In Episode 11, hosts Ryan Redondo and Steve Adamson take a closer look at one of the most important decisions a parent can make in a young athlete’s journey: choosing the right coach. Drawing from their experiences as players, coaches, and parents, Ryan and Steve discuss what separates a great coach from a good instructor and why the person guiding a young athlete can have an impact that extends far beyond the tennis court.

Ryan and Steve explain that great coaching is about much more than forehands, backhands, technique, or credentials. The best coaches care about their players, understand how to develop them over time, build trust, and create an environment where athletes feel empowered to grow. They also discuss why the relationship between a player and coach can influence a young athlete for years to come.

The conversation then turns to what parents should actually look for when evaluating a coach. Ryan and Steve discuss the importance of character, communication, development, trust, coaching style, and finding the right personality fit for each individual athlete. They also explain why a highly credentialed coach isn’t necessarily the right coach for every player and why the relationship itself can matter more than a résumé.

In this episode, they explore:

✅ What parents should look for when choosing a coach
✅ Why a coach’s influence extends beyond teaching tennis
✅ Why caring and character can matter more than credentials
✅ The importance of trust between the player, coach, and parent
✅ How the right coach can help develop both the athlete and the person
✅ Why the best coach for one player may not be the best coach for another
✅ The difference between transformational and transactional coaching
✅ When bringing in a specialized or additional coach can help
✅ Why too many coaching voices can become confusing for young athletes
✅ The importance of having a long-term development plan
✅ How a coach’s personality and coaching style should fit the individual player
✅ Why the culture and environment surrounding a coach matter
✅ How involved parents should be in their child’s development
✅ Why young athletes need opportunities to struggle, fail, and solve problems on their own
✅ How parents, players, and coaches can communicate more effectively
✅ When it may be time to change coaches
✅ Why losing matches doesn’t necessarily mean a player needs a new coach
✅ Why parents should look for a mentor, not just an instructor

Ryan and Steve also discuss the role parents play in the player-coach relationship. While parents make enormous sacrifices to support young athletes, they explain why there also needs to be room for players to develop independence, experience failure, and learn how to solve problems on their own. Open communication between the parent, player, and coach can help everyone understand their role while keeping the athlete’s long-term development at the center of the process.

The conversation also tackles one of the most difficult questions for families: when is it time to change coaches? Ryan and Steve explain why a few bad results shouldn’t automatically lead to a coaching change and why development can sometimes require temporary struggles. Instead, parents should pay attention to whether the coach still believes in the player, cares about their development, communicates openly, and remains invested in helping them reach their goals.

Ultimately, Ryan and Steve return to a simple idea: choose character over credentials and look for a mentor, not just an instructor. The right coach should care, build trust, understand development, and help guide a young athlete both on and off the court.

Whether you’re a parent searching for the right coach, a young athlete navigating your development, or a coach looking to make a greater impact, this episode offers an in-depth look at the relationships, trust, communication, and environment that can shape an athlete’s journey for years to come.

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Hosted by Ryan Redondo and Steve Adamson and recorded at the Barnes Tennis Center, home of Youth Tennis San Diego.

If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, rate, and review the podcast. Your support helps us reach more players, parents, coaches, and fans across the racquet sports community.

In Episode 10, hosts Ryan Redondo and Steve Adamson welcome Billie Jean King, one of the most influential figures in the history of tennis and sports. A 39-time Grand Slam champion and trailblazer for women’s sports, she joins the show during the Billie Jean King Girls Nationals at Barnes Tennis Center to reflect on her journey, the lessons tennis has taught her, and the advice she hopes the next generation will carry forward.

Billie Jean King reflects on watching today’s junior players compete and remembering what it was like to be their age. Despite eventually becoming one of the greatest players in tennis history, she shares that she never won a junior national title and understands firsthand the pressure young athletes experience. She explains why pressure can be a privilege and why staying focused on the process is so important when competing in big moments.

The conversation then turns to her beginnings on the public courts of Long Beach, where free access to tennis helped change the course of her life. Billie Jean King recalls earning the money for her first racket, the coaches and community members who supported her development, and the role her parents played in teaching her responsibility, determination, and belief in herself.

In this episode, they explore:

✅ What the Billie Jean King Girls Nationals means to her
✅ Why pressure is a privilege and how young athletes can handle big moments
✅ The importance of staying in the process and learning to “go slow to go fast”
✅ Why watching the ball all the way to the contact point matters
✅ How her parents helped develop her competitive mindset and belief in herself
✅ Growing up in an era when girls were discouraged from participating in sports
✅ The impact of her first coach, Clyde Walker, and free public tennis in Long Beach
✅ Why young athletes should only play if they truly love the game
✅ How training in Australia helped her become the No. 1 player in the world
✅ Why relationships are everything in sports and life
✅ Why tennis should be promoted as both a team and individual sport
✅ Earning the money to buy her first tennis racket
✅ Why understanding the history of tennis can help shape the future of the sport
✅ The three life lessons Billie Jean King believes everyone should carry with them
✅ Why tennis teaches responsibility, problem-solving, concentration, and resilience
✅ Her message to young people: believe in yourself and define yourself

Billie Jean King also shares three principles developed through years of observing people: relationships are everything, keep learning and keep learning how to learn, and be a problem solver and an innovator. She explains how these lessons extend far beyond the tennis court and can help people throughout every stage of life.

Ryan, Steve, and Billie Jean King also discuss the importance of making tennis accessible, the value of team environments for young players, learning from the history of the sport, and the responsibility athletes develop through competition. She reflects on the people and opportunities that helped shape her career and why creating those same opportunities for future generations remains so important.

The episode closes with a powerful message from Billie Jean King to young people: go for it, believe in yourself, and don’t let others define you. You define yourself.

Whether you’re a player, parent, coach, sports fan, or someone pursuing a goal of your own, this episode offers a rare conversation about competition, opportunity, relationships, responsibility, and the lessons that helped Billie Jean King change tennis and sports forever.

Connect with The Serving the Future Show

Follow us for clips, behind-the-scenes content, guest highlights, and conversations about tennis, pickleball, padel, athlete development, and the future of racquet sports.

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TikTok: @servingthefutureshow
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YouTube: @ServingtheFutureShow

Hosted by Ryan Redondo and Steve Adamson and recorded at the Barnes Tennis Center, home of Youth Tennis San Diego.

If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, rate, and review the podcast. Your support helps us reach more players, parents, coaches, and fans across the racquet sports community.

In Episode 9, hosts Ryan Redondo and Steve Adamson welcome James McKie, Director of College and Pro Player Development at UTR, to discuss player development, college tennis, the role of UTR, and why ratings and rankings should never become more important than the process of becoming a better player. James McKie brings a unique perspective shaped by his journey from Scotland to Division I college tennis, 12 years of college coaching, and his current role helping connect collegiate and professional player development at UTR.

James McKie reflects on beginning tennis at four years old in Scotland, including being coached by Judy Murray, before eventually coming to the United States to play at Drake University. He shares how his experiences as a player shaped his approach to development, including one lesson he wishes he had understood earlier: the importance of truly believing in yourself and developing the confidence to compete against anyone.

The conversation then turns to James McKie's coaching career at Fresno State, Tulane, and Tennessee and the environments that help players develop. James McKie explains why athletes need to become comfortable being uncomfortable, why coaches shouldn't make everything easy for their players, and why competing, relationships, character, and enjoying the game are critical parts of long-term development.

In this episode, they explore:

✅ Growing up playing tennis in Scotland and being coached by Judy Murray
✅ Playing Division I college tennis at Drake University
✅ Why James McKie wishes he had believed in himself more as a player
✅ How confidence, competitiveness, and environment shape player development
✅ Coaching at Fresno State, Tulane, and Tennessee
✅ Why players need to become comfortable being uncomfortable
✅ The importance of making tennis challenging while keeping the game fun
✅ Why parents need to trust the coaches and environments they choose for their children
✅ How UTR is being used throughout junior, collegiate, and professional tennis
✅ How the changing landscape of college tennis is affecting junior players and recruiting
✅ Why young players should use increased competition for college roster spots as motivation
✅ How the UTR Pro Tennis Tour can help aspiring professionals develop through meaningful match play
✅ Why players and parents shouldn't obsess over their UTR rating
✅ Why character can sometimes tell coaches more about a player than rankings or ratings

James McKie also offers a particularly important message for players and parents: stop checking the number all the time. While UTR can provide an accurate benchmark of a player's level, James McKie argues that development should remain focused on environment, coaching, competition, enjoyment, and consistently showing up to improve.

The episode closes with a powerful example from James McKie's recruiting career about taking a chance on a player because of his character rather than simply his rating. That player entered Tennessee as a 12.1 UTR and eventually developed into a 14.5-level player ranked around No. 200 in the world.

Whether you're a junior tennis player, parent, coach, college athlete, or aspiring professional, this episode offers an inside look at what ratings can tell you, what they can't, and why the person and player you become matters more than the number next to your name.

Connect with The Serving the Future Show

Follow us for clips, behind-the-scenes content, guest highlights, and conversations about tennis, pickleball, padel, athlete development, and the future of racquet sports.

Instagram: @servingthefutureshow
X: @TSTF_Show
TikTok: @servingthefutureshow
Facebook: Serving the Future Show
YouTube: @ServingtheFutureShow

Hosted by Ryan Redondo and Steve Adamson and recorded at the Barnes Tennis Center, home of Youth Tennis San Diego.

If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, rate, and review the podcast. Your support helps us reach more players, parents, coaches, and fans across the racquet sports community.