Wayne Bryan

Wayne Bryan is an American tennis coach, author and speaker. He is the former owner and tennis director of the Cabrillo Racquet Club and father of The Bryan brothers, Bob and Mike, the most successful professional doubles team in tennis history.^[1] He is a frequent emcee of tennis charity events and clinics, and was voted World Team Tennis (WTT) coach of the year for three consecutive seasons (2011–present).^[2]

Coaching philosophy

The cornerstone of Bryan's coaching philosophy is "Making It Fun". He stresses the importance of enthusiasm and positivity and believes it is as much the coach/parents' job to inspire and motivate as it is to teach proper tennis technique.^[3]

Criticism of the USTA

In 2012, a private letter written by Wayne Bryan on American junior tennis was published online. Bryan expressed concerns about USTA Player Development, calling it bureaucratic and authoritarian, citing by example the U10 mandate requiring all children ten and under (regardless of ability) compete on miniature courts using lightweight "green dot" balls .^[4] Bryan mentions as harmful to American junior tennis the increasing number of NCAA college scholarships being awarded to foreign players and the attempt to nationalize coaching rather than supporting existing player-coach relationships in the private sector. In the same letter Bryan calls for increased spending transparency by the USTA, stating that the salaries of Patrick McEnroe and his staff should be made public. ^[5]

A response by USTA Player Development General Manager Patrick McEnroe calling Bryan's analysis "full of holes" has led to an ongoing public debate about best practices.^[6]

Writer

Wayne Bryan is the author of the book "Raising Your Child To Be A Champion In Athletics, Arts and Academics", on his personal experiences as a parent of aspiring tennis players (ISBN 978-0806526607).

References