No Strings Attached Show

In this episode of No Strings Attached, host Bogdan Grygorenko interviews Katy Shulaeva, a former professional tennis player and coach. They discuss Katie's early influences in tennis, her journey from junior to professional levels, the importance of coaching, and the lessons learned from her long-time coach Pierre Lamarche. Katie shares insights on resilience, the challenges of transitioning to professional tennis, and the impact of injuries and overtraining on her career. In this conversation, Katy Shulaeva and Bogdan Grygorenko discuss the critical aspects of training, injury prevention, and the mental health of athletes. They emphasize the importance of rest and recovery, the role of coaches and parents in player development, and the challenges athletes face when transitioning out of competitive sports. Katy shares her personal experiences with overtraining and the identity crisis that followed her tennis career, while Bogdan highlights the need for a more balanced approach to training. They also reflect on the evolution of coaching and the continuous learning process that comes with it.'Katy Shulaeva is a Senior Tennis Professional at the Toronto Lawn Tennis Club, one of Canada’s premier tennis institutions. She holds a Coach 3 certification from the Tennis Professionals Association (TPA) and serves as a facilitator for TPA’s Coach 2 and Coach 3 courses, playing a pivotal role in advancing coaching education in Canadian tennis. Katy has also had a successful career as a professional tennis player, representing Canada on the international stage. Her playing experience brings valuable insights to her coaching, as she has competed at a high level and understands the demands of professional tennis.In addition to her coaching and professional playing background, Katy has been recognized for her leadership in the sport. She participated in the “Women Leaders in Tennis” panel discussion, where her contributions to the game and her advocacy for women in sports were celebrated.Her expertise, leadership, and dedication to tennis make her a respected figure in the Canadian tennis community.

Whole Player Development Pathway: https://www.tenniscanada.com/play/whole-player-development-pathway/In this episode, Bogdan Grygorenko interviews Marie-France Mercier, the director of coaching education at Tennis Canada, discussing her journey into coaching, the evolution of coach education in Canada, and the importance of competency-based coaching. They explore the qualities that make great coaches, the significance of community among coaches, and debunk myths surrounding coaching qualifications. The conversation emphasizes the need for a growth mindset and the development of essential coaching skills, encapsulated in the framework of the five Cs: culture, character, connection, confidence, and competence. In this conversation, Bogdan Grygorenko and Marie-France Mercier delve into the intricacies of coaching in tennis, discussing the importance of feeding and challenging players, developing a coaching eye, and the pathways for aspiring coaches. They explore mentorship opportunities, the increasing representation of female coaches, and the vital communication between parents and coaches. Marie-France shares personal insights from her journey as a coach and a parent, emphasizing the long-term goals of player development and the importance of maintaining a supportive environment for young athletes.Here's what Marie-France says about herself:"For over 35 years, my career has been dedicated to the development of both coaches and athletes at all levels in the sporting industry. I am passionate about seeing people evolve and nothing makes me prouder than to see an individual or team develop.My path in tennis development has ranged from a competitor, on court coaching, a parent of 3 National level tennis players to overseeing the coaching development department at Tennis Canada. In my current role as Director, I manage the Certification Program, Community Tennis Development, and the Coaching Association (TPA) which has over 4300 members. I have also recently taken on the leadership of the Pickleball certification.I am dedicated to the growth of tennis in Canada and focused on creating an ecosystem that supports coaching excellence and future tennis leaders. Increasing participation in the country and making tennis more inclusive and accessible is my key priority.A couple fun facts unknown to many, is that long ago, I was an Alpine skiing coach and I also graduated from the Université du Québec à Montréal with a degree in Education. Reflecting on my career journey sport and education have always been part of my DNA.I also enjoy speaking at international conferences to share perspectives, learn and collaborate to build innovative new ideas and approaches. The best innovative ideas are created when you come together and share."Chapters00:00 Introduction to Coaching Education02:58 The Journey into Coaching05:50 Evolution of Coach Education in Canada08:59 The Shift to Competency-Based Coaching12:01 Maintaining Gold Standard in Coaching14:51 Qualities of Great Coaches17:49 Transforming Coaches' Mindsets21:01 Building a Community of Coaches24:03 Debunking Myths in Coaching27:00 The Five Cs of Coaching Competence30:04 The Art of Coaching: Feeding and Challenging Players31:50 Developing a Coaching Eye: Insights for Coaches36:17 Aspiring Coaches: Pathways to Success39:39 Opportunities for Coaches: Mentorship and Development Programs43:31 Increasing Female Representation in Coaching49:29 The Parent-Coach Dynamic: Building Effective Communication56:33 Lessons Learned: Mistakes as a Tennis Parent

A past winner of Tennis Canada’s triumvirate of awards—Course Facilitator of the Year, Tennis Professional of the Year, and Coach of the Year—Simon Bartram leads the club’s tennis operations. Certified as a Level 4 Coach and Club Pro 3 by Tennis Canada, and a former ATP-ranked competitor, Simon has been a central part of Toronto Lawn Tennis since 1990. With nearly unrivalled experience in all facets of tennis, Simon has coached former WTA players, and is a past recipient of the Tennis Canada Coaching Excellence Award for his work with Daniel Nestor and other members of the Sunshine Cup winning team.

About Coach Lindsay:Coach Lindsay has worked with athletes involved with Tennis Canada since 1996, as well as having been a National Strength Coach with the organization. Coach Lindsay has also provided programming to University Varsity Teams, OHL hockey clubs, European professional hockey clubs, and a wide variety of Minor Associations. Dennis formerly worked in a multidisciplinary rehabilitation clinic as a Physiotherapy Assistant (PTA). Prior to that, he has held fitness and health programming positions in Community, Private Industry, Municipal and Corporate Health centers.Dennis has trained over 100 current NHL Players (and hundreds of retired players) and has been the strength and conditioning consultant to Toronto Maple Leafs. He has trained over 20 medalling individual Olympians, 5 Olympic Teams, and dozens of professional athletes from other sports.About his programs:Our program is designed around that base of experience and the need to better prepare players for the long term of the sport.We program relative to age of development, and focus on all physical literacies. Enhanced athletic ability is the purpose behind the program.Athletes in our Fitness Programs get progressive development in speed, agility, quickness, strength and endurance capacities.

In this conversation we discuss lack of tennis courts and tournaments in Ontario, use of video in coaching, coaching decision making and more. For separate interviews with my guests please visit separate links:Alastair: https://youtu.be/GQvdwFsiKHw?si=GyDB9SoC_CvWkD6HZack: https://youtu.be/F9AvNNxS7rU?si=fu6Ypkrp3Rq1UDh9

Miron began coaching at the Richmond Hill Country Club in 2008 primarily starting with recreational level players working his way up the ladder. He was awarded The Gary Caron National Scholarship Award in 2012 awarded the top Under 30 coach in Canada. Miron has been a Team Ontario Provincial Coach for over 5 years and also a Tennis Canada Mentor Coach travelling internationally with the likes of Felix Auger-Ailliasime when he was U14. In 2019 Miron received a Tennis Canada Coaching excellence award. Miron is a certified Level 3 coach, he was previously in charge of RHCC High Performance Program and is currently the Director of Racquet Sports at the Richmond Hill Country Club while being heavily involved in all aspects ofthe club's overall well-being.

Philip Bester (born October 6, 1988) is a Canadian former professional tennis player from North Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Bester was a finalist at the 2006 junior French Open. In doing so he became the first Canadian male to reach a Grand Slam final in singles.

Séverine Tamborero is a high performance coach, speaker, consultant and author. Being involved in the tennis world for more than 30 years, she graduated from the National Institute of Coaching in Montreal and holds her Level 4 National Coaching Certification Program (NCCP).Séverine is a renowned speaker and consultant. She works with parents, athletes, coaches and federations in various sports. She is the author of the book « Casser le Moule » and co-author of the book “La performance à quel prix” ». She has been with Tennis Canada since 2000 as a coach and director of development for ages 10 and under and high performance clubs. Regularly invited on various media platforms, she is asked to share her opinions on subjects often related to the prejudices and stereotypes encountered in the sports world. She is also asked for her advice and recommendations so that parents and coaches can ensure the healthy development of an athlete.Séverine led the National Wheelchair Tennis Team from 2000 to 2009, competed in three Paralympic Games (Sydney in 2000, Athens in 2004 and Beijing in 2008) and numerous World Cups with the Men’s National Team.

Marlene has been a long time physiotherapist for Tennis Canada from 1990 to 2019, Consulting therapist to the WTA and ATP working with many top players. She is a true expert in her field with over 30 years of experience on the highest level of her craft. Marlene worked with numerous players that range from professional to juniors or all ages. She also is certified NCCP instructor, teaching many seminars to level 2 through 4 coaches.

Chris Manzinali has been part of the tennis community for over 20 years. As a junior he spent most of his career training with Milos Roanic, reaching top 50 in Canada. He was mentored by Casey Curtis, former coach of Milos Raonic. Chris is currently the Director of High Performance at Tennis Clubs of Canada coaching multiple players to top 10 in Canada and has worked as a Team Ontario coach for U12 and U14 Nationals.

In this video I talk with Aleksandar Mitric, Canadian tennis player who won U18 boy national title, secured a scholarship with Princeton University. We talk about his childhood and teenage years. Alex also shares valuable insights and tips for younger generation.

Dylan David Moscovitch is a retired Canadian pair skater. He competed with Liubov Ilyushechkina from 2014 to 2018. They were the 2017 Four Continents bronze medalists, two-time bronze medalists on the Grand Prix series, and three-time Canadian national medalists. With former partner Kirsten Moore-Towers, he was the 2013 Four Continents silver medalist, 2014 Olympic team event silver medalist, and 2011 Canadian national champion.