making the team accountable in this area!

Stress

2010-08-26T10:14:00.000-07:00

Several years ago Dick Gould told me he learned to embrace that tightness in the pit of his stomach before a big match......Which got me to thinking.....Why? Answer came to me quickly, many of us spend so much of our lives avoiding or trying to avoid stress rather then accepting it as inevitable and learning to deal with and even embrace because let me tell you.....If you were perfectly relaxed going into that board meeting, speaking engagement, exam, match, date or whatever does the outcome mean as much? No, very likely not. Stress comes from a true desire to succeed and we can play all the mind games in the world to avoid it or we can accept it and learn effective ways to deal with it! What Dick was basically telling me is he loves the challenge and is totally prepared to deal with the stress that entails. Learn to us stress to work for you and you will be more successful! Don't shy away from or run from it!

PAC 10!

2010-06-23T09:54:00.000-07:00

Last Week the University of Utah was invited to join the PAC 10.....An invitation that was readily accepted! I did not leave Purdue and come to Utah three years ago with this being a possibility but with the success we have had in the last 3 years, particularly last year (Mountain West Conference Champs). I feel we are ready for the challenge.

I feel like I have come full circle as I started my Women's Coaching Career as Assistant at Cal closely followed by a stint at UCLA. So in a way I am coming home....I know what it takes to win in our new league and while it is not going to be easy, I am thrilled to have the opportunity. I have many good friends who coach in the PAC 10 and a lot of respect for the coaches in arguably the finest Women's Tennis Conference in the land. I do feel that I have worked very hard over my career to prepare myself to compete at the highest level as a coach....I also believe that without Dr. Chris Hill our AD this would have never happened.

In short I am very thankful for this opportunity but I am also sure that I am ready. GO UTES!

Keep a Score!!!

2010-05-27T08:02:00.000-07:00

It seems to me that is a modern day trend in some circles not to keep a score in youth athletic events.....This is an idea that I strongly disagree with.....Not only is it ok for a young person to lose it is actually a tremendous opportunity for growth. The ability to handle loss with dignity, perspective and sportsmanship is an asset that will serve you well throughout your entire life. It is very important that we pick ourselves up "dust ourselves off" and get back in the game. Don't kid yourself there is a scoreboard in every area of life and winners and losers everyday. While I firmly believe that winning is #1, I just as firmly believe that losing is #2....What is 3rd you might ask? Well third is everything else especially not putting it out there in fear of the outcome! So what dose keeping a score from a young age do for us? It gives us a chance to learn determination and recovery needed to overcome the setbacks that occur in the game of life.....Acquire these skills at a young age and they will stay with you for life!

Moutain West Conference Champs!

2010-04-24T21:28:00.001-07:00

On Sunday April 18th in Albuquerque, we beat TCU to cap an undefeated conference season and Win the MWC Championship for the first time ever! I don't know that it is always great to be motivated by your doubters or critics but lets face it we all are to some degree.
I always felt that I was a good coach but circumstances that occured prior to my arrival at Utah challenged that thinking. Everything that has happened since my arrival has led me to believe that just about anything is possible if you have a group that believes and is 100% "bought in"!
I am humbled by what we have accomplished here in such a short time and motivated to take it even further in the coming years and as I think about I never really had a lot of doubters! I want to thank many people for believing in me and promise them that I will work hard to never let those who trust and believe in me down!

Respect

2010-04-14T14:27:00.000-07:00

Over the years one thing I have learned about the difference between men and women is on the issue of respect.....young men will play hard for their coach even if they do not like him/her as long as they respect him/her. It has been my experience that young women do not as readily differentiate between like and respect....if they don't like you they will have a hard to respecting or putting it on the line for you! Now clearly their are exceptions to this but I certainly believe it to be true!

I remember the story of the famous South Carolina HS Football coach who passed away and at his funeral their was a long line of mourners, about two thirds the way back an older woman stood amongst a group of large former players and asked "you must be very hurt by Coach's passing?" when the players almost unanimously answered "no not really we just wanted to make sure the SOB was dead!" So clearly I think the women have this right! Teach your players the value of respect but always treat them with dignity and never underestimate the impact of a kind word!

I AM (Italian American)

2010-03-29T20:36:00.000-07:00

As a young man I spent many days with my grandfather Antonio Iandolo.....In 1914 at the age of 18 my grandfather came to the United States from from a small farming village near Naples, Italy and as everyone of that era passed thru Ellis Island. His initial goal was to earn money for a water pump for the family farm back in Italy, he did and then he decided to settle in Brooklyn....He married, had a family and proceeded to work his tail off for the next 40 yrs to provide a better life for his children each of them became very successful in nearly every area of life.
It inspires me how many successful coaches come from my ethnic background and nearly everyone Lombardi, Izzo, Carnessecca, Massimino, Patino, Valvano, Paterno, Torre, Lasorda, LaRussa, Calipari, Billy Martin (name change), Berra, Parcells (mother's side), Valentine, Francona, Sciosia, Girardi, Auriemma and many others can be traced back to the same or similar area. My Dad went to church with Paterno, hung out with the Torre brothers and were very familiar with the Lombardi family! It is funny my grandfather worked and went to church everyday.....he had no time or passion for sports. I often wonder what he would have thought about a grandson who made it his lifes work?
I am very proud of my heritage and I am proud to live in a Country that provided an opportunity for my Grandfather and so many others like him....I worry very much that in Modern Day America we are losing sight of what this great country was founded on.....The next time you see a group of people protesting immigration please think about Ellis Island and the inscription on the Statue of Liberty! The next time someone makes you feel uncomfortable about your religious beliefs remind them of why the Pilgrims came to America and the "little thing" in the constitution about the seperation of church and state!

The Team in Red

2010-03-25T22:24:00.000-07:00

Nearly three years ago when I took over the Women's Tennis Program here at Utah, I put forth a few challenges to my new players: I told them to always have a plan B if plan A isn't working.....example if you are a agressive big hitter learn to "grind" and if you are a grinder learn to attack and everyone who plays for me will know "the sneak" ie counter attack or how to attack behind the off-pace or heavy (topspin) loop! We will be fitter and more willing to pay the price whatever the price is! We will never play victim, we will do everything we can (within the rules of fair play and sportsmanhip) to make the other team our victim. The last and likely most important thing is when someone walked into the Eccles Tennis Center they would see clearly that no one will want it more in a visual and verbal sense than The Team in Red!
It is very ok to want it and not get it, but if you don't want it more how can you ever expect to get it? GO UTES!

Pay it forward/Karma

2010-03-15T14:28:00.000-07:00

Over the years I have come to greatly believe in paying it forward.....When someone does you a "Solid" you may not always be able to directly pay it back but you will always have an opportunity down the road to do something kind for someone else (paying it forward). I do believe in Karma I just don't believe that our good deeds are always rewarded in a one for one fashion and sometimes they may not be directly rewarded at all. In many cases our reward must be the satisfaction of knowing that we did the "right thing"! Take pride in that! It is also amazing how far a smile, a kind word and a greeting will go toward making someone's day better! Ask yourself this: When was the last time you stayed in a hotel and right before you checked out you left a couple of dollars on the dresser for the maid? Try it sometime! :)

Desiree

2010-03-09T09:21:00.000-08:00

Next week the annual Bastian Memorial Junior Tennis Tournament will be played in Salt Lake City. It is an event in tribute of Desiree and Travis Bastian, two young people who were killed in an auto accident way before there time!

I did not have the pleasure of knowing them but I am very aware that they were extremely kind, attractive, athletic and full of life! Des was great friends with a couple of young women on our team and her mom still attends several of our matches.....Paige Miles our top freshman still packs a pink racket in her tennis bag as a tribute to Des. Last year Desiree and Travis' mom gave me one of the best compliments I have ever received when she told me that her daughter would have loved to have played for me and the Utes! I can safely say that two young women on our team and their coaches will do whatever we can to see that we honor the legacy of these two young people!

Power

2010-02-18T10:23:00.000-08:00

I have coached women for over 20 years and being the child of a very successful single mom I feel very qualified....I try to let the young women I coach realize the power they have everyday! I also try to encourage them to never relinquish that power to anyone, while they do not have to use it all the time they must know they possess it. Self-esteem, self worth, self image, and confidence? Never let them be controlled by Johnny or anyone else for that matter. Be polite, be kind, be caring and nurturing but always realize that you ultimately are strong, powerful and a man is nothing without you!

"Captain of my Ship"

2010-02-01T12:13:00.000-08:00

As a Head Coach you are the Captain of the Ship and therefore responsible for all that goes on within the ship! This is a responsibility which I do not take lightly nor should any coach! I am responsible for the attitude, behavior and effort of the team I put on the court and should be held accountable for that. I expect a lot of myself, I want to be held to a high standard and I want the people who count on me, to expect a lot of me. I will do what it takes to deliver on the expectations of those who love our program!

Coach Cox

2010-01-26T08:57:00.000-08:00

On January 21st, 2010.....R. Keith Cox passed away. Keith was my college coach at Weber State. While I was not always thrilled with his coaching style at the time I played for him as the years went on I realized that he had a great impact on myself and many others who played for him.

I never thought of him as young but he was mere 33 when my Weber State playing days started in 1979.....I always felt that he was much older perhaps due to the fact that he carried himself very maturely and always respected "the line" between coach and player.

His philosophy which I did not understand to be effective till much later was the things we figured out on our own taught us a far greater lesson than what could be spoon fed. I would not consider myself an overly hands on coach but I definitely am a little more active than Coach Cox when it comes to on court coaching. One of his greatest strengths was his ability to make us feel better than we were and never sell us short.....This is a quality I loved about him and feel is one of my greatest qualities as a coach. On long van trips I used to sit in the front seat, pick his brain about tennis and life philosophies while I did not always agree I learned a lot from my coach R. Keith Cox, I will never forget him. See you on the other side Coach!

The High Road

2010-01-09T14:02:00.000-08:00

I have learned in my career and in life it is best to take the high road. The high road is not always the easy road and I have not always taken it but when I have it has generally served me well. Examples: with all due respect to University of Michigan it really bothered me when they beat us and after the match they circled very close to our post match meeting and sang "hail to the victor" one of the best college songs but not exactly what we wanted to hear at that moment. I swore that as soon as we beat them I was going to have my team return the favor and sing our fight song as close to them as possible.....Well for about 6 years we had an incredible run against them winning 5 out 0f 6 but when we beat them I just decided not to return the favor! It felt plenty good defeating a prestigious program and no need to rub it in.
As a coach you wield a great deal of power and it is easy to get into a power struggle with players and ultimately you hold all the cards....sometimes you must forgive and not resort to an eye for an eye (as a wise man once said if we did this a lot of people would be blind!) take the high road rise above and maintain your diginity by not engaging. Sometimes not retaliating is extremely difficult but ultimately class (the high road) will prevail and send a great message to the people you should be teaching life lessons to!

The Selfishness of Giving

2009-12-16T10:20:00.000-08:00

The most important thing you can do to be a successful coach is to throw most of your effort and energy into allowing your players to succeed. When you have worked hard and given your all through weeks of practice, the reward is to sit back and watch young men/women you coach apply what you have worked on and hopefully succeed. Great Coaches will tell you it is not about them it is about the players, even though in the modern day media driven world of the internet and 24/7 sports on TV.....Coaches get more than enough exposure!

As a coach and as a person I have given a great deal to help my players, friends and family succeed. At first glance this appears very altruistic and noble....however the bottom line is I derive a great deal of satisfaction from seeing them succeed. This I call the selfishness of giving!

Have I been taken advantage of because of this? Absolutely I have and I will again! However even when taken advantage of I can still sit back and feel peace and satisfaction in knowing that I made a difference in that persons life!

If you want to get the most out of your relationship be it with your coaches, friends or family! Genuine gratitude will help greatly.

Winning unattractively

2009-12-14T17:52:00.000-08:00

In the Fall of 1983.....I started my coaching life in earnest at San Diego State University as the Men's Assistant Coach. In my first week on the job I met a young man named Nicolas (Nicky) Getz, At first glance Nicky like most tennis players was a child of great privilage, the son of one of the most famous jazz musicians of all time and a swedish model/actress. I am happy that I looked beyond first glance and saw a young that I had a tremendous amount in common with and someone who delivered greatly on the work and belief I put in him. In my title I sneakily referenced Brad Gilbert's book.....Brad developed his game in both Nicky's and my era. While Brad went on to have far more success than us as a player (and arguably as a coach). Nicky and I used many of the "Gilbert Techniques" before we knew the book was published and before it existed. I have always learned a lot from the people I have coached. I learned a ton from Nicky and not because he was coached by Lew Hoad (yes that Lew Hoad) and Robert Lansdorp. I fed Nicky many a ball and talked endlessly with him about tennis and life! I always knew the value of heart and soul but Nicky had a very ordinary game by Big Time Collegiate standards (with the exception of his forehand) and yet I believe Nicky is the all time winningst player in San Diego State Tennis History. He won thru hard work and clinically breaking down the games of far more talented players. Introducing me to such mystical concepts as "willing the ball out" "the forcefield" and at one point against Arizona State actually calling me over a moment before the match started telling me I am going to "find a way" to beat this guy you can count on me! 90 minutes later he did, 3 and 2! Nicky is now a very successful teaching pro in LA.
The point of this story listen, evolve and learn to be a better coach!

Rivalries

2009-11-30T09:11:00.000-08:00

As a coach and a fan I have always found rivalries to be interesting. I have played and coached at schools that had natural rivals Purdue vs Indiana, UCLA vs USC, Cal vs Stanford and Utah vs BYU....I honestly have never been more excited about beating a natural rival as I have about beating any other highly competitive program....I know this is against the grain but it is just how I feel, my thinking on this is simple: if I am coaching at Stanford for instance and Cal is unranked why should that match/game mean more to me than a big win over a highly ranked USC or UCLA program....In fact I would venture to guess that the reason upsets occur in these games is you make too big a deal of them and can't perform at the highest level due to the stress you have created! With all due respect to BYU....I will get just as big a thrill out of beating TCU and UNLV as I would them!

Once again...love the battle and leave it all on the court but no one match should ever define you! One of my favorite quotes: Duane Thomas (Dallas Cowboys RB in the early 70's) "If the Super Bowl is the Ultimate Game, why do they play it again next year?".

Leaders 09-10'

2009-11-15T20:25:00.000-08:00

Leadership from within the team is vital to any teams success.....This year our leaders are Erin Monson and Andrea Maughan. As leaders they must remember that anyone can identify a problem working to find a solution is a true leadership trait!
I have said this about Erin (Salt Lake City) many times.....she is everything I want our program to be about! Strong, hardworking, kind, unselfish, dedicated and respectful! Andrea (Waterford, Ireland) was not recruited by me and has not always benefited from every one of my decisions but she has been unbelievably dedicated to me and our program. I am very confident that due to her hardwork and commitment not only will she have a great year but we will too! I could not be more pleased with our two seniors! Go Utes!

Signing Day!

2009-11-13T08:48:00.000-08:00

Yesterday we signed Ashley Tanner! Yes I know most of you have never heard of Ashley Tanner but as a coach who has staked his reputation on finding people not many have heard of and developing them into excellent college players it is just a matter of time before you know who she is!

As I have said in previous entries the most important things to me in the evaluation of a prospect are heart and love of the game, if those two things are present you have a great chance of success.....Recruiting however is a process of reading between the lines as no one is ever going to tell you they don't love it or have heart!

This year as usual we were "Big Timed" by a few who had no business big timing us but in the next few years they will see someone they had never heard of accomplish a great deal in the program that was not good enough for them! "I'm just sayin"! MAM I am not refering to you, you and your family have done a lot to help me and our program!

Russians

2009-10-31T15:34:00.001-07:00

In most of my 19 yrs as a Head Coach I recruited only American Players.....In 2003 an event occured that changed all that.....Hitting on the Rec Courts behind our varsity courts was an athletic looking blond haired young woman.....She was ripping the ball off both sides....I walked over and investigated further, turns out she was a Russian student on a three week exchange at a local High School.....Her name was Anna Dzeva I got some contact information from her and decided I would recruit her. She had owned two racquests one was cracked and held together with duct tape. When I offer her a scholarship one year later she started to cry....She was very aware that this was a life changing event but not only did it change her life but it also changed mine. Since I have coached two more Russians (even better players) with incredible attitudes. Evgenia Kryuchkova and Anastasia Putilina.....Words can't describe what these young women have meant to me as I have built my program here at Utah! My Russians have been tough, appreciative, hardworking and very coachable.....Thank You Anna for opening my eyes!

Coach em up!

2009-10-20T16:30:00.000-07:00

Over the years I have been perceived as many things. As a younger coach I thought I was way better than I actually was likely because I was fortunate enough to be an assistant coach at such powers as Cal and UCLA. I was young, brash and thought I knew it all. This actually worked for me as I was able to convey an air of confidence (possible cockiness?) to the players I coached.

Let me just tell you a funny quote that I have lived ever since then: "It's what you learn after you know it all that counts!" Examples???? At UCLA I had the audacity to think that I recruited, are you kidding we did not recruit we selected! At Purdue and Utah I recruited! Difference.....at UCLA you can pretty much get whoever you want, the pressure on you there is to make the right choice (Not recruit but select!). At Purdue I was holding far fewer cards and had to sell a school with a lack of tennis tradition and poor facilities (at the time). I sold our academic reputation and our coaching staff and we won quite a bit!

While recruiting is very important and I have done a solid job of it over the years. It is every bit as important to develop the young women when they arrive and build the program, as unless you are at Duke, Florida, Stanford, UCLA etc....chances are you are not getting anywhere near the finished product and you must Coach em up! If my older self would see my younger self now, my older self would likely say look at that Cocky SOB, he was born on third base and has the audacity to think he hit a triple! I love looking at the modern day versions of the younger me and thinking that same thing about them. You coaches at the "elite" you do coach don't get me wrong but......talent and having players who have won since the age of ten sure helps!

Reflections

2009-10-11T17:49:00.000-07:00

I spent a good deal of my professional life as the Head Women's Tennis Coach at Purdue University. In 1991 I took over a program that had been at the bottom of the Big Ten for about 2 years and it took two more years to escape that position. National Prominence???? I just wanted to beat Western Michigan and Miami of Ohio. Over the next 16 years I am proud to say we beat every school in the Big Ten atleast twice and made the NCAA tournament as a team on 5 occasions. Had 5 individuals in the doubles and two in the Singles...We had big non league wins over San Diego State (3 Times) Harvard, Notre Dame (twice), TCU, LSU, Auburn, Texas A & M, Virginia, Kentucky, Washington and Many more. Over those years no school had more Women's Tennis players Academic All Big Ten than Purdue. From 1994- 2007 we were Nationally ranked every year and top fifty in all but 3 of those years. With all due respect to the gifts and efforts that made a beautiful tennis center a reality in 2007, in 15 of the 16 years the feats were accomplished with major facility issues (arueably the worst in the top 75).
Why am I writing this???? Well I want to express gratitude to many and a challenge to some and I don't want our efforts to go without recognition! Thank You Joni Comstock for taking a chance and hiring me (and making me feel like I was a better coach than I actually was!). Thank You Nan Smith and Alyssa Kohl for sticking it out with me. Thank You Mary Beth Maggart for being the first great player.....Jennifer Embry.....I still don't know why you came but I am forever greatful you did. Shannon, Dig, Fiset, Libby, Amanda, Hally, Missy, Quebe, Katy, LB, LA, Johanna (How good could it have been??) Shawna, Paula, Gretchan, Walgenbachs, Lynsmo, Melissa Iqbal (thanks for bringing me to tears with the Win over Colosia at LSU! BTW nobody does that) Woods... ND twice in four yrs? not bad for a Penn Grad! Randi, Mal, Wooten, Brooke, Whit and Anna,....wish I could have coached you all four years and I will never forget how you put it all on the line for me at the most challenging time of my life, Minna you made it! Hala wish things could have been different! Ed Howat, Tom Reiter, Greg Lehman you are good men, Joe Tiller and Gene Keady you are great coaches but more importantly you are great Human Beings! Tanya Foster, Coleen Garrity and Faye Flood I can't thank you enough! Tim Madden the tears we shed upon my leaving told me how great a man you are! Chris.....I wanted to do it forever (I will be sorry the rest of my life that you did not!).
The Challenge???? To the new Coaches....take the considerable resources made available to you, bring it back to the level we had attained and win back Chicago from Dasso! I loved Purdue but I have now turned the page and am very happy in my new life! Go Boilers! GO UTES

Team Practice!

2009-09-14T21:12:00.000-07:00

Today was a great day as it was our first official practice of the 09' -10' season! Over the years I have come to love team practice. I love walking around and motivating my players to "master the mundane" finding unique ways to make the many times boring but extremely necessary drills exciting....the best way I know of doing this is constantly remind them of why we do them and how they pay off! We will master the fundamentals because at the end of the day the # 5 is better than 55 not because of the spectacular but because of the basic! In the 2 plus years I have coached at Utah....I have greatly enjoyed the enthusiasm of every practice and the willingness of these young women to learn and give me all they have in terms of effort.
I attribute this to an Assistant Coach and a Strength and Conditioning Coach who are all on the same page with me! I am very inspired by the pride these young women take in representing the University of Utah and Playing for Ruthanne and I. As I tell them all the time when someone comes into the Eccles Tennis Center to watch us play....The team in Red is going to visibly want it more than the visitors! Not only is that our goal every match, it is also our expectation for every practice!

Fourth Leg of the Slam!

2009-09-11T20:04:00.000-07:00

The US Open....Has become a fall tradition for tradition for me....Every year I see what a small world the tennis world is, really! Can't walk the grounds of flushing five minutes and not see a good friend.....If you love tennis chances are you are my friend! I would like to thank Erica Perkins and the USTA for getting us in! Pat McEnroe for being the first leader I can remember who genuinely cares about college tennis and respects the job we do! Mark Guilbeau for thinking outside the box and giving me great insights! Mike Hegarty for your real enthusiasm and knowledge of the "inside story"! Jesse Witten and Dan Koellerer for recognizing the moment and taking time to smell the roses! Already can't wait till next year!

Fall Classic

2009-09-01T13:16:00.000-07:00

With all do respect to Baseball.....The fall classic to the "non-steroid" set is the US OPEN and yes I know it is not technically fall! Every year myself and a few of my closest friends in coaching and a few friends from outside of the coaching world converge over labor day weekend in an yearly pilgrimage to watch the Best in The World play the game that has become our life's work! Late nights early mornings .....non stop tennis and fun.....The two weeks where Tennis May Be the most important thing in the US, got to love that and got to love breaking down the games of the best players in the world with my esteemed colleagues. John Ware we are going to miss you this year! GO US!!!

Ownership

2009-08-23T17:02:00.000-07:00

I firmly believe in giving my players "ownership" of the team however before doing so I must teach ownership to a group of young women that might have distorted image of what true "ownership" is....They think they own their car but when it needs gas mom and dad pay for it when it breaks down mom and dad get it fixed, insurance? Mom and dad pay for that....Now like with many things this is not always the case. So before giving ownership of the team to the players they must understand true ownership and the responsibilities involved. When there are break-downs on the team they must work to fix them, they must also take responsibility for both the successes and failures. True "ownership" can be uplifting but it first must be understood from all sides!

The Journey

2009-08-16T09:44:00.000-07:00

The happiest most fulfilled people I have met always seem to be the ones that derive great pleasure from the little things in life.....a trip to the park with a child, ice cream, a beautiful sunset, the sound of a wave crashing against the shore, a majestic mountain peak in the distance, the smell of freshly mowed grass etc... throughout my life I have tried very hard to avoid the "I will be happy when" mentality because when when arrives it always seems to be bittersweet. If you are not enjoying the journey the destination is never quite good enough. Take stock in the simple things, cause life really is nothing more then a series of simple things.....Eat more ice cream, go to the park more, enjoy more sunsets......The destination will come soon enough!

Passion

2009-08-03T21:10:00.000-07:00

In 40 plus years involved in sports I can tell you that success occurs when talent meets passion if the two do not connect you are never going to fully enjoy success. If I had to chose between the two I would take passion everyday.\
I am always taken by the undersized (100 lbs wringing wet) young woman with the orange bow in her hair taking great pride in using speed, guts and competitive drive to change the complexion of the game. Believe me you are making a hell of a mistake if you slight her and if your competing against her you better pack a lunch!!! Those types always end up taking away the greatest lesson from the game. "I may be small coach but I have a big heart"! Give me that young woman everyday of the week as she will not only be successful in sports....she will be even more successful in the game of life.

Fair vs. Equal

2009-08-03T13:20:00.000-07:00

I do not treat the players I coach equally! However I always treat them fairly.....The hardest workers with the best attitudes will always get the most attention from me. I am proud to say that those are the types that have made my coaching life very fulfilling. As I have grown older I have become more comfortable with speaking my mind even if it is not what the player wants to hear and while I always try to be compassionate the truth is sometimes hard to swallow but once you do swallow a little truth growth becomes a lot easier.

Sacrifice

2009-07-29T11:29:00.000-07:00

As the Grandson of Italian Immigrants. I am always taken by stories of those who came through Ellis Island with very little but a "Dream" my grandfather was not an educated man but he labored six days a week to provide for his children and made it a huge priority that they all graduated from college and instilled a drive to succeed in them that was passed down to many of his grandchildren I am both honored and driven by his legacy!

If you know me, you know I have wavered as to how I feel exactly about international recruiting but lately I just think of what this great country of ours was founded on, I also think of Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty......In my mind the best thing you can do as a coach is while trying very hard to recruit American don't forget what this country was founded on and recruit a few international players. It will be great for the diversity of your team and provide a great atmosphere to teach your players to handle and succeed in a world that is getting smaller everyday!

The Mentor and the Idiot

2009-07-16T10:24:00.000-07:00

I started coaching Women's College Tennis at the age of 25 as Assistant coach at University of California. Like most 25 year old males I thought I knew it all. I worked for Jan Brogan, Jan taught me a great deal about the subtle (and sometimes not so subtle) differences between the men's and women's games.

I have always been a people person and good at conveying "the message" whatever that message may be. During my year at Cal I learned a lot of lessons some of them I didn't realize the value of till much later in my career. The team was very successful and I was amazed at how readily and easily they took to me as a coach, some of it was very likely due to the fact that I was male and close to them age wise, but I often fooled myself into believing it was my knowledge. The greatest lesson I learned that year was a lesson many coaches need to learn and that is it is not always a compliment when they say "thanks coach I couldn't have done it without you" in our role as coaches we must teach them the skills to allow them to thrive on there own and not foster dependency. Over the years I learned a great deal from many coaches: Jan Brogan taught me the value of the "cut off" or mid-court volley and our # 1 player Heather Ettus was the master. Bill Zaima taught me about projecting confidence in every aspect of your being. Milt Neuman taught me how to deal with large groups of players on a limited number of courts he was a master clinician. Dick Gould the art of promoting your program.

In my years in women's college tennis no coach does more to bring out the best in his players than Mark Guilbeau, now this is with one caveat and that is the player must be willing to dedicate themselves completely to getting better, at that point there is no one better than Mark. Honestly I feel that if you are at a University on a full-scholarship you owe it to yourself and your team to be that dedicated, sadly that is not always the case. I have and could talk tennis for hours with Michael Hegarty, Dennis Emery (never grow tired of his stories) and Andy Jackson. In my opinion Sheila McInerney is the most underrated coach in america all she does is win and nobody cares more about women's collegiate tennis. As this is my blog....I am going to mention a few more coaches who I greatly admire....Mark Ardizzone, Chuck Merzbacher, Jay Louderback and Betsy Kuhle. I also think it would be a lot of fun to play for Greg Patton! In the last ten years Claire Pollard has really earned my respect! oh yes and before you talk to Scott McCain you better do your homework because sneaking a weak opinion past him is like sneaking a sunset past a rooster. Yes and by the way does anyone in college tennis realize how great a player Bill Maze was and what a humble and great guy he is. I guess I should get back to the title and just say all these coaches are my mentors.....oh and Mike Patrick can flat out coach as well and I have never coached a team that has beaten his. Lin Loring....thanks for always believing in me and you know I didn't realize how good a coach you were until we got beat by some of your "bad teams". Well I'm out.

The Dream

2009-07-11T10:44:00.000-07:00

As a teenager me and my friends Dave and Mike who played several New England Junior Tournaments had a dream of one day playing the game professionally....we watched in tribute, awe or even amazement as some of our contemporaries from the Northeast....John McEnroe, Tim Mayotte, Michael Leach, Marc Flur, Peter Rennert to name a few broke thru and made it! Now while Mike and I were never in quite as good as the afore mentioned players our friend Dave had a solid record against both Tim and Michael....It was at that point I began to think about why some made it and some didn't....was it coaching (or lack of), talent (or lack of), guts (or lack of) or likely just a combination of it all. I am proud to say that as a youngster I spent a bit of time around all these players and it helped shape who I am as a coach. I was never a great player but I was a great student of the game and while I never lived "the Dream" of pro tennis. I feel a certain kinship with all those players from the northeast and my era who did, as they helped shape me and the way I coach.

The Modern Game and Ivan Lendl

2009-07-08T12:57:00.000-07:00

Ivan Lendl will never get the credit he deserves for ushering in and changing the way the game is played! Ivan came into Pro Tennis in the late Seventies in the serve and volley era and while several players served and stayed back.....Ivan was the first to hit the big first serve and big forehand never bothering to follow his serve to the net. He frustrated many players including John McEnroe who liked to dump the return at the feet of the on-rushing server. Ivan would simply stay back and take that dumped return as a waist high forehand and it was of to the races. "Big Forehand" is how the modern game is played and Ivan is the one who started it all at the highest level. I would venture to say that what Jack Kramer was to serve & volley, Ivan is to "Big Forehand" tennis!

A lesson in gratitude!

2009-06-30T22:27:00.000-07:00

I learned a while ago that the player is an equal partner in making you a great coach. When you have a team that is bought into and appreciative of, the work you do your team can go a long way.
It is no accident that the two best players I ever coached Mary Beth Maggart (Wilson) and Jennifer Embry (Russell) were the two best human beings I ever coached, always putting the team ahead of themselves. Jennifer and Mary Beth could very easily and perhaps justifiably demanded more but never did, they always "took the smallest piece and left the rest for teammates!
I once heard Chuck Kriese (longtime Clemson Men's Tennis Coach) say of one of his players "you can beat Kent Kennier's Tennis game but you will never beat Kent Kennier!" This is exactly how I feel about the above mentioned you women. Always quick to express gratitude and thankfulness for everything they ever received, Which in turn motivated me to work even harder for them!

Rankings

2009-06-15T13:12:00.000-07:00

I am always asked the question: How important are rankings in the evaluation of a prospect? In my view while rankings tell a story they don't often give an accurate picture of where the prospect is in a competitive sense. I am often asked what I think of the USTA's current ranking system which is based on points per round and exposure.....In an ideal world it would work well but with tournaments everywhere nearly every week (a good thing). It is a real advantage to families that can afford to send children all over the country and chase those points thus improving there ranking. I have often called this buying a ranking. In this system many times you will see a young person ranked 370 be better than one who is 125 but the "370" just has not chased the ranking as well, due to financial constraints. This works well for me as "370" is the hidden gem that I am looking for and while many other coaches are fighting for "125".....I am recruiting "370" without any competition! Hooray for the ranking system!

"NO"

2009-06-09T21:45:00.000-07:00

I did not start playing tennis until the age of 14, prior to that I played football, basketball and baseball depending on the season. In my years prior to starting into the sport that became my career I came to believe I was very fortunate because my parents did fairly well financially but as I became heavily involved in tennis I began to associate with kids from extremely privileged backgrounds and was amazed at the wealth of my new "friends" families. Let's face it as much as the USTA has worked to promote the sport as open and available to everyone it is still a sport of the wealthy and it has only become more so since the Tennis boom of the 70's and early 80's.
My point of all this???? I have spent the better part of my career coaching indulged (dare I say spoiled?) young men and women. The greatest lesson I have to teach most of the time is the meaning of the word NO. It has often been said of me by my players: "Coach you seem so happy when you tell us NO!" My response is quite simple, I do not think it is a bad word. I actually think it is a vital word in the defining of boundries and creating a competitive atmosphere. Now I have been known to use yes A LOT as well but I am in no way afraid to say NO.

Why I Coach

2009-06-07T23:00:00.001-07:00

I became a coach not because I wanted to become rich and famous.....I entered this line of work because I wanted to make a difference in the lives of the people I coach. A good coach should believe in his/her player more than they believe in themselves. I want my players to look to me for strength and I want to teach them to find it inside themselves.
I feel very strongly about the trust that is bestowed upon me when parents send there daughters to play for me. I do not feel that they will agree with every decision I make with regard to there "pride and joy" but I never take my obligation lightly and will work hard to make them not only better players but more importantly better people.

Why do I Play?

2009-06-01T21:42:00.000-07:00

Ask yourself this question....Why do I Play? An honest answer will go a long way toward letting you know if you will be successful at the "next" level. As a collegiate coach I hope your answer has something to do with Love of the game and a passion for competing!
It is very likely that your parents (and/or you) invested a lot of time and $$$$ in developing your game! Sometimes I get the sense that parents want a "payback" on that investment and by the age of 16 kids are hanging in not because they love the game but more out of duty in paying back on the investment. A college scholarship should be viewed as a huge bonus.....the "payback" should be the valuable lessons this great game teaches you.
I have recruited many players in my 25 yrs as a collegiate coach and I am proud of the reputation I have developed for finding "hidden" (lower ranked) players who go on to become hugely successful. The secret???.....every one of them has loved the game and had a passion for competing. I will take love of the game over ranking every day of the week!
As a coach it is very easy to positively motivate players who love it.....conversely the only way to motivate those who don't is.....FEAR.
I love what I do and I am determined to continue loving it by recruiting players who are passionate about our game....So parents make sure you cultivate a love of the game and remember the "payoff" is not in the scholarship but in the life long lessons this great sport teaches you!

Summer Work / Play

2009-05-30T14:59:00.000-07:00

In our sport the Best Players use the summer for two things: 1) recharge the batteries 2) Improve the game.....it is likely a wise choice to do both. Our player's summer plans involve both of those things. Our number one player Anastasia Putilina is playing a lot of tournaments all over Russia and Eastern Europe, her goal to improve her WTA ranking and gain valuable experience competing against many of the best young players in Europe. She has already picked up several points and will come back to school in the fall with an improved WTA ranking and ready to compete well in the highest levels of college tennis and lead our team! This would not be possible without the help of her father Alexander who has been an excellent tennis parent! Evgenia Kryuchkova (2008 Mountain West Conference Freshman of the Year) will use the summer to continue to improve her fitness level and complete her comeback from and ACL injury.....Evgenia is almost all the way back and with her we have an excellent "one two punch" necessary to compete at the highest levels of college tennis. Erin Monson will use the summer to maintain her already extremely high level of fitness and be ready to set the tone as one of our senior leaders along with Andrea Maughan from the Emerald Isle. Lexi Provancha and Lisa Johnson will no doubt be training a lot down in San Diego and I am quite sure you will see them in many local events. Paige Miles our top recruit is playing a Big Women's Event in Colorado two weeks from now and going to France to compete and train in July. We also have picked up an excellent transfer that I can't mention yet but she will make a large difference in our team and we are very excited about that!
I also want to finish with a trivia question for David: who was the last Australian Male to win the French Open? Answer will be in my next blog.....Till then So Long!

Summer Recruiting Plans / Recruiting Philosophy

2009-05-28T10:16:00.000-07:00

I will be attending the Intermountain Summer series event in Salt Lake, The Southern Cal Sectionals, I am not sold on the idea of attending Clay Courts in Memphis (Seems most of the draw there is very interested in going to school east of the Rockies) but I could be convinced differently. I will also attend the "Team" Championships in Novato, CA and the Nationals in Berkeley!

I have worked very hard to improve our image in our own backyard we truly want to be the University OF Utah....Having Erin Monson transfer back here (my first recruit) and signing Paige Miles should help......I take great pride in knowing ALL the top junior players in the State of Utah....While I can't offer them all scholarships, I promise to give every one a very fair look....I want this to be YOUR University. We will also recruit the rest of the Intermountain and Southern Cal very hard! I encourage all of you to give Utah a good look I assure you you will be impressed!

"Utah Mans" first blog!

2009-05-27T14:35:00.000-07:00

Greetings everyone out there in cyberspace! My name is Mat Iandolo and I am the Head Women's tennis Coach at the University of Utah. In my two years here we have come a long way toward our goal of being a contender for the Mountain West Conference Title and a Top 30 team on an yearly basis. With two very solid years of recruiting behind us the 09-10' year should see us reach those goals. We are building the program by recruiting a healthy mix of Americans and international players and creating a solid, hardworking fun loving group of young women. I have coached women's collegiate for 25 years, 18 as a Head Coach! I enjoy my job now as much as I ever have! I hope that that is because of learned to recruit to my strengths.....It's funny that it has taken this long to figure out what they are! I hope to see you out there this summer! More later...Visit www.utahutes.com GO UTES!