What should parents really look for in a summer tennis camp?

In this episode, Chris Lewit shares practical guidance for families trying to make smart summer training decisions. With more than 20 years of coaching experience, Chris explains how parents can evaluate camp quality, identify the difference between recreational and serious training environments, and choose a program that fits a child’s age, level, goals, and personality.

This conversation also explores the unique role summer can play in junior development. Chris discusses when high-performance summer training can be valuable, how to think about workload and recovery, and why the right environment can influence technical improvement, confidence, independence, and long-term motivation.

If you are a tennis parent planning the summer calendar, this episode will help you better understand what matters most before committing to a camp.

In this episode:

• How parents can evaluate a summer tennis camp

• The difference between fun camps and serious training camps

• When high-performance summer training makes sense

• Common mistakes parents make when choosing camps

• How summer training can support long-term player development

• Lessons from 20 years of coaching junior players

00:00 The biggest question parents should ask

00:37 Ideal coach-to-player ratios

02:13 Evaluating camp coaches and staff quality

05:12 The case for smaller camps

07:10 Is the camp’s big-name coach actually present?

09:43 What one week at camp can realistically do

14:57 The importance of indoor courts and weather backup

17:30 Values, behavior, and social environment

19:54 Why individualized camp plans matter

25:11 Why technique and footwork often get ignored

29:41 Fitness, overuse, and injury risk

30:51 Why fewer hours can produce better results

36:30 Closing thoughts on choosing the right camp

38:03 Substack, future topics, and sign-off

🎾 The Prodigy Maker Tennis Show (PMTS) explores the intersection of junior tennis development, cutting-edge sport science, fitness, health, and human performance. Hosted by world-renowned coach Chris Lewit — author of The Secrets of Spanish Tennis and Winning Pretty, and developer of numerous No. 1 juniors in the U.S. — PMTS brings together coaching wisdom, research, and technology to shape the future of tennis and human performance.

👉 Subscribe and listen on

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-prodigy-maker-tennis-show/id1456148452

https://open.spotify.com/show/3Wu0PXf9IXneu0ogrzujZN

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLR2QscfBfEs9dtttR6XNhduNlWYmZIfy-

🌐 https://shows.acast.com/the-prodigy-maker-tennis-show/about

📖 Books: The Secrets of Spanish Tennis | Winning Pretty

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Cheating in junior tennis is one of the toughest parts of competition—for players, parents, and coaches. In this video, we break down the biggest myths about cheating in junior tennis and talk about how to handle bad line calls, unfair behavior, and tense match situations with confidence and composure.

This is a classic show from our archive!

You’ll learn how to respond without losing focus, how to protect yourself mentally during a match, and what players and parents can do to stay calm, smart, and competitive. The goal is not just to win points—it’s to build resilience, sportsmanship, and match toughness.

Whether you’re a junior player, tennis parent, or coach, this video will help you navigate one of the most frustrating parts of the game.

0:00 Welcome Back & Show Update

1:26 The Dirty Tricks Department

2:52 Writing the Article & Other Topic Ideas

4:49 Junior Tennis and High Performance Focus

5:45 Story of a Student Who Uses Dirty Tricks

8:11 Mixed Calls and Mind Games

9:16 Tennis as Psychological Warfare

12:17 Score Manipulation Tactics

13:47 Why This Could Be a Book

15:17 Why Tennis Encourages Cheating

17:11 Big Points and Why Cheating Matters

19:17 Time, Downtime, and Mental Distraction

22:30 Why Kids Quit Tournament Tennis

24:23 Should Coaching Be Allowed?

26:17 How Manipulators Get Opponents Thinking

29:18 The Late Call / Played-Out-Ball Trick

31:51 Why Players Should Not Engage in Conversation

33:41 Personal Match Story: Telling an Opponent to Stop Talking

35:22 Myths Coaches and Parents Tell About Cheating

36:44 The Drop Shot as Psychological Warfare

38:12 Other Legal Mind Games: Lobs and Moon Balls

40:15 A Future Book: Dirty Tricks and Solutions

41:32 Four Common Dirty Tricks Recap

45:47 Psychological Warfare Can Beat Better Technique

47:11 Tennis Resources and Where the Article May Appear

49:40 Final Thoughts on the Dirty Tricks Department

50:15 ProdigyMaker Blog and Coaching Influences

52:00 Life in Vermont & Sign-Off

#JuniorTennis #TennisMentalToughness #TennisParents #TennisCoaching #Sportsmanship #TennisTips

🎾 The Prodigy Maker Tennis Show (PMTS) explores the intersection of junior tennis development, cutting-edge sport science, fitness, health, and human performance. Hosted by world-renowned coach Chris Lewit — author of The Secrets of Spanish Tennis and Winning Pretty, and developer of numerous No. 1 juniors in the U.S. — PMTS brings together coaching wisdom, research, and technology to shape the future of tennis and human performance.

👉 Subscribe and listen on

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-prodigy-maker-tennis-show/id1456148452

https://open.spotify.com/show/3Wu0PXf9IXneu0ogrzujZN

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLR2QscfBfEs9dtttR6XNhduNlWYmZIfy-

🌐 https://shows.acast.com/the-prodigy-maker-tennis-show/about

📖 Books: The Secrets of Spanish Tennis | Winning Pretty

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

🎾 Tennis Kids & Instagram: Healthy or Harmful?

More and more junior players are being featured on IG—but is it helping their development or hurting it?

Chris breaks down the positives, the pitfalls, and the ethical questions every parent and coach should be thinking about.

👇 Listen now and decide for yourself

0:00 Should You Put Your Tennis Kid on Instagram?

0:59 Is It Healthy? The Big Question

2:08 Casual Sharing vs. Dedicated Accounts

4:17 Different Types of Tennis Parent Posting

5:05 When Posting Becomes Branding

6:20 Proud Parent or Building a Business?

8:24 Why Parents Build a Brand Around a Child

10:49 Is It Healthy for Kids?

12:08 Pressure, Performance, and the Camera

13:09 The Tony Nadal Perspective on Humility

15:03 Ego, Attention, and Character Development

17:05 Protecting Your Child’s Mental Health

18:54 When Social Media Becomes a Production

19:44 Scouting, Exposure, and the New Tennis World

20:56 What If Things Go Wrong?

22:01 Monetizing a Child’s Tennis the Right Way

23:39 How to Protect Kids While Using Social Media

24:10 Preview of the Next Podcast Episode

🎾 The Prodigy Maker Tennis Show (PMTS) explores the intersection of junior tennis development, cutting-edge sport science, fitness, health, and human performance. Hosted by world-renowned coach Chris Lewit — author of The Secrets of Spanish Tennis and Winning Pretty, and developer of numerous No. 1 juniors in the U.S. — PMTS brings together coaching wisdom, research, and technology to shape the future of tennis and human performance.

👉 Subscribe and listen on

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-prodigy-maker-tennis-show/id1456148452

https://open.spotify.com/show/3Wu0PXf9IXneu0ogrzujZN

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLR2QscfBfEs9dtttR6XNhduNlWYmZIfy-

🌐 https://shows.acast.com/the-prodigy-maker-tennis-show/about

📖 Books: The Secrets of Spanish Tennis | Winning Pretty

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.