A Coach Program Success Story...TCU Mens Tennis

If you are considering applying for our 'Success 4 Life' Coach School/Academy Program, it has been influenced greatly by the participation and feedback of some fantastic coaches over the last several years in our PACT training courses.

One of those coaches is Devin Bowen...

A couple of years ago I was contacted by Devin Bowen.

He was working with a talented junior player at the time and he was finding it difficult to help this player achieve the competitive effectiveness that he was striving for.

I suggested Devin complete my online course which he did and this led to us talking frequently when he became assistant coach at TCU as he developed the team's mental toughness program...His great work helped their program go from #47 to the Final Four that year + achieve an improved singles win% among their returning players of over 20%...

Here’s how Devin remembered his implementation of the TCU mental toughness program at the end of that season:

“As I stood drenched in sweat under the Waco, Texas sun, I never imagined I would be coaching a final four match between TCU and Oklahoma in the 2015 NCAA tournament.

A Year Earlier…

It had only been a year since I first completed Anthony's online coach development course and spoke with him for the first time about the psychology of coaching.

I can still remember how excited I was the first time I hung up the phone with him. Our conversation had gone on for hours, his enthusiasm was infectious.

I became completely dedicated to learning as much as I possibly could from him and he was more than willing to take me under his wing.

January 2015…

It was in January, when I was with Head Coach Roditi and the team in Naples, Florida, that I first introduced the team to our off court mental fitness program and the concept of mindfulness.

I was nervous as hell, I had worked so hard with Anthony constructing a program for the boys and here I was delivering it for the first time…but the boys laughed right in the middle of the first mental exercise and Coach Roditi immediately admonished them for their lack of respect.

The session felt like a total failure, but nor the boys, or I, knew that is was the start of something amazing.

Looking back, I can remember thinking there is so much potential here…and it now feels good to know that my instinct was correct.

Mid Season…

Two months later, the team had now accepted mental training as part of our practice.

Coach Roditi and I were in lock step, sponsoring it together.

We as coaches were still learning and experimenting all while becoming more immersed in what was emerging from our collective efforts.

Wins started to pile up but we were so consumed by the process of exploring potential, we hardly noticed where we were heading.

Season’s End…

By the end of the season we’d reached the final four of the NCAA tournament after starting the season ranked #37.

Coach Roditi received the NCAA coach of the year award and most importantly we’d witnessed our team play some insane tennis.

The feeling is hard to describe…

It was enthralling, exciting, satisfying, and rewarding all at once.

Anthony, I thank you so much for investing in me, you are not only a great tennis mind, but also a true friend.”

If you would like early notification of when applications for our next 'Success 4 Life' School/Academy Program opens, You Can Do So Here...

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