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Coach Pip Martin: Embracing her coaching philosophy | 11 September, 2024 | All News | News and Features | News and Events

Coach Pip Martin: Embracing her coaching philosophy | 11 September, 2024 | All News | News and Features | News and Events
TENNIS

Coach Pip Martin: Embracing her coaching philosophy | 11 September, 2024 | All News | News and Features | News and Events

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Devonport, Tasmania, 11 September 2024 | Nadia Dimattina

As one of nine women coaches taking part in the program, Pip Martin feels inspired to be surrounded by other women coaches from across the country and hopes to bring back key lessons into her own coaching philosophy.

Tennis Australia: Tell us about your own start in the game?

Pip Martin: “I’ve got two older brothers who played tennis, and when I started playing, I think I was just hitting on the wall while they were playing. I don’t actually remember when I started playing, but I played my first tournament when I was 13, so kind of a late start to the game, and then I just fell in love with the game from that tournament.”

How did your career progress and how did you end up in coaching?

“I represented Tasmania several times, and then I went to the US on a full scholarship, played in a div one college over there. I had a wonderful experience with that. Then the day I finished my scholarship, I didn’t play tennis anymore, and I’d walked away from the game for 20 years and had nothing to do with tennis for all that time.

“Then, when my children were young, they started taking an interest in tennis. I was taking them to my original tennis club and getting them to do red ball with my old coach, my childhood coach. One week, he said to me, ‘I need a coach’. And I was like, ‘Oh, okay, I guess I can do this.’ And I kind of went in and coached this class and I hadn’t done anything like that for years and years. The next week, I turned up thinking my kids would go and do the class and he goes, ‘Are you ready?’ And I said, ‘ready for what?’ and he said ‘to coach’, and I was like, Oh, I didn’t realize he actually meant every week. Then I was ticking along, doing just one Red Ball class a week with my kids and the coach wanted to retire. He started telling everyone that I was going to take over the coaching from him, and I didn’t really believe it, because he’d been the coach there for 40 years, and done a marvellous job. I heard it so many times, I was like, ‘Oh, I guess I might be taking over the coaching.’

“He then retired, and he mentored me for a number of months, we co-coached together, and then one day he pulled me aside and said ‘I’ve told the club, I’m done, it’s all yours.’ He handed everything over to me and then I’ve been there just almost three years.”

You stopped playing tennis for 20 years, and now you’ve ended up coaching. How can you describe that life change?

“I think I’m a way better tennis coach having been away from tennis for 20 years as a part of my journey. I’ve been involved in lots of other coaching. I’m a qualified Pilates instructor, personal trainer, cycling coach, athletics coach so I’ve got a whole variety of wellness coaching experience, there’s lots of things that I’ve done in that time. I’ve always been coaching, but just not specifically in tennis so I think that broad range of experience helped me build a philosophy and values.

“My coaching philosophy is very grounded on making sure that there’s two pathways for the kids – performance pathway and the participation pathway. Making sure that we don’t burn somebody out in the performance pathway, so making sure that they still have, they meet the benchmarks that they need to, but still having some balance in there and having a life as well.”

What would your best kind of piece of coaching advice?

“My best piece of advice… I give them lots of advice. There’s two things that I do with the kids. I define success for them at the club level. Because when I left the US, even though I was very successful, I felt I wasn’t successful because I went to the US to turn pro, and I didn’t reach that goal because I chose not to at that stage.

“There’s four things that I cover with the kids – they have to improve their tennis, learn something new, make a new friend and have fun, and then the overarching one with that at all times is be a good sport.

“When they’re orange ball and they’re out on the court, I encourage them to define that so they’re looking at the process rather than the outcome of the result, because if they learn how to do those things well, it’s the foundation for them to go further in their career or be a great club member in the future. The other thing I have is 16 values, and each week, or twice throughout the year, I do a value with them. So we focus on the values. They all start with an ‘E’, for example this week is execute – they have to execute shots with courage during a match. So then you’re encouraging them to execute shots in practice and in their practice matches throughout the week, and that’s what they’re focusing on.”

What does it mean to you to be part of the Emerging Talent Development Women’s Coach program?

“I’m really honoured and excited to be a part of it, and I’m so thankful for the opportunity. Because I’m in a regional area, there’s not many coaches and support around me, so it’s great to build that network with other like-minded individuals, and I very quickly realised when I started coaching, I need to have a viable coaching business – so I have to have a participation aspect, but I very quickly go into the performance zone and I am very intense on the court with the kids, but I try and create an environment where they have fun and make positive memories as well.”

What do you hope to learn from this program?

“Well, I’ve learnt so much already. I’m wanting to know the level, and then also taking the competitive matrix back, so that I can apply that to the players and make sure that they’re getting that strong foundation, so that if they do reach some of those benchmarks, they’ve got the foundation, the platform, to be able to launch from there and reach the top 100.”

How important is it for you to have an opportunity with other women coaches?

“I’ve got female coaches at the tennis club that are assistant coaches, so I’m very active in having them, other females around, and I love the uniqueness and the perception and all the differences that a female coach brings to a training program. I’ve been involved with Coach Connect with Nicole Pratt a lot, and so I’ve already got that support network, but this is even more of a support network, and everyone thinking, this is what we want to pursue, and now we can connect with each other and bounce ideas off each other, and that’s invaluable. You never know where that can lead from one little conversation with that one person and then what happens in the future.”

What advice would you give to any other woman who was considering to do coaching?

“Contact me and I’ll hire you…My advice would be ask for help. I’ve been well supported by so many people that have kind of taken me under their wing and given me advice and supported me and I think that helps you flourish in your environment, so having good people around you who can give you honest feedback on how to become a better coach. And I’m an avid learner, so I’m always listening to podcasts and reading books and trying to improve myself so that I can be the best coach I can be and give everyone the best outcomes that they want for their coaching and tennis.”

Have there been any like role models or inspirations for you like female role models?

“Nicole Pratt has been amazing – she’s poured out her heart and soul into helping me on many things. She’s probably the main one that I would think of. In Tassie, Alyssa Hibberd is always really helpful with bouncing ideas and helping me too.”

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