A simple Google search of Kirby Bridges gives you an instant picture of the Nebraska native. From serving as a coach to working for Tennis Channel to reaching thousands of people through her work as the Director of Content Development for Essential Tennis, Kirby has accomplished a great deal in her young years. As a self-proclaimed adventure-seeker, dog-lover, and Real Housewives fanatic, Kirby says that you would be hard-pressed to find a single detail about her that is not already out on the internet.
Kirby’s candid nature and willingness to share her passion for tennis is what has set her apart throughout her career. She fell in love with tennis and broadcasting when she was just a little girl. According to Kirby, “Getting to work for Tennis Channel was a dream come true, but getting to create content for Essential Tennis is an even greater dream come true. I get to do what I love on a daily basis.”
Combining your passion and your profession can be a challenge, and it’s often a marriage that few people are lucky enough to experience. This has not been the case for Kirby, as she found purpose through helping others achieve their goals on the court when she began coaching at just 13 years of age. “There’s no better feeling than seeing someone’s face light up when you teach,” said Kirby. “Whether it’s tennis or the confidence that comes along with the sport, I love helping others get better.”
As the Director of Content Development at Essential Tennis, Kirby has been able to combine her passions for coaching and broadcasting. “The most rewarding part of my job is knowing how many people we get to impact positively through tennis,” she expressed. “At the end of the day, it’s all about the people that we can reach. We’ve heard stories from people around the world about how our platform has changed their lives. It is a great feeling knowing that you can reach so many others that you wouldn’t have been able to otherwise.”
Kirby’s enthusiasm for making a positive change in others’ lives is one of the many reasons that we’re thrilled to have her as a panelist at the WTCA Conference. She will be bringing her talents to New York City by leading a panel on tips and tricks for male coaches working with female athletes alongside Luke Jensen.
Open communication is the fundamental pillar for working with female athletes, according to Kirby. Coaching is all about being a good listener and understanding your athletes. Kirby said, “When you understand who you’re coaching, you can break through to them that much easier. To me, that’s the number one thing, speaking the same language as who you’re coaching. When it comes to women, that’s especially important because communication so vital to us.”
No stranger to achievement as a coach, broadcaster, and content director, Kirby is also an advocate for women looking to succeed in a male-dominant environment. To all women who aspire to work in tennis, she offered simple advice: “Believe in yourself and be determined to pave your own path, no matter what it takes to get there.” The world is constantly evolving, and there is no one single path to success that must be followed.
Kirby’s central commitment throughout her career has been to support others in pursuit of their passions. During our conversation, she shared a personal story about the power of connecting with others through tennis. An advocate for mental health awareness, Kirby opened up about her own struggles with anxiety and depression.
“I have struggled with depression and anxiety for as long as I can remember,” she said. “When I first came to Essential Tennis, making the adjustment to being just about the only female in online tennis was really difficult for me because I was flooded with negative comments from people on the internet.” She then recalled doing a live stream on tennis and mental health with over 1,000 people watching. “One person, in particular, was extremely encouraging,” she recounted. “He told me to hang in there, that he’d been there, and that he was going through the same thing right now, and it was so helpful.”
A few months later the Essential Tennis team held a meet and greet in Cincinnati, where Kirby was able to meet her supporter face to face. She learned that her content had helped him to turn his entire life around. This experience had an extremely profound impact on Kirby, helping her to realize that she truly is making a difference in others’ lives through her work in tennis.
Creating a global community for positive change is one of the essential values of the WTCA, a value that Kirby has displayed throughout the entirety of her work in tennis. When it comes to her future, she said, “My goals are to keep creating content that allows people to grow to a higher level. I want to be able to help as many people as possible. My goal is the same tomorrow as it is today, to create as much positive change through tennis as possible.”
With Kirby’s extensive knowledge and experience on display at the WTCA Conference in NYC, the sport of women’s tennis is one giant step closer to achieving this positive change.