One of the great secrets is The Tennis Congress. Columbus Day weekend at El Conquistador in Tucson, AZ. It is a special three day event where over 80 elite coaches from around the world get together to work with 225 recreational athletes who rarely get the chance to work with coaches who are amongst the most experienced and knowledegable. Found by P.J. Simmons in 2013, this is a collaborative experience of teaching and learning about tennis and how tennis and life are deeply connected. People come to learn forehands, backhands, strategy, fitness and mental skills and often walk away with deep looks into who they are and who they can be. Yes, they get the tennis skills. But that is nothing compared to the discoveries that take them, often, to the best stories of their lives. I am honored to be a part of the is extraordinary event. I go to teach and find friendship, passion, connection and the joy of sharing. No question the best event of the year for me.
Author, journalist, tennis scribe and tennis fanatic Joel Drucker observed and wrote this beautiful piece. Please take the time to read it and definitely watch the two minute video to get a sense of this special experience.
I agree about the special weekend the Tennis Congress is for me. The people I meet on my team and the strangers we meet over breakfast and lunch make it worth much more than the cost would implicate. I ate lunch with Gigi Fernandez. Who gets to spend several hours with Jorge Andrew? The on-court and the classroom sessions are amazing. Through Tennis Congress I got involved with The Corporate Athlete Course at H.P.I., ITPA, PTR and several other learning opportunities. I am very grateful that PJ decided to latch onto tennis and that he is obsessed that we all gain from his event.