“Have fun with it,” a phrase that is often tossed around in tennis, but also one that players and coaches tend to forget. As players rise through the ranks of the sport, it is all too easy to forget the reason why they fell in love with the game in the first place. In most cases, that reason is that they simply enjoyed playing.
Ivona Horvat, a former WTA player for Yugoslavia and Croatia, recognizes the importance of emphasizing the ‘fun’ aspect of playing tennis. After finishing her professional career, Horvat took up coaching, which has been her professional for the last 23 years.
She spent time in Turkey, completely transforming the system and producing the country’s first international players. This past January, she moved to Sweden where she splits time between two roles. In the mornings, she works with the high-performance players at the Good to Great Academy. In the afternoons, she takes on the challenge of running five courts at the Royal Club.
The success that Horvat has experienced throughout her coaching career can be attributed to her players-first mentality. She believes that her experiences as a player have helped hone her skills as a coach. “I always think first as a player, then as a coach,” she explained.
Horvat also recognizes the importance of continuous learning and education within the coaching profession, which is why she chose to attend the second annual WTCA Conference in New York City. “I think educating coaches, especially those working with girls, is very important. I think education is number one – the workshops and conferences give female coaches the chance to educate themselves and be more involved in any area of tennis,” she said.
Conferences like the WTCA’s also empower coaches to be active in all areas of the sport. According to Horvat, it’s vital for coaches to “be involved and do whatever they can, whether it’s coaching, volunteering, participating, organizing tournaments, or talking to the parents of players. Every aspect is important.”
Even coaches as experienced as Horvat can continue to develop their knowledge by attending conferences. At the WTCA conference, attendees were able to learn from some of the most accomplished coaches and educators in the sport, including Nick Bollettieri.
“I loved all of the speakers, but what really touched me was listening to Nick Boliterri,” said Horvat. “He is truly a living legend. He has the most experience of any coach in the world, and I think in the history of tennis. He really has results behind him, so when he said with tears in his eyes that it’s not really about all the fame, glory, money, championships, it’s all about the child’s smile and their thank you, it really had an impact on me.”
“I think as we get older, we understand it’s not about our player winning a trophy. It’s about impacting someone’s life,” explained Horvat. “That’s what really matters. We coach because we know tennis is our life and it’s impacting us all the time, shaping us, changing us. We can always develop. I think the messages that the speakers are delivering, as well as fantastic tips from first-hand champions, have been transformational for my coaching career.”
At the WTCA, one of the major goals is to keep more girls in the sport of tennis. Through the speakers and workshops, we strive to give coaches the necessary tools to achieve this goal. According to Horvat, keeping more girls in the game comes back to having fun and enjoying the sport.
“It’s about starting from the base – it’s the kindergarten groups, the schools, the weekend tennis event, the barbeques. We want to introduce girls to the game and teach them to have fun with it. It’s all about growing the base, it’s a wonderful sport,” she said.
Now more than ever, we must continue to emphasize the ‘fun’ aspect throughout the entirety of a female’s career. While trophies, championships, and glory are all added bonuses, the relationships and memories made along the way are what makes the sport so special.