Sports Coach/Trainer – Tennis

Henry Budd

Tennis NSW National Academy Sydney high performance coach Ryan Henry is training our next generation of tennis stars.
A former professional player, Henry runs a full-time coaching program for players aged 12-19. As head coach Henry splits his time between on-court coaching and the day-to-day administration of the program, which caters for up to 90 youngsters.

“They start at 8.30am, practise for about four hours through the day, do an hour of fitness and finish at about 4pm,” Henry says. As well as their tennis training, participants must also find time to do their school work.

Henry, who also runs an evening program from 4.30pm-7.30pm, had a career-high ranking of 13 in junior singles and No.1 in doubles and says playing in the men’s draw of the 2003 Australian Open was the highlight of his career.

He started coaching three years ago after persistent injuries cut short
his career.

“I stopped because my body didn’t handle the pressure of playing three or four really high-quality matches in a row,” he says.

“I found I just couldn’t play for as long as I needed to, to crack the top 100.”

Henry began his career as a scholarship coach for Tennis NSW before becoming involved with the Commercial Academy 18 months ago.

“I started off really working hard to develop players and take them to a lot of tournaments and now I’m working at building a great program for a large number of people.”

To be able to be a good tennis coach it is important to have a successful understanding of the game, he says.

“The four elements are: technical, tactical, physical and psychological and you need to have a good understanding of those areas and an understanding of [your] players,” he says.

“In general you are there to make the player improve, but also to have a great time and if you achieve those things, you are generally a
great coach.”

Qualifications: Tennis coaches in Australia are certified by Tennis Australia. There are three coaching qualifications offered; junior development coach, club professional coach and high performance coach. The courses are recognised by the International Tennis Federation and the Australian Sports Commission.

Course description: Tennis Australia says the courses, which have been revamped for 2008, include a variety of formats from on-court sessions, presentations, group problem-solving and workplace training.

Assessment is ongoing with coaches required to complete practical and written assessment tasks for each unit.

The junior development coach is the entry-level qualification and trains coaches to develop the skills of junior tennis players aged four to 12.

The professional course is for people who want to become head coaching professionals at clubs and centres, while the high-performance course is for those aiming to work with elite players.

Assumed knowledge: To take part in the entry-level course you must have adequate fitness, comply with the Tennis Australia Member Protection By-Law and be at least 16 years of age.

Cost: Tennis Australia has yet to set a price for the upgraded courses.

From the inside: Tennis NSW Academy Sydney high-performance coach Ryan Henry (above) says coaches should find a centre that has a great head coach from whom to learn. “Playing experience helps and doing the courses will further your career,” he says.

More information: tennis.com.au