The GreatBase Tennis Podcast

In the 233rd episode of the GreatBase Tennis Education (GBTE) podcast, Steve Smith, Dave Anderson, Dave Secker, and Ivan Ozerets share their thoughts regarding tennis academies. Their conversation covers a wide spectrum of points and should serve the purpose of helping to educate the tennis consumer. Thanks for listening and thanks for caring about the growth and welfare of the game of tennis.

The 232nd episode of the GreatBase Tennis podcast is based on a question Steve Smith asked Dave Anderson.  Steve asked David, "What should be a theme to help US tennis?" David answered, "Back to the future." In basing a podcast episode on Dave's answer, Steve stated that there would be no one better to address the topic than the legendary Chuck Kriese. To make an understat...

On the 231st episode of the GreatBase Tennis podcast, Steve Smith and Ilja Semjonovs re-visit thoughts and principles shared by the late Don Meyer. Mr. Meyer was a basketball coach who touched the lives of thousands of people. His contributions should not be forgotten. He mentored legends of his sport. To take in his humor, simply YouTube: Don Meyer at the ESPY's. To read more about his story...

On the 230th episode of the GreatBase Tennis Education (GBTE)  podcast, Steve Smith, Ilja Semjonovs, Richard Hernandez, and Dave Anderson discuss mentoring and its significance. Listeners are assured of a few laughs and a few nuggets for their tennis treasure chest. Please note that one can find more free educational tennis content on GBTE's website ( www.greatbasetennis.com ). Five courses w...

On the 229th episode of the GreatBase Tennis podcast, Steve Smith, Ivan Ozerets, Andy Fitzell, and Dave Anderson discuss the ins and outs of making resolutions for the new year. As always, we hope our listeners find value in listening and occasionally can chuckle at our attempt at humor. We wish everyone all the best for 2025. Happy New Year

Merry Christmas  On the 228th episode of the GreatBase Tennis podcast, Steve, Ivan, and Andy interview Peter Kobelt. To make an understatement, Peter's journey in tennis is remarkable. As a first-year student at Ohio State University (OSU), Peter red-shirted. Then as a red-shirt freshman, he only played doubles.  By the end of his collegiate career, he held the OSU record for most doubles mat...

On the 227th episode of the GreatBase Tennis Podcast, Steve Smith and Andy Fitzell talk about some tennis books from the GreatBase Tennis library. The GreatBase Tennis library now includes all the tennis books from Vic Braden’s library. Overall, the GBTE has over 1500 tennis books. Andy Fitzell being with Steve Smith when the last shipment of Vic’s books arrived was quite appropriate. The two spen...

On the 226th episode of the GreatBase Tennis podcast Steve Smith and Andy Fitzell interview Dave Secker. Their guest is the Associate Head Coach of the North Carolina State women’s tennis team.  Dave, who has previously donated his time to support our efforts to inform the tennis public, addresses numerous issues pertaining to college tennis in the US. To make an understatement, the Englishmen is...

On the 225th episode of the GreatBase Tennis podcast Steve Smith and Ivan Ozerets interview Jeff Moore. To make an understatement, their humble and honest guest has oodles of wisdom to share. We are confident that the session should be classified as a master class for anyone and everyone hungry for improvement; no matter what the endeavor. As an athlete, he played college tennis for the incomparab...

On the 224th episode of the GreatBase Tennis podcast, Steve Smith and Ivan Ozerets are joined by Andreas Barbosa. The tennis teaching professional based in Miami has been a frequent guest.  He serves the GreatBase podcast as a contributor, fact-checker, and coach.  The main topic of this week's conversation is podcasts; in particular tennis podcasts. Andreas ranks his top three tennis podcast...

On the 223rd episode of the GreatBase Tennis podcast, Steve Smith, Ivan Ozerets, Dave Anderson, and Andy Fitzell talk tennis. With player development as their purpose, the foursome look backwards with the goal of helping fellow tennis enthusiasts.  Listeners are given points to ponder. The panel's insights and perspectives should prove to be of value. Everyone has heard that hindsight is 20-2...

On the 222nd episode of the GreatBase Tennis podcast, Steve Smith, Ivan Ozerets, Dave Anderson, and Andy Fitzel discuss a rather simple concept. With reflective thought, a tennis teaching professional should strive to deliver enjoyment, exercise, and education each and everyday. Hopefully by listening tennis enthusiasts and experts will find a golden nugget or two to add to their tennis treasure c...

On the 221st episode of the GreatBase Tennis podcast, Steve Smith, Ivan Ozerets, Dave Anderson, and Andy Fitzell pay tribute to Rafael Nadal. The over-used cliche, there will never be another, applies.  We all have heard the phrase, never say never. Yet in the history of tennis, there is one situation that comes to mind where the word never can be used. Never again, will one tennis player win 14 F...

On the 220th episode of the GreatBase Tennis podcast, Steve Smith and Ivan Ozerets discuss tennis with Mike Custer. To make an understatement, Mike has put a lifetime of thought into the whys and why-nots of the tennis industry. He is an accomplished player and veteran tennis teacher with more than 40 years of diversified experience. He started his professional pathway by studying tennis with Stev...

On the 219th episode of the GreatBase Tennis podcast, Steve Smith and Ivan Ozererts interview Jodie Johnson.  Jodie had the ambition to be a major athlete but his dreams were side-tracked with childhood health problems and injury after injury.  His journey kept him connected to sport through attempted comebacks and tutoring. Even during his work as an engineer and entrepreneur, he kept a career in...

On the 218th episode of the GreatBase Tennis podcast, Steve Smith and Ivan Ozerets discuss tennis information pertaining to basic stroke-production with Andy Fitzell. Andy is the founder of the GreatBase Tennis podcast and, like Steve, spent decades working with the late Vic Braden. Vic passed away ten years ago on October 6th, 2014.  The goal of the GreatBase is to continue to shine a bright ligh...

On the 217 episode of the GreatBase Tennis podcast, Steve Smith, Richard Hernandez, and Dave Anderson ask Clayton Stanley questions. The four were part of a unique tennis culture in the 1980s. Clayton started his tennis journey with Steve as his instructor when he was 6 and Steve was 26.  Steve and Clayton's father, David, were basically partners in raising a tennis kid. When Richard first ob...

Robert Lansdorp 1938 - 2024 On the 216th episode of the GreatBase Tennis podcast, Steve Smith and Ivan Ozerets pay tribute to the late Robert Lansdorp. To make an understatement, he was an American tennis treasure.  The common sense, toughness, drive and gut-wrenching honesty of Robert Lansdorp should not be forgotten. Everyone connected to the development of players and coaches would be wise to s...

Joey Scrivano, Baylor Bears On the 215th episode of the GreatBase Tennis podcast, Steve Smith and Ivan Ozerets have a conversation with Joey Scrivano. He is currently leading Baylor University's women's tennis team.  He has served the university for 23 years. Steve lists off a long, long list of accomplishments that highlight the careers of Joey, his coaches, and his players. Parents of...

By listening to Jeff, one will quickly discover he understands the nuts and bolts and X's and 0's of tennis to the nth degree. The development of a tennis mind takes time, lots and lots of time. Simply put, one needs to study tennis to truly be a student of the game.  Jeff was first introduced to Steve and his body of work at the age of fourteen and he has been working the information ev...

Jeff Lewis recently spent a week with Steve Smith at the Wintergreen Resort in Wintergreen, Virginia. The two, who have known each other for thirty years, recorded two conversations for the listeners of the GreatBase Tennis podcast. To make an understatement, Jeff knows tennis. He was introduced to a wealth of tennis information as a teenager and through decades of deep thought and diversified exp...

On the 212th episode of the GreatBase Tennis podcast, Steve Smith has a conversation with Richard Bodian. In 1981, Steve designed and directed (Tennis Tech) the first comprehensive curriculum and college degree program for students seeking occupational competency as tennis-teaching pro-managers. Richard enrolled, graduated, and entered the tennis industry with an education that only a small percen...

On the 211th episode of the GreatBase Tennis podcast, Steve Smith has a conversation with Mike Valentine and Mike McLaughlin. The three old men all worked for the late Vic Braden.  Mike and Mike recently made the journey to the Wintergreen Resort in Wintergreen, Virginia to observe and contribute to Steve's students. They left assured that Steve and his students are still honoring the work of...

The life story of Arnaud Guillemard is definitely different. Be ready to go from island living to Paris, college tennis to the oil fields, education to being a young parent, and directing junior and high school tennis tournaments. Arnaud is Steve Smith's guest on the 210th episode of the GreatBase Tennis podcast. Ironically 210 is the area code of San Antonio, Texas, the place where Arnaud re...

Melanie Zampardo is Steve Smith's guest on the 209th episode of the GreatBase Tennis podcast. She spent nine weeks this summer, 2024, serving as an intern.  She survived.  Decades ago, Steve was told by an experienced tennis-lifer that if one could complete the challenges of a 24/7 boarding tennis camp that he or she would have proven that they could successfully make their way within the ten...