031 - Dr. Mark Kovacs - Become a Specialist In an Area You Are Passionate About

The PTM Podcast

In today’s episode, I had another chance to interview Dr. Mark Kovacs, one of the nations leaders in sport science.

In this episode, Mark talks about the importance of trying to specialize in one of your passionate areas.

  1. You want to develop a skillset in any area that may make you known in:
  2. Your Local Area
  3. Your District
  4. Your Section
  5. Or eventually even nationally

Some examples may include:

  • The way you design drills
  • How you teach
  • Club management
  • High performance

All payers can be trained with a HP mindset, be at different levels.  

You may adjust the drills, the language…..etc

You may need ore seasoning than just on-court at your club:

  • Online
  • Workshops
  • Volunteer at a different club

If you  are not currently working where you are passionate about.

Take a program that is successful and water it down to fit the level you are working with.

Tennis is tennis and similar at every level.  What changes is:

  • Intensity 
  • Volume
  • How you provide feedback at the different levels

 

If you are fired up in a certain area that you are NOT involved in, became an understudy and even volunteer your time.  You will not get turned down if they see that you are passionate about it.  They will most likely profit off it anyway.

Email Dr. Kovacs on his site at Kovacsinstitute.com

Mark is always such a wealth of information and one thing I really admire about him is how he projects himself when he is around someone who does not have the knowledge he has.

Even with me, I feel like he is truly passionate about teaching me and helping me understand things at my level.  Very easy to talk to and not intimidating at all.

One suggestion: If you are just starting out, look at the ten and under players or program at your club. 

This group sometimes gets overlooked and it’s crucial that you’re developing skills with these players at an early age anyway.

 

Bottom Line: Find an area of tennis, on or off court, that you are passionate about, come up with a plan on how you can educate yourself in that area at your club, locally, or even through online courses or workshops.

Good luck and please email with any questions.

Coach Mick, USPTA