ParentingAces - The Junior Tennis and College Tennis Podcast Lisa Stone/Tennis Channel Podcast Network

Welcome to Season 13, Episode 22, of the ParentingAces Podcast, a proud member of the Tennis Channel Podcast Network. This week Lisa chats again with high-performance junior and WTA coach, Tom Downs (click here for our Season 10 podcast with Tom).
Tom is currently working as a private coach based in Dallas, Texas, and is working with former ITF Junior #3 and current WTA player Liv Hovde.
Prior to coaching tour players, however, Tom was a high-level junior himself in his home country of Australia. He came to the US to play college tennis and soon realized he had a gift and a passion for coaching.
As you'll hear in our interview, Tom was fortunate to come into the orbit of well-known coach, Harold Solomon, early in his career, and considers Harold a mentor to this day. Tom became the Director of Coaching at the Harold Solomon Tennis Institute in 2008 where he spent the next 8 years building up his coaching muscle. He was the hitting partner/coach for several top female players including Sam Stosur, Renae Stubbs, and Elena Dementieva.
From 2016 until the start of the Pandemic in 2020, Tom worked with juniors, college players, and pros in South Florida. During that time, he had the good fortune to work with then-junior Peyton Stearns, helping her develop into a top collegiate player at the University of Texas where she became the NCAA DI Singles Champion in 2022. Tom worked with Peyton again as she transitioned onto the pro tour, sitting courtside as she won over 20 matches including two 25k ITF tournaments.
To contact Coach Tom Downs, you can email him at tassietom123@gmail.com or text him at 813-382-2241.
If you’re so inclined, please share this – and all our episodes! – with your fellow tennis players, parents, and coaches. You can subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts or via your favorite podcast app. Please be sure to check out our logo’d merch as well as our a la carte personal consultations in our online shop at https://parentingaces.com/shop. To support ParentingAces' work with a financial donation of any size via PayPal, click here.
CREDITS
Intro & Outro Music: Morgan Stone aka STØNE
Audio & Video Editing: Lisa Stone
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Welcome to Season 13, Episode 21, of the ParentingAces Podcast, a proud member of the Tennis Channel Podcast Network. This week's episode may not be suitable for your children, so please use discretion before letting them watch/listen.
When he was 11 years old, Stevie Gould knew what he wanted from tennis: a Blue Chip rating, direct entry into the biggest junior tournaments, a prestigious college tennis scholarship, and a real shot at the professional tour. Stevie did reach his goals of playing Kalamazoo and qualifying events for professional tournaments. He played Division I tennis at the University of Washington for one year before transferring to the University of San Francisco until he graduated with a psychology degree. In the Fall of 2024, Stevie will complete his college tennis eligibility with a year at Saint Mary's College as he pursues a Master's Degree.
Stevie's parents - as well as others in the local tennis community - followed his lead and became part of the Burgos Tennis Program. The Goulds were providing their only child with what they thought was a coaching situation that would help Stevie reach his goals while keeping the fun alive for him. They could have never imagined what was truly going on with their son and his coach.
As Stevie explains, sexual predators are professionals. They study their prey. They calculate the best way to get what they want. And they are willing to spend months - if not years - grooming their victims.
In Stevie's case, he had a coach who seemed to be able to provide everything Stevie needed to become the best tennis player possible. The coach seemed to know what it would take for Stevie to reach his goals as well as the skills to help him along the way. For several months, Stevie's parents - like the other parents in their California community - would drive him to practices, stay and watch, and slowly build a trusting relationship with this man who would be guiding their son. All the parents did their research. All the parents thought they knew who this man truly was. Sadly, they never could have imagined who the coach turned out to be.
If there's a takeaway from this episode, it is this: Parents, follow the Goulds' lead and do your due diligence before hiring a coach for your child. Talk to your child about proper and improper touch, acceptable behaviors between a child and adult, and what to do if a trusted adult crosses the line. Keep the lines of communication open with your child so that they feel comfortable coming to you if anything seems or is not as it should be. Then, hope against hope that it works and your child never has to experience what Stevie went through from age 11 to almost 16.
For more information and resources, be sure to read the full show notes at https://parentingaces.com/podcasts/when-the-nightmare-is-real-ft-stevie-gould.
*Don’t forget to register for our upcoming Junior Tennis Player & Parent Virtual Conference on June 9th! Link: https://juniortennisconference.eventbrite.com*
If you’re so inclined, please share this – and all our episodes! – with your fellow tennis players, parents, and coaches. You can subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts or via your favorite podcast app. Please be sure to check out our logo’d merch as well as our a la carte personal consultations in our online shop.
CREDITS
Intro & Outro Music: Morgan Stone aka STØNE
Audio & Video Editing: Lisa Stone
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome to Season 13, Episode 20, of the ParentingAces Podcast, a proud member of the Tennis Channel Podcast Network. This week, Lisa is joined by KT Tape's head of product, Kade Applegate.
*Disclaimer: ParentingAces is providing this podcast as a public service. Reference to any specific product, service, or entity does not constitute an endorsement or recommendation by ParentingAces, Lisa Stone, or Fit For 2, Inc. The views expressed by guests are their own and their appearance on the program is not and does not imply an endorsement of them or any entity they represent. Always do your own due diligence before purchasing, hiring, or using any product, service, or provider.
Become a Premium Member - click here to join
Lisa did an earlier podcast with KT Tape in 2023 (click https://parentingaces.com/articles/how-to-use-kinesio-tape-to-prevent-treat-injury-ft-zach-decker/ for that episode), but, as always, the company continues to innovate and create new products that should be of interest to the ParentingAces community.
In this latest episode, Kade shares the new Pro Ice line of products that include menthol to cool and provide pain relief to injured areas. If you watch the video version, you will see Kade actually demonstrate how to correctly apply KT Tape for maximum support.
KT Tape has, once again, graciously offered a nice discount to our audience on its Ice Family of Products which includes the new tape, ice sleeve, magnesium cremes, and hot/cold massage ball. Simply use the discount code ACE-PODCAST for 30% off any KT products listed at https://www.kttape.com/collections/kt-ice-family-of-products.
Don't forget to register for our upcoming Junior Tennis Player & Parent Virtual Conference on June 9th! Link: https://juniortennisconference.eventbrite.com
If you’re so inclined, please share this – and all our episodes! – with your fellow tennis players, parents, and coaches. You can subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts or via your favorite podcast app. If you haven’t already, be sure to become a Member of ParentingAces by visiting https://parentingaces.com/membership-join. And check out our logo’d merch as well as our a la carte personal consultations in our online shop (Premium Members received FREE SHIPPING every day!). To support ParentingAces' work with a financial donation of any size via PayPal, click here.
CREDITS
Intro & Outro Music: Morgan Stone aka STØNE
Audio & Video Editing: Lisa Stone
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome to Season 13, Episode 19, of the ParentingAces Podcast, a proud member of the Tennis Channel Podcast Network. This week brings our next episode with coaches who are part of CoachLife, a new platform for tennis coaching knowledge.
Todd Larkham, who coached Nick Kyrgios for over 10,000 hours, shares his coaching philosophy and key strategies that shaped Nick’s career, emphasizing the blend of talent, coaching, and training environment needed for success. With a career spanning 18 Grand Slams and a high rank of 136, Todd’s instructional content on CoachLife, including forehand techniques and a top-tier kick serve video, offers invaluable insights to enhance your tennis skills.
Explore over 330 videos tailored for parents, coaches, and players on CoachLife.com—the premier online resource for tennis coaching knowledge. Our extensive library covers tennis-specific sports psychology, nutrition, footwork, coaching and parenting advice, detailed shot progressions, and insights into the training regimens of top players during their junior years. Learn from coaches who have shaped the careers of tennis legends such as Swiatek, Gauff, Tiafoe, Kyrgios, Fritz, Sampras, Jack Draper, Sharapova, Pegula, Tommy Paul, Roddick, Davenport, Rafter, Nishikori, Kevin Anderson, Mardy Fish, Guillermo Coria, Fernando Gonzalez, and Reilly Opelka at various stages of their development. Additionally, benefit from a comprehensive strength and conditioning program designed to improve various performance areas.
Listeners can now take advantage of a 7-day free trial by visiting CoachLife.com. Plus, get an exclusive discount when you click the link in our show notes. Learn directly from the legendary junior coaches behind the world's top pros and elevate your game with CoachLife. Start your journey to tennis excellence today!
Affiliate link: https://coachlife.com/?ref=TODDPA
Discount code: ToddPA
The discount code gives 5% off the 1st year's subscription - click on the affiliate link and enter the code during checkout.
If you’re so inclined, please share this – and all our episodes! – with your fellow tennis players, parents, and coaches. You can subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts or via your favorite podcast app. If you haven’t already, be sure to become a Member of ParentingAces by visiting https://parentingaces.com/membership-join. And check out our logo’d merch as well as our a la carte personal consultations in our online shop (Premium Members received FREE SHIPPING every day!). To support ParentingAces' work with a financial donation of any size via PayPal, click here.
CREDITS
Intro & Outro Music: Morgan Stone aka STØNE
Audio & Video Editing: Lisa Stone
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome to Season 13, Episode 18, of the ParentingAces Podcast, a proud member of the Tennis Channel Podcast Network. This week we take a deep dive into parenting and coaching and playing with juniors who learn differently.
*Disclaimer: ParentingAces is providing this podcast as a public service. Reference to any specific product, service, or entity does not constitute an endorsement or recommendation by ParentingAces, Lisa Stone, or Fit For 2, Inc. The views expressed by guests are their own and their appearance on the program is not and does not imply an endorsement of them or any entity they represent. Always do your own due diligence before purchasing, hiring, or using any product, service, or provider.
Become a Premium Member - click here to join
Lisa Pugliese-LaCroix is a former top junior and college player who tried her hand on the WTA tour before finding her passion working as a Speech-Language Pathologist. She now combines that passion with her love of tennis as the founder of Love Serving Autism, a non-profit organization dedicated to offering racquet sports to all children and adults regardless of their learning style.
In 2023, the CDC reported that approximately 1 in 36 children in the U.S. is diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD), according to 2018 data with a 4 to 1 higher prevalence in boys. This means the likelihood of a neurotypical junior facing a neurodivergent junior in a tennis learning and/or tournament environment is pretty high. With that in mind, the two Lisas discuss best practices for coaching and playing with junior players who may have some type of learning challenge, including being on the autism spectrum, ADHD, or ADD.
Love Serving Autism also works with junior tennis coaches to help them develop tools to better work with neurodivergent athletes. As you will hear, Lisa is committed to helping coaches, tournament directors, parents, and players have a more positive experience on and off the court.
You can find out more about Love Serving Autism and Lisa's work on their website at https://loveservingautism.org/. You can also reach out to Lisa directly via email at lisa@loveservingautism.org. To follow them on social media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/loveservingautism/
X: https://twitter.com/LSAAutismTennis
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/LoveServingAutism/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UChCbBSSTmL1vEjlyplBFI2g
If you’re so inclined, please share this – and all our episodes! – with your fellow tennis players, parents, and coaches. You can subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts or via your favorite podcast app. If you haven’t already, be sure to become a Member of ParentingAces by visiting https://parentingaces.com/membership-join. And check out our logo’d merch as well as our a la carte personal consultations in our online shop (Premium Members received FREE SHIPPING every day!). To support ParentingAces' work with a financial donation of any size via PayPal, click here.
CREDITS
Intro & Outro Music: Morgan Stone aka STØNE
Audio & Video Editing: Lisa Stone
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome to Season 13, Episode 17, of the ParentingAces Podcast, a proud member of the Tennis Channel Podcast Network. This week brings the first of many episodes with coaches who are part of CoachLife, a new platform for tennis coaching knowledge.
Diego Moyano, a renowned developmental coach for tennis stars like Tommy Paul, Reilly Opelka, Frances Tiafoe, and Taylor Fritz, has shaped top talents including Coco Gauff and Kevin Anderson, blending rigorous South American footwork with insights from French and US tennis. His extensive experience is showcased in CoachLife’s video series, offering transformative coaching strategies for developing top juniors globally.
Explore over 330 videos tailored for parents, coaches, and players on CoachLife.com—the premier online resource for tennis coaching knowledge. Our extensive library covers tennis-specific sports psychology, nutrition, footwork, coaching and parenting advice, detailed shot progressions, and insights into the training regimens of top players during their junior years. Learn from coaches who have shaped the careers of tennis legends such as Swiatek, Gauff, Tiafoe, Kyrgios, Fritz, Sampras, Jack Draper, Sharapova, Pegula, Tommy Paul, Roddick, Davenport, Rafter, Nishikori, Kevin Anderson, Mardy Fish, Guillermo Coria, Fernando Gonzalez, and Reilly Opelka at various stages of their development. Additionally, benefit from a comprehensive strength and conditioning program designed to improve various performance areas.
Listeners can now take advantage of a 7-day free trial by visiting CoachLife.com. Plus, get an exclusive discount when you click the link in our show notes. Learn directly from the legendary junior coaches behind the world's top pros and elevate your game with CoachLife. Start your journey to tennis excellence today!
Affiliate link: https://coachlife.com/?ref=DIEGOPA 
Discount code: DiegoPA
The discount code gives 5% off the 1st year's subscription - click on the affiliate link and enter the code during checkout.
If you’re so inclined, please share this – and all our episodes! – with your fellow tennis players, parents, and coaches. You can subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts or via your favorite podcast app. If you haven’t already, be sure to become a Member of ParentingAces by visiting https://parentingaces.com/membership-join. And check out our logo’d merch as well as our a la carte personal consultations in our online shop (Premium Members received FREE SHIPPING every day!). To support ParentingAces' work with a financial donation of any size via PayPal, click here.
CREDITS
Intro & Outro Music: Morgan Stone aka STØNE
Audio & Video Editing: Lisa Stone
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices