Texas Tennis Coaches Podcast
Two tennis coaches (one retired and one current) chat with tennis coaches sharing stories, laughs, and ideas.
Texas Tennis Coaches Podcast
THE Change Over IX
Use Left/Right to seek, Home/End to jump to start or end. Hold shift to jump forward or backward.
The season's starting and it feels like everyone is already on the move! 🏃♂️💨
Drop a 🔥 if you’re feeling the pressure to hit the ground running!
Even seasoned coaches admit—nothing prepares you for that chaotic rush when practice, matches, and professional development collide.
But here’s the truth: understanding your game, your players, and staying flexible is what really makes the difference.
Are you taking time to build relationships with your players and admins early on?
Because that’s the secret sauce for success.
Worth thinking about—are you embracing this season ?!?🌄
Seasons are fast; don’t blink or you'll miss the magic. ✨
#TTCP #TeamTennis #HighSchoolTennis #Changeover
Hello and welcome to Texas Tennis Coaches Podcast. I'm your host, Amanda Sterling, and with me and only with me today is the Ruben Vargas. Ruben.
SPEAKER_03The only Ruben Vargas. Oh God, just a little changeover episode. We're going to talk a little bit about, well, just a lot of things. Yes. You know, because the season's going, and man, you hit the ground running. I remember that when the season uh started, we were just so excited, you know. And and I mean, you know, some people are already playing. We talked about that before we got on the podcast. But yeah, some people are already uh playing matches, traveling. I was on my way to play golf and I saw Canyon ISD bus coming this towards Vernon. And I think Canyon Randall was gonna play Vernon. So yeah, there's already some people playing. So what what what's your thoughts on all that?
SPEAKER_00Um I have a few. Like one, I feel behind because we'll start first match Thursday. Um but at the same time, I don't know. I think you gotta know your school, your program. Uh so like going into it, I was like, I don't need to start the last week of July playing other teams. Um, at least when I was planning that in um I guess May, April. Yeah. So like I kind of know now for my fellow Franklin coaches who have stalked me in of like, I saw your schedule, it's a lot. And I'm like, no, it's not. It's very um I guess it probably is a lot, but there's also like, I'm sure you did it and you can talk about this, but like there's a reason why I wanted it to be so heavy. Um, and that is, you know, preparation for district and preparation for playoffs.
SPEAKER_02Right.
SPEAKER_00Um and that that was like my mentality. It wasn't necessarily to go go play wins. It's I wanted to go play coaches that I knew who coached and have their have their stuff together. Um, and coaches who I knew their teams roughly would be very similar to mine and give us that good challenge where I do hope it is a you know, yeah, tight match, because that's to me that's the growth, that's where the growth is gonna happen.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, for sure. Yeah, you know. I I just remember when we started the season. Um, and I'll be honest with you, as I got later in my years of coaching, uh, we probably started a little later than most people, you know. And uh I don't know, my whole thing at the beginning of school year was just trying to figure out lineups, doubles combinations, and uh being able to change things around in some of these duels where you played one school in the morning, one school in the afternoon. And I just loved to play as many matches as we could to find out, you know, what combinations worked, what combinations didn't work. I didn't care about winning. I really, really didn't. Because most of the times I knew we were gonna lose against some teams and I knew we were gonna win against some teams, and that was that middle that was a toss-up. So I didn't really worry about that. I worried about just lineups, uh, how people, you know, communicated for doubles teams and stuff like that. And yeah, not only that, it was so hot. Oh yeah, that was a good time to get us in shape with the heat, you know, and uh so there's a lot of factors that go into this beginning of uh of the fall season. So and coaches are hitting the ground running right now. I know. I've talked to some of them, and uh you almost feel like you I don't think there's any coach that starts the season thinking, we're ready. They don't. They just like, man, I got so much to do, you know. Not only the paperwork, the rank ones, all the things you gotta do to prepare before you play a match. You could talk a lot about that.
SPEAKER_00Oh yeah, and let's go ahead and hit hit the ground running with our like, I guess, new updates for uh lack of a better term. So um, if you don't know, for all sports, and this affects the outdoor sports, uh UIL has now required all schools follow the wet bulb guidelines, which wet bulb is not based on temperature or heat index alone. It takes in the consideration of humidity, wind, and temperature. So it gets kind of interesting.
SPEAKER_03Um give us an example that you've maybe encountered with the wet bulb saying you couldn't play.
SPEAKER_00Oh, okay. So usually about at least in Franklin, Texas, what I've noticed just in trying to monitor it, about between like one and three o'clock, uh, I will get a notification that the wet bulb is 92.7 and all outdoor activity must stop. Now, uh my athletic trainer who's amazing, I was like, yes, if this is it, we treat this like a lightning strike.
SPEAKER_03Right.
SPEAKER_00So like if it happens during practice, you gotta get off. You you cease practice, you go inside, you you know, and then you wait the 30 minutes if it clears or not. Um, so coaches I know some coaches are morning, doing it early morning, some coaches are doing it evening, um, you know, or just find or trying to get super creative. I know. Um, because there's not a lot of indoor facilities or a lot of indoor high school facilities.
SPEAKER_03We're not all in a sci school.
SPEAKER_00I know we're all not keep the Keith Howard who has that luxury. Yeah. Um so that would be an example. And so you just monitor it. I know you have to take the you have to look 15 minutes ahead of time uh before your practice starts to, I guess, track it, which I mean now I understand it. I just am like, oh, for me, what that caused me to do was like that's I'm not gonna, it's gonna be 3 30 before my 15 minutes of practice starts. I have kids coming after school, or it's like for an after school practice, and I'm like, I just in trying to pre-plant, I might change it up. I don't know, but like I was like, I'm not gonna risk it trying to communicate with parents and say, we gotta push it back to this time and this time and keep pushing it back. I just went ahead and say, we're gonna start practice this time, right? And it's later in the day. Um, and and we will see how that goes. So far, so good.
SPEAKER_03Does that also go for matches?
SPEAKER_00I don't think so.
SPEAKER_03No, I think can you imagine being out there in the middle of a match and then the wet bulb warning, whatever you call it, goes off. Do you do you have to come off the courts during a match? I mean a football game. Um, I don't know the rules because I've been out of the way.
SPEAKER_00So competitions I think are different. I do I and I'm saying I think because I have not seen with my eyes to confirm, but in conversation, um, competitions are different. So those sweet baby boys that are the middle school football team that practices only in the morning and their first match is 4 30 in the afternoon. Yeah, they they they might melt a little.
SPEAKER_02Yeah.
SPEAKER_00And so that's that's tough. I know football kids have dealt with that. Middle school football deals with that.
SPEAKER_03Um, I I I know that that I understand why the UIL is doing it and I think it's a good thing, but it's also frustrating um as coaches for practices for matches because I've been in situations where we've had to take people, one of my girls, matter of fact, uh, we called an ambulance on her because she was she got overheated, and we were watching her because she always does get overheated, so we're watching her doing ammonia tiles, uh, you know, be making sure she's hydrated, but she's so sensitive, and she can go from zero to a hundred the the wrong way, and that's what happened. So it's scary, and and I know we've lost kids that way, and uh, that's not what we need to do. So it I know it's all in the uh realm of just trying to be safe, and I understand it. And it's it's we'll get used to it. We'll get used to it. I think coaches will get used to it.
SPEAKER_00And I think this was why like we had our all coaches meeting um yesterday, so like we we went over this, and I think it was kind of a smart thing to say from my athletic director of like understand, like UIL probably, and I'm saying probably, isn't gonna be sitting in a tree monitoring every district if they are following wet bulb or not. However, if a kid goes down on your cord and wet bulbs in effect, you're in trouble. That is you. Um and so it's like, you know, and I know that's UIL's protection of the athlete, yeah. Um and so I just think probably too many. Unfortunately, there are too many kids that are so heat sensitive, like your athlete was, who you said was like probably in shape, but just sensitive.
SPEAKER_03Yeah. So we have the wet bulb thing that's we have wet bulbs. It's been around, but now it's mandatory. And so like anything else, we'll get used to it and then we'll adjust practices and all this other stuff. Uh, but this this rank one, when I was when I got out in 16, there was no rank one. We just had to do the paperwork. And I wish it was because that paperwork was terrible to get to the end for kids. And so uh let people know that you know that might not even be from Texas or in, you know, that how how do we do it now to get all our paperwork in, physicals and all that stuff with uh it's called rank one, correct?
SPEAKER_00Yes. So rank one is working with UIL to um have all athletic documents, I guess, in one place, which is great.
SPEAKER_02Perfect, yeah.
SPEAKER_00Um and so all physicals, uh it's like concussion protocols, you know, UIL guidelines, steroid use, uh, and now PAPFs, which is for transfer students or kids who move into your district. Um, all that is now online in one place. It's great for the technological literate. It is a headache because still some people are like for some reason, you know, there's always that one who can't get the computer. The computer's not is working against them.
SPEAKER_03Or they may not even have internet, you know. Or they may not have internet.
SPEAKER_00And so I think um I know at other schools I've been at, we've done it, we'd be like, bring your own lap or bring your computer, like coaches, bring your computer, and for the all-parent meeting, we're gonna have computers uploaded with rank one ready to go, and they just fill out everything there and it's done. Um I like that idea. I wish I would have remembered to do that for my parent meeting. Just to get those last minute ones in. Uh. But that's okay.
SPEAKER_03So all in all, rank one is trying to make everything easier and all in one spot. Yes. You know, I can see that the beauty of that. Um, you know, I'm hoping it works good like they think, you know. Uh so that's good. So we got Web Bulb Rank One.
SPEAKER_00Uh, and as of now, because uh probably Sinnowan email, uh TTCA registration and convention is back up. So let's get registered.
SPEAKER_03I need I need to register so I can get my room. So, you know, guys, uh every year it's just it's a race to to get rooms. And uh they every year struggle at the end to get rooms, some people because they wait too long. So get it, get it in now, get it in early, and that way you know you have a room and you'll be able to uh enjoy all the things that come with our TTCA convention, which is amazing at uh the amazing Horseshoe Bay Resort. It's just awesome. Awesome. So yeah, that's good. I'm glad you thought about that. I was just checking my emails before we started the the podcast and I saw that. So I told myself, ooh, I better get on and get booked before uh I lose a chance to get a private room.
SPEAKER_00And coaches, yeah, you want your own room.
SPEAKER_03I got my private room. I'm old.
SPEAKER_00Uh and coaches who um their fiscal year doesn't start until September one. You can reserve your spot. Um and again, according to Bobby, you just have to change the date. He will not do it. I guess the system won't do it. You yourself can go in and do it and put September 1, 2026 for it to be accurate on your invoice. Um I've been told that many a time.
SPEAKER_03Well, that's good. See, I didn't know that. So that's good. Yeah, so get registered, get a chance. Uh it's gonna be a great convention again. We don't know for sure who is gonna be the speaker, the headline speaker, and of that, but I'm sure Wilson will do a good job of uh taking care like like they always do. It's great. We've had last two years have been great. So hopefully we'll get another one. Now have we announced what?
SPEAKER_00Have we announced the Hall of Fame conversation?
SPEAKER_03We have not. Uh but yeah, we've got uh we are gonna induct three uh new Hall of Fame members. Uh I know Steve Bonds. Yeah. Uh and then uh we also have um mind went blank.
SPEAKER_00Well, trying to find it right now.
SPEAKER_03Oh, uh well, the one I don't know her very well, but she's such a great candidate.
SPEAKER_00Um Terry Ramble from Uvaldi.
SPEAKER_03Yes, Uvaldi. Uh she's absolutely amazing. Uh I wish you could see what she's done through her coaching career. Amazing. As as uh Steve Bonds has done some great things, not only for tennis, but for the TTCA.
SPEAKER_00And then the third one is Jack Gregory from Robinson High School.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, and uh we we had knockout, drag out fights with his schools when we were in 3A state tournament. Not not bad, there were good ones. And uh you're not gonna find a better man than Jack Gregory. He's amazing, a great, great guy. So we've got three, three real good ones and uh a lot of good ones that uh just didn't get in this year, but man, uh the resumes for these Hall of Fame people are amazing. And uh it was a lot of close counts, I'll just say that. But uh get your people in. If that you know you feel they want to be nominated, get them in. And all of that has to go through our TTCA website, and uh that that has really streamlined a lot of uh the uh tech the Hall of Fame uh members as far as getting the information in. Uh it's all lined up, how to do it on the TTCA website. So keep that in mind as you do that. So look forward to those three uh coaches getting inducted. And of course, we're gonna have coaches of the years and all that also at the convention. So special awards, special awards and all that good stuff. So what else you got?
SPEAKER_00Oof. Looking at the time. Um we can chit-chat for a little bit. So Ruben.
SPEAKER_03Well, one thing I wanted to kind of just mention that I just popped in my head before that is you know what are some of the secrets uh for success for you, for me, for other coaches, you know, and uh if you had to jot down, you know, up to 10 little things, what would they be? Not in any order. Okay, but as I give you some of mine, you can think of some of yours. And I wonder if some of these kind of match with other coaches. The first thing I put down was just have a good relationship with your kids. Yeah, you know, mean meaning not necessarily have to be just buddy buddies with them, but you have they have to respect you and you have to respect them enough to know that you can talk about anything good, bad, or indifferent on the court, off the court, about tennis, about life, whatever. I think the relationship is uh a very important key. And uh number two, believe it or not, I put discipline. You gotta have discipline uh with your with your team. Um they've got to follow rules, good, bad, or indifferent, whether they agree or disagree, you agree. If it's a rule you've got, you've got to be able to enforce that and have good discipline. The kid throws rackets, acts like a fool, cusses on the court. I've seen coaches not do a thing about it. That's so embarrassing. Not just for the coach, for the school, and for the community. Uh, another thing I put is to we have to have good workout habits. You know, uh, that's important. Uh and for me, learning the game, we spend a lot of time learning the game, not just the techniques, but the strategies of singles, the strategies of doubles. And uh just we saw so many videos on all that uh during especially rain days, cold days, off season. Uh we just tried to learn the game uh and and be uh better educated on it. And of course, we we worked a lot on the mind. That's a big secret to success. You've got to be tough mentally, and I think we we were really good at that in Vernon. Um beat teams, we had no business beating, but maybe we're just a little bit mentally tougher. Um so that's important. And of course, two more things winning and losing points, how to handle it. I think that's a huge success secret to teach the kids about winning points and losing points, and that there's really no difference afterwards mentally, whether you win a point or lose a point. And that there's a lot I can talk about that. But uh I think that's important. And of course, the last thing I put was just teaching life lessons. Um I had a kid call, believe it or not, I had a kid text, message me. Message me? Yeah. Uh yesterday, I coached him. Are you ready for this? 37, probably 40 years ago.
SPEAKER_02Oof.
SPEAKER_03No, I'm lying. Yeah, because I went through I I had him at 88. I'm I'm I'm 88. That's 12. That's uh 39, 39 years ago.
SPEAKER_0038 years.
SPEAKER_0338, 39 years ago. And he texted me, basically said, I'm sorry I was a jerk. You know, when you I played for you. He didn't use the word joked, it was something else. And he said, You know, I've just had it was a bad time of my life and stuff like that, and you tried to help me out and I appreciate it, but I know I I've revolted against you and stuff like that. So I'm I'm I'm writing to tell you I'm sorry, and that you were a great coach and that you were an inspiration. And I just feel better telling you that. So I wrote him back a big you don't have to apologize to me. I just knew you were a kid that was having their ups and downs. And it was a great thing. But my point is that was a life lesson thing that I maybe I was tough on him. I remember him. I just don't remember him being a bad kid. But I remember had to had to discipline themselves. But uh it he learned life lessons, even though it might have been later on in life, he realized, you know, yeah, a coach is trying to help me out, you know. And so life lessons are important. I think that's a a secret. You want them to be able to call you 10 years later, 20 years later. Or when they see you somewhere, give you a big hug and just be glad you were their coach. You know? What were some things that you thought about?
SPEAKER_00Um like okay, prompt is like important to coaching, or like important anyway you feel is important to be successful. To be successful, successful. Um I think you need to have one good rel like you said, good relationships like with your players, but I think you also need to tag that along to good relationship in the sense that you can go one to other tennis coaches.
SPEAKER_01Yep.
SPEAKER_00Um, but two, I also think you need to have a good working relationship with your administrators.
SPEAKER_02Oh yeah.
SPEAKER_00Uh a happy campus principal is a good campus principal. Yeah. Um a happy A D is a great A D.
SPEAKER_03Yeah.
SPEAKER_00Um, so I think that's important. The circle of who do you talk to when it's just for your school, like school stuff.
SPEAKER_02Yeah.
SPEAKER_00Um, can you go to somebody in your district? Uh or you know, can you call someone who's out of district to vent, to pick up ideas, to check to see if you're doing it right? Yeah. Um I think that's important. Two on the relationships. Uh two, I think seeing like like a big picture of like life lessons. Right. Um that, but I also think to let players like know like you care about like their well being mentally, nutrition wise, yeah. Academics is very important. I think in ten like with tennis is a sport where we probably get like kids who are Also academic heavy as well. And I think if they know that you'll work with them, they'll run through the wall for you.
SPEAKER_02Yeah.
SPEAKER_00Um that's only three for me right now. No, but that's fine.
SPEAKER_03My but see, those are three that as you said that I thought, well, yeah, that goes without saying. But you've got to push them. I mean, if there's secrets, you know, that can lead to success. Yeah. The academics is important. The way you communicate with your principals, ADs, even superintendents, and of course, parents, you know. I think those three that you mentioned are all important. And every coach can come up, and I promise you, every coach will have a core of things they agree on. Then they'll also have some things that are kind of different to that coach. And that's fine. There's no right way to be successful. That's for sure. For sure, for sure. You mentioned parents. Um, because I'll be honest with you, I didn't have a lot of parent meetings. And I don't see why I didn't. I mean, I had some through the years.
SPEAKER_00Like parent meeting to kick off the season or parent meetings like one-on-one because I'm where we got to clear some air.
SPEAKER_03I had plenty of those. I'm talking about before the season starts, you know, welcoming them and uh, you know, knowing some of the incoming freshmen, you don't know their parents, and so uh for the most part, and so just just you know, giving them the rules and and what you expect from their players and stuff like that. I know my daughter did that at at Boyd when she coached, and she I think she did that well. I think a lot of coaches do that. You know, people, a lot of coaches don't like the parents to be too involved, you know. And I I don't think that's necessarily what I I wanted the parents to be involved. Yeah, as long as they were involved in the right way, you know, in a productive, very yes, supportive way.
SPEAKER_00That's it. Um I will say this. This is I think I'm sure when I was in high school, snacks were provided or something was I do not believe it was like you're on your own.
SPEAKER_03Right.
SPEAKER_00But it might have been, you know, different time. Right. Um but what I uh have done this year, please steal it if you think it's fair. Um, I created an Amazon list of like snacks because like some parents are like, oh, I don't have time to bring it up there. I don't want to send it with the kid, he might eat it all or lose it. And so what I did was like, we're gonna try this. If it fails, it fails. I'm all for it. Yeah. You know, at least try. Uh so I created an Amazon list, packages are being sent to me, and then I'm bringing it to the school because of course I'm gonna go go up there. Um I've had a great turnout so far, or I even said, like, hey, like if you see an item on the list that you want to grab and you want to send it with your kid, go ahead.
SPEAKER_02But like this is easier for both of us. Yeah.
SPEAKER_00Snacks. And like I said, I've pushed back my practice time so um, and encourage kids like, hey, this that time before after after school and before practice, that's your time to go study. Um, but if you just want to stay at the courts and in the locker room, we'll have snacks for you.
SPEAKER_02Yeah. You know, yeah, it's good.
SPEAKER_00And so we we are trying that. Now, my husband did uh eat a snack and he said, I'm never and not because like I said, like don't do that. He goes, Because I got really I don't know what like what caused it, but like you probably walked in and he got lightheaded. I don't know, but like he's like, I started sweating after eating like it was a little energy waffle. And I was like, Yeah, I don't know. Okay, I'm so sorry. Because never eating this again. And as I saw that like he texted it to me, and so as I'm reading it, I'm like, oh, I guess he likes it. I just thought he got hot because it's hot outside. It's like no, this is bad. It's like, oh, okay.
SPEAKER_03So he'll think twice for getting a snack, won't he?
SPEAKER_00Yeah, I was like, please don't eat it.
SPEAKER_03But I I think parent involvement is important to success. I really do. Uh good parents are I I see parents I coached uh their kids 20 years ago. And matter of fact, I saw one on the golf course today. I haven't seen him in forever. And his little daughter uh played tennis for me, and and uh it's cool for me to see them, and they get up out of the golf cart, come shake your hand, and and and uh call you coach. I think that's still a form of respect, and and uh, you know, so I I love that. And he was a good parent, and his wife was a great parent. So parents are key. You got to get them in early and on board uh to help. I really believe that. So that's one of my things about secrets to successes. And so it doesn't hurt to have a bunch of good players either.
SPEAKER_00It doesn't. I also think it's like good to understand like there's gonna be peaks in this season. Like probably right now everyone's on everyone should be on like some type of high. Even if you're struggling in this season or you're losing matches that you don't think like it's brand new. You're not teaching, teaching right now. You might be in PD.
SPEAKER_02Right.
SPEAKER_00But I also think like right now should kind of be like a peak, and it might plateau, it might drop, but I think understanding like the season's gonna hold ups, downs, valleys, correct plateaus for you, for your kids, for their parents, um, for other coaching staff members or other coaches in other programs. I think that just helps you be aware, maybe read the room better.
SPEAKER_03Hopefully. Hopefully.
SPEAKER_00Hopefully. Little words.
SPEAKER_03Well, I I hope everybody has a great start to this to fall season. And you're gonna blink your eyes, and guess what? You're gonna be going into the playoffs and all that goes with that, and then you blink your eyes again, you're gonna be in the offseason. So good luck to the coaches, man. I I thought I really think when tennis season goes on, life goes by fast because it goes by fast. So I'm excited for you, coach, and I'm excited for all the coaches around Texas and the United States that are getting to do what we get to do. It's a it's a privilege. I miss it. I really do miss it. I I don't want to go back and do it again, but I don't know if you know this. I dream, I'm not making this up. Six out of seven nights, I dream that I'm still coaching. And I wake up in a sweat. It's like a nightmare. No, I'm kidding. I had so I guess it's my mind telling me that, you know, I did it for so long that's just always gonna be in me, whether I'm awake or asleep. I dream tennis. And so I think it's kind of funny. So anyway, that's all I have.
SPEAKER_00Oh, again, it's a changeover, it's supposed to be quick, ready to go. Um, one more thing is we do have pre-season. So because membership is back up and open along with conventions. So I'm gonna say also is the preseason rankings. Get your so Google form, complete your season like schedule, returners, newcomers, and the magic of the seating or the rankings will happen. Uh those are due August 14th.
SPEAKER_03Yeah. And you have to be a TTCA member, correct?
SPEAKER_00And you have to be a TTCA member, and you have to do this in order to get ranked throughout the season.
SPEAKER_03And coach, correct me if I'm wrong, all the surf tennis stuff.
SPEAKER_00Uh so okay. Uh surf tennis is up and running. If you love organization, because I was very nervous, we play some JV1 schools uh during the season. I was like, how is that gonna work? Uh it works just fine. And so no sweat. You just click what program, your team's opponent, and then the actual team. So, like, say you are playing in a Tyler Legacy JV1, you just click the JV varsity. The R coach will put in their lineup, you will put in your lineup, and then it is all good to go.
SPEAKER_03So I think that's served uh tennis thing is gonna get better and better the more we use it.
SPEAKER_00Yes. I don't know who uh I know that was like a worry when we were I was at coaching school because I was like, because I knew Bobby used my my school, he started to set up my schedule, and I was like, wait a minute, what's gonna happen like with these schools that I'm not playing a varsity team? Right. And oh, it was easy. Yeah. Easy, easy.
SPEAKER_03So everybody that you know, just be sure you get all that done. I know it's it's it's you know, it's something you just have to do, but in the end, it's gonna make it better for you and for the game. So keep that in mind.
SPEAKER_00Well, we tried to go 15 minutes, we went 30, which seems right for Ruben.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, I'm sorry.
SPEAKER_00Good, you're good, you're good.
SPEAKER_03Well, good luck to you, coach, and uh look forward to seeing how you do throughout the season.
SPEAKER_00Yes, we'll try and post. We'll post. I post. Don't worry about it.
SPEAKER_03But and I think every coach needs to post something uh about their team and let them get out there. I love watching other coaches, you know, that I'm friends with on Facebook when they post stuff about tennis. And so I enjoy doing that.
SPEAKER_00All right, all right, everyone. We do have more interviews coming. They're on the way. And so this is our changeover. And we will see you on the courts. Bye, everyone.
SPEAKER_03Good good luck.
