On-Court Coaching with Leslie Pixley
CHRISTINE GRANT
Leslie Pixley has been a senior USPTA-certified professional at the Brandywine Racquet Club for more than 40 years. She is also a senior teaching pro at the West Chester Golf & Country Club. She instructed children and adults in public park settings for many years. Her decades of teaching, coaching, and playing with a group of loyal 3.0 -5.5 NTRP women tennis players and her personal endurance and tournament record--often playing and captaining Intersectional teams--have obviously had a positive and lasting impact on women’s tennis in Philadelphia’s Mainline and Middle States Section.
Of particular interest to the NWTO audience, Leslie has also developed a personal and professional philosophy and organized approach to structuring tennis drills and practice sessions, stressing the importance of mindful practice, and using on-court coaching to prepare adult women to enjoy tennis (including tournament tennis) for their lifetime. But first, some personal background to understand the experiences that she believes shaped her philosophy and approach, as well as some suggestions for further tournament development.
Leslie was a multisport athlete in high school. She played on Penn State’s earliest women’s organized tennis team and basketball team in the mid-1960s. After she graduated with a Physical Education degree, she quickly landed a position working with women’s athletic programming at the Philadelphia-area Mainline YWCA. A series of unexpected personnel changes soon found her managing the entire women’s programming as well as two community clinics. This tested her skills and training in engaging people in large groups, including tennis classes. She came to realize how important it is to maintain the individual student’s interest even in large classes and also how creating smaller groups within a larger group experience can help students enjoy being with each other and have fun. Her first priority is to match and group players who share a desire to practice as practice buddies for often-neglected tennis singles play. Doubles play then comes along more naturally.
Leslie managed to continue her own successful tournament play during the 1960s, and even today is available for the sectionals and a few tournaments. She remembers progressing to one of the earliest league play 5.5 tournaments sponsored by Michelob at Seabrook; the first intersectional tournament held in Virginia; and a Kansas City league playoff sponsored by Volvo. These experiences underscored for her personally the fun of traveling with friends and acquaintances to enjoy and learn from the tournament experiences together.
Leslie shares some observations that other NWTO members have about reasons for the current decline in tournament entrants.
Many women are unaware that there are national-level tournaments one can aspire to enter as an individual nor do they know how to locate a partner.
Singles has become somewhat neglected in league play and that affects entrants in national age-level play.
Sections could do a better job explaining and encouraging other than just league play.
Some type of systematic coaching or organization for local singles’ play in leagues is needed.
The level 2 and 3 tournaments for women receive little financial support or otherwise from organized tennis, but could be a viable local or regional option.
Leadership is necessary at all levels; we should promote participation through ambassadors: “Good ambassadors for tennis know how to get people involved as players. We need to ensure someone is focused on reaching the 35s and 40s players.”
Tournament formats can be improved by playing Saturdays and evenings.
She shows a strong individualistic streak because she encourages women in particular who so desire to enjoy practicing as an end in itself. She also feels that no matter how weak or strong, having a plan for students (or oneself) focused on improving some aspect of their game can bring personal satisfaction and show up in tournament play results over time.
Leslie also believes in the value of extending on-court coaching for adult play in a way this interviewer has not heard elsewhere. “On-court coaching during match play is accepted in collegiate and international cup play. There are technical benefits to focusing and advising the player during, not after, a match. It also can add to a mature player’s confidence, problem-solving ability and social interactions to have a “friend on court” during breaks.” While she acknowledges this may not be acceptable for gold ball play, there are many team settings including the intersectional event where it is mutually beneficial to a player and a teammate or coach to briefly refocus, learn to reset during a match, and try something in real-time. Leslie practices this technique with intersectional teams.
Her concluding observation during our interview is that she wishes every woman would realize that “Women should support tennis for a lifetime because we are doing ourselves and those we encourage, a lifetime favor every time a woman steps on the court to practice or play.”
