Not fast or strong enough
Getting beaten to the ball, pushed around in long rallies, or running out of power late in the match.
Junior Tennis · Strength and Mental Performance
Stronger, faster and composed when the match gets tight
Coaching for USTA-ranked high school players and college hopefuls. In-person strength and conditioning at Left Coast Fitness in Campbell, and virtual mental performance coaching, from a coach who has played the game and has trained athletes since 2010.
What parents usually tell me
Most families reach out because of one of these.
Losing their temper
One bad call or a missed shot, and the next three points are gone with it.
Struggling to close out sets
Up a break, then tight and tentative, and suddenly back on serve.
Playing the ranking, not the ball
Timid against a higher-ranked player before the first point, or worried about how losing to a lower-ranked one will look.
Aches from the workload
Sore shoulders, elbows or knees from hours at the academy without the strength to back them up.
What is really going on
When a talented junior loses a match they should have won, it's rarely their strokes. Their attention gets pulled to things they can't control: a bad call, a mistake from two points ago, the ranking of the player across the net, or what the result will say about them. They stop playing the point in front of them.
Physically, juniors are still developing. They hit thousands upon thousands of groundstrokes, serves and volleys, often without the strength and tissue tolerance to protect the joints taking that load.
Less is more
When a junior struggles, the instinct from parents and coaches is to add more. More hours, more drills, more fitness. More is not better. Often the bigger gains come from what a player lets go of.
Your child already spends hours on court. Burnout and overuse injuries in young athletes are real and well researched, so everything I give them has a purpose. No junk volume, nothing that buries them, and no drill-sergeant coaching. I'm supportive, and the work is built around the person as much as the player.
Two sides of the same player
Your child can do either one, or both.
Strength and conditioning
In person at Left Coast Fitness, Campbell
We build the base first. Stronger legs through squats and lunges. Pushing and pulling work for the back and the muscles that support the shoulders. Skilled, clean movement before anything fancy.
The result is a faster, more powerful player whose body can handle the demands of the sport.
Mental performance
Virtual, by video call, wherever they are
We start by listening. Your child talks me through their matches and how they compete. Then we train four mental qualities: attentional control, self-talk, energy management and imagery.
The methods are simple to learn and built to be used in the middle of a match.
Inside the 20 seconds between points
Here's what this looks like on court. Your child just lost a point on a bad call, and they're fuming.
1. Breathe
Slow breathing to bring the heart rate and the emotion down, paired with a cue word. For example, "calm" on the inhale and "down" on the exhale. We choose the words together so they fit the player.
2. The towel
Walk to the towel and wipe off, picturing the last point going with it. The call, the frustration, everything outside their control.
3. The bounce
At the baseline, every bounce of the ball pairs with a breath. With each bounce they get more centered, more focused and more present.
On their own service games, they use every second they're allowed. In those 20 seconds they've used all four qualities: energy management, self-talk, imagery and attentional control. That's how the qualities work in a match. They overlap and support each other.
Why work with me
Your child's tennis coach knows the game inside and out. I don't coach strokes or technique, and I work alongside the coach, not around them. My job is to build the physical and mental qualities that let those skills show up under pressure.
Most trainers cover strength and conditioning or mental performance, rarely both. I've done both since 2010, as an NSCA Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist with an MA in Sport Psychology. I also played tennis competitively, so I know what the sport demands of the body and the mind.
Sepano Hassanzadeh
CSCS, MA Sport Psychology
How to get started
Juniors join the same programs as the rest of my clients, with the volume fitted around their tennis.
In-person strength training
Book the $120 Performance Assessment at Left Coast Fitness. It's a 55-minute session that sets your child's baseline and shapes their program. The fee is credited toward an 8- or 12-session package if you enroll within 48 hours.
Mental performance
Book a free 20-minute call. Programs start at $700 a month for four one-on-one video sessions, so your child can work with me from anywhere, including tournament weekends.
Both
Plenty of my juniors do both. Start with the free call and we'll work out the right mix for your child's schedule and goals.
Questions parents ask
Do you work with my child's tennis coach?
Yes. I don't coach strokes or technique. I handle strength, conditioning and the mental game, and I'm happy to stay in touch with their coach so we're all pulling in the same direction.
What ages and levels do you work with?
Mostly USTA-ranked high school players, including college hopefuls and players aiming higher. If your child is younger, book a free call and we'll talk it through.
They already train a lot. Won't this add to burnout?
It can if it's done badly, which is why every piece of training has a purpose and the volume fits around their tennis load. The goal is a stronger, more durable player, not a more tired one.
Will I be kept in the loop?
Yes. Parents are kept up to date on goals and progress.
Is mental performance coaching therapy?
No. Mental performance coaching trains skills such as focus, self-talk, energy management and imagery to improve performance. It is not a substitute for counseling or clinical mental health care.
Help your player compete the way they practice
Start with a free 20-minute call, or go straight to the Performance Assessment if you already know you want in-person training.