It was September 10, 2011 when I watched Samantha Stosur dismantle a stunned Serena Williams in the final of the U.S. Open. This time around I was watching it on the big screen with a couple of friends at a sports bar in Denver. It’s a lot different watching the match on TV compare to court side. As the coach you are right there in the players box, riding the highs and lows of the match. There is no other coaching moment that feels the same – the stillness, loneliness, the inspiration and at the same

time helplessness that a coach feels when they sit court side and observes what unfolds in front of them. You feel like you play a part by clapping at the right time, giving your player positive energy and various other supporting gestures, but in reality you are just a spectator who goes on an emotional roller coaster for the duration of the match.
During my time working with Sammy I sat in that coaches box for 4 Grand Slam finals, watching her win three of those titles and also loss one heart breaking final where she and her partner Lisa Raymond held two match points. Those are some of the most amazing experiences of my coaching career and ones that I will most certainly never forget.
This years Roland Garros has been widely publicized as coach David Taylor’s last tournament with Sam. Their remarkable working relationship has spanned almost a decade with a break in between. Though it will be very hard for them to stop working together after she just reached the semi finals of a Grand Slam, it seems fitting that they part ways on such an incredible high.

David began working with Sam when she was ranked roughly 15 in the world, shortly after her first semi final showing in Paris. Coincidentally it may be the last time they work together as David indicated early in 2016 that he was going to retire from touring life to spend more time with his family.
So what is it like after you stop working with a player? I thought about this when I was listening to the commentators debating whether or not David would indeed step away from his position as Sam’s commander in chief at the end of the tournament.

When you stop working with a player it feels more like a change of direction than a departure. You may not be apart of their daily grind anymore but you most certainly stay a part of their journey from afar.  For me, it’s been such a privilege to sit back and watch several of the players I have worked with go on to do remarkable things, be that is themselves becoming a tennis coach or my juniors going on to have highly successful college careers. As coaches we always want to see our players achieve greatness even though they are under the guidance of another captain.

At this time 10 years ago, I was courtside with those ever present pre match nerves hoping that Sam and Lisa Raymond would get over the line against the highly experienced team of Sugiyama and Hantuchova. I had just seen them lose that heart breaking Australian Open final and Lisa wanted this one more than anything. On that day everything when their way, it was amazing to see the formidable team or Raymond and Stosur secure their second Grand Slam together. Working with Sam was a great experience, one thing I always talk to my junior players about was the fact that Sam wanted to be a great player more than anything else on earth. Her work ethic has improved exponentially from her junior days, David has done a remarkable job of instilling in Sam that day in day out discipline. Sam continue to evolve so much as a player over the duration of her career.
There is another huge upside that a coach can enjoy after working with a player, you can share those experiences with players you work with in the future. Through the years since my time working with Sam, I have been fortunate enough to watch a lot of her matches from the stands with the various players that I have coached. We have talked about the different ways I have seen her tennis develop and point patterns that she executes so well. Coaches must always teach the game style that best suits there player at the time. Despite the fact that not all players have identical game styles, coaches can draw from past coaching experiences to paint a clearer picture for their current player.

Sometimes coaches feel like they wish they were still working with a player, if that individual went on to achieve greater heights after they had stopped working together. It is important for us as coaches to feel thankful for helping them through the journey instead of feeling disappointed. It may be that somebody else comes in at that very moment when all of that previous hard work you had put in finally comes together. The result is often a lot of pats on the back and public recognition for the person in charge at that time, but that can never take away from the hard work and dedication that was put in by former coaches.

As coaches we are choosing a life of service and being a teacher. It is our job to help guide, assist and more than anything to give and put simply, help that player on their path. Knowing that you were able to assist that person in their pursuit of greatness is something coaches should feel very proud of. Let go of any disappointment that you feel because you were not the person sitting in the box when a previous student achieved that next great feat.
Ann Grossman Wunderlich, president of the women’s tennis coaching association, talked to me about this very subject when the junior player that she had worked with, Francesca Di Lorenzo, went off to play college. Ann said to me “when Francesca went to school, even though I was no longer her main coach I wanted her to know that I would always be there for her if she needed any help with her game or just needed a friend to talk to” she added that “when you work with a player they kind of become a part of your life and even though I’m not on court with Francesca every day, I always keep an eye on her results and hope she continues to improve with her new coaching team.”
The truth is even the coach that works with a 4 year old, still plays a roll in the development of a champion. Many of the players I have coached still touch base with me from time to time, sometimes it’s because they want to talk about their frustrations on court or other times it’s just to catch up and say hello. Remember most coaches will not work with one player for their entire career, so accept the fact that most coaching relationships will come to an end.  You will always remain part of that players career and take gratitude for the fact that you were able to assist them on their tennis journey.