Steve Smith and Dave Anderson welcome 16-year-old junior player Mason Vaughan to the podcast for a candid conversation about his tennis journey. From his first trip to Memphis at age eight, to living away from home and training full-time at Brookhaven, Mason shares the struggles, the growth, and the routines that have shaped him into the player he is today.

The conversation covers everything from mental training with Tracy King and situational drills to tournament strategy, tennis parenting, and the physical grind of chasing a college tennis dream. Mason is refreshingly honest about what he still needs to work on, and both Steve and Dave make clear that his best tennis is still very much ahead of him.

This episode is a practical, on-the-ground conversation about what it actually takes to run a college tennis program. With Johann Frühling reflecting on his experience as a first-time graduate assistant coach at St. Leo, and Pol O'Callaghan preparing to step into a coaching role at Ave Maria University, Steve walks through the thousand tasks a young coach must master, from scheduling and uniforms to fundraising, record keeping, academic compliance, and building relationships with support staff.

The conversation is as much about culture and character as it is about logistics, with Steve drawing on stories from Brian Boland's Virginia program, the Jesuit philosophy of giving back, and the importance of peer teaching and community outreach to paint a picture of what a truly great college tennis program looks like from the inside out.

Steve Smith and Dave Anderson are joined by NC State women's tennis coach Dave Secker and Spanish visitor Pol O'Callaghan for a deep dive into the rapidly shifting landscape of college tennis. Secker walks through the transfer portal, NIL, revenue sharing, the new five-year eligibility rule, and what it all means for American players, foreign recruitment, and the survival of programs like Arkansas.

The conversation covers everything from agents signing high school juniors to the future of Lake Nona as a national championship site, with both Anderson and Secker offering their perspective on what college tennis means for junior players and why there is, despite all the chaos, plenty of reason for optimism.

Steve Smith and Dave Anderson are joined by AJ Chabria and Craig Bell, co-hosts of the At the Net podcast, for a wide-ranging conversation covering a lifetime of experiences across all facets of the racket sports industry. The four dig into the state of teaching organizations, the challenge of attracting new blood into the profession, the legacy of John Yandel and TennisPlayer.net, and where pickleball fits into the future of tennis.

Listeners will benefit from the stories, energy, and passion that AJ and Craig bring to the table, from their early days in the industry to their thoughts on elevating standards and growing the next generation of coaches.

This episode is a deep dive into the overhead, one of the most avoided and undercoached shots in tennis. Steve and Dave break down the mechanics, the mental barriers, and the drills needed to build confidence and competency at the net, making the case that without a reliable overhead, a player's entire net game is compromised.

The conversation covers everything from grip, swing path, and the quarterback position, to situational drills and the optical illusions that cause players to move too slowly on a lob. The message is clear: you have to love overheads, chart overheads, and practice them before and after every session if you want to be a complete player.

This episode is a deep dive into the volley, a shot Steve and Dave argue is quietly disappearing from the game. They break down grips, ready position, swing path, and the drills needed to build real net instincts, making the case that if players don't learn to volley early, they simply never will.

The conversation weaves through grips, stage development, situational training, and the mental barriers that keep players glued to the baseline, with plenty of references to the pros who got it right and the systemic reasons so many juniors never do. Going to the net is not a risk, it's an investment.

Also, the return of the GreatBase Tennis merchandise online store! Please visit the website or our social medias for the link if you are interested in purchasing any apparel.

Steve Smith and Dave Anderson are joined by three special guests for a Richmond Hill reunion on the latest episode of the GreatBase Tennis Podcast. Richard Hernandez, Miron Mann, and Patrick Jeffrion Amorin, three directors who have carried the GreatBase torch at Richmond Hill Country Club across three decades, share stories, laughs, and some sharp observations about the state of tennis development in Canada and beyond.

The conversation covers everything from the origins of each coach's journey into the game, to the challenges of building a culture when federations are circling and parents are overthinking, to the sorry state of junior tennis circuits on both sides of the border. Underneath the banter and the ribbing of Dave Anderson, there is a serious and consistent message: teach kids to hit the ball better, keep competition local, and trust the process.

Also, the return of the GreatBase Tennis merchandise online store! Please visit the website or our social medias for the link if you are interested in purchasing any apparel.

Steve Smith and Dave Anderson mark episode 300 of the GreatBase Tennis Podcast with a mix of shoutouts, reflection, and sharp commentary on the state of American college tennis. The episode opens with congratulations to Dave on his induction into the North Dakota Tennis Hall of Fame and a tribute to the late Dr. Jim Loehr, whose work on the mental side of tennis remains as relevant as ever.

The centerpiece is a reading of a spoof Steve wrote years ago, a fairy tale reimagining of Patrick McEnroe's time juggling three major roles in American tennis simultaneously, landing with humor but carrying a serious message about focus and accountability. The episode closes with a frank conversation about the University of Arkansas dropping its tennis program, the broader crisis facing college tennis, and why more Americans need to be both playing and teaching the sport they love.