Has anyone had any experience with the Johan Kriek tennis academy either while it was located in Bradenton or where it is currently in Roanke, VA. The reason I am asking is that I have recently learned that he will be moving his academy soon to a new location that happens to be very close to where we live and I am considering having my daughter attend. Besides his strong crendentials, I really have not heard much about his program, teaching style or how well he works with juniors etc.
Johan Kriek tennis academy
- Thread starter INTO10s
- Start date
thepastord
New User
I would be concerned that he moves around that much......... He was actually at another gig in Sarasota, then he split off. Guess that didn't last long! Stability is a important thing to consider, imho.
slice bh compliment
G.O.A.T.
I liked him in the early 80s as a player. Used that Rossignol like a boss.
I especially liked the Radiohead song about him in the early/mid-90s. I think it was their first 'hit' single ... from Pablo Honey.
I especially liked the Radiohead song about him in the early/mid-90s. I think it was their first 'hit' single ... from Pablo Honey.
Nuke
Hall of Fame
An newspaper article last week says Kriek's new academy will be opening in Charlotte NC:
http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2012/03/11/3088514/tennis-star-kriek-plans-academy.html
http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2012/03/11/3088514/tennis-star-kriek-plans-academy.html
Be very careful. I worked at the same club in Sarasota-Lakewood Ranch as Johan a few years back. Mediocre coach at best for the money.....not a bad coach, just nothing special that warrants the cost. You pay for his name because he won Slams decades ago.
He also gets into it with management and hits the road to the next locale. He has moved from Longboat Key then Sarasota then to VA then to Charlotte....all in the last 5 years.
You can do better, more stable coaches, less money. He actually bonds well with the kids, but leaves them heartbroken for the next place quite soon. He is smart, goes to Roanoke, now Charlotte.....not a lot of big name competition so parents will shell out for his name.
He also gets into it with management and hits the road to the next locale. He has moved from Longboat Key then Sarasota then to VA then to Charlotte....all in the last 5 years.
You can do better, more stable coaches, less money. He actually bonds well with the kids, but leaves them heartbroken for the next place quite soon. He is smart, goes to Roanoke, now Charlotte.....not a lot of big name competition so parents will shell out for his name.
Last edited:
chalkflewup
Hall of Fame
Kriek is one of the good guys in our sport and he truly loves tennis. If you're creative, I'm sure you can work out some options on the fees.
I wouldn't get caught up in stability, longevity, etc... I would encourage parents to do some heartbreaking too and move around every year or so just to hear another voice. IMHO, stability/loyalty in a coach prevented James Blake from winning a Slam.
I wouldn't get caught up in stability, longevity, etc... I would encourage parents to do some heartbreaking too and move around every year or so just to hear another voice. IMHO, stability/loyalty in a coach prevented James Blake from winning a Slam.
Okay, I quit....for good.
I have no idea why I bothered coming back to the forum. No matter what is posted, even with first hand information, posters just disagree with every single point in every single post. You can have 100000 pieces of documentation, know things personally from working first hand with people......does not matter...posters on here will simply say the opposite. Its just a waste of time.
This forum is a cesspool of misinformation and terrible technical advice.
Enjoy your tennis folks, good luck to all.
Bye.
I have no idea why I bothered coming back to the forum. No matter what is posted, even with first hand information, posters just disagree with every single point in every single post. You can have 100000 pieces of documentation, know things personally from working first hand with people......does not matter...posters on here will simply say the opposite. Its just a waste of time.
This forum is a cesspool of misinformation and terrible technical advice.
Enjoy your tennis folks, good luck to all.
Bye.
You're taking this way to personally. I agree about the terrible technical advice.
Don't let it bother you. Post what you know and if it helps one person great.
tennisconsultcom
Rookie
CoachDad. It would be unfair if you leave, but less qualified people stay and continue to advise for users, who NEED advice from real professionals. I always see the same situation on Russian tennis forums, where I have been writing for four years. It is a common thing for all tennis forums.
I would like to invite you to post on my blog if you are OK with that.
tennisconsultcom
Rookie
Can you give an example with top players who changed coaches every year in their junior tennis player career?
There is the most strange advice for junior tennis players, I have ever heard.
Bash and Crash
Semi-Pro
Almost every student I've had that needed to check out a "new" coach or academy has come back, sadly with a worse game and strokes then before leaving. Lately, I've said sorry you are S.O.L. find someone else. Parents never want their pro to leave for a better opportunity, but have no problem shopping their kid to other pro's, frustrating part of the biz.
chalkflewup
Hall of Fame
I think it's always wise to get another opinion. I had a coach that was so upset with me when I took my kid to another coach for a volley lesson. I liked him but there was no coming back after that and I decided to move on.
We went through 5 coaches in 7 years and sometimes it was my choice and in other instances the coach moved on. Each coach brought some value and collectively they all contributed to my kid becoming a better tennis player and person.
We went through 5 coaches in 7 years and sometimes it was my choice and in other instances the coach moved on. Each coach brought some value and collectively they all contributed to my kid becoming a better tennis player and person.
chalkflewup
Hall of Fame
Good luck to you as well Coach.
I'm sorry you feel that way, however; the general nature of forums is to share opinions and experiences. People can discard and ignore information if they choose...that's the beauty of this forum.
You offered some input regarding Kriek and I chimed in as I have experience with Kriek too. That doesn't make either of us right or wrong - it's just more information for the poster to process. Kriek may be the best option in the area for the poster, so why not check him out?
In my opinion, the "cesspool" comment was an unnecessary condescending shot. I guess if I felt that way, I'd leave the forum too.
All the best to you and your daughter in maximizing her tennis.
Since my initial post, I have talked to many others that have either worked or trained with Kriek and they all have nothing but positive things to say about him and his coaching, both technically and personally. In regards to the moving around, it was necessary for a variety of reasons, some personal but mostly related to some friction with management. In fact, several of his students will be following him down to Charlotte to continue training with him year round.
He will begin his academy with a Summer program in June and then continue on the remainder of the year with an after school program (2.5 hrs of tennis, 1 hr fitness). For the first year he is only accepting 16 players. My daughter will be one of those players and and yes we did work things out with him and the cost will be significantly less then what he is advertising. I was a competitive tennis player in my day and my daughter has been trained by several top coaches, including Solomon and based on what I have heard and seen, Kriek will most definitely be a good thing for us. We have always needed to go elsewhere for training because Charlotte just does not have anyone worthwhile long term, but now, thankfully, we do.
He will begin his academy with a Summer program in June and then continue on the remainder of the year with an after school program (2.5 hrs of tennis, 1 hr fitness). For the first year he is only accepting 16 players. My daughter will be one of those players and and yes we did work things out with him and the cost will be significantly less then what he is advertising. I was a competitive tennis player in my day and my daughter has been trained by several top coaches, including Solomon and based on what I have heard and seen, Kriek will most definitely be a good thing for us. We have always needed to go elsewhere for training because Charlotte just does not have anyone worthwhile long term, but now, thankfully, we do.
CoachDad, it is not good for this forum without you. I have learned a lot from your posts, especially those technical notes on what to work on for my two daughters. it has been 7 years.
Forum is a market place with different quality products, it is up to the buyer's taste to pick up the right one. It is sad, but that is how it goes. Just remember this, Jesus was killed by dumb people. his followers watched.
I hope to see you again. i really wish to talk to you in person by phone or when we meet, my email is love2tennis at gmail.com.
CoachDad made some bitter and jealous comments about another coach, who did not even post here. Even if they were true, they should have been worded much better. Simply hiding behind "this is the truth according to me" while handing out career-crushing and demeaning opinions in public about another professional who did not even post here is just being mean, not truthful.
His comments about other things are another matter and I like them.
His comments about other things are another matter and I like them.
chalkflewup
Hall of Fame
Like so many others here have said, there's not just one way. And I agree it's non-traditional, however; it's been extremely effective for us between age 8-12.
It's been my experience that the primary coach does not want other coaches involved and that makes sense to me too. But moving around exposed us to different philosophies and allowed my son to find a style that suits his personality and further refine his game.
Misterbill
Semi-Pro
And now this forum is a place where an example is set for juniors that if people disagree with someone or there is some adversity for someone..............the adult response is to announce that you are quitting.
I hope you will not let this be your legacy.
MarTennis
Semi-Pro
tennisdad65
Hall of Fame
I agree. It is perfectly fine for a parent/kid to post a comment about a coach. However, another coach's comments can be construed as a conflict of interest, or jealousy, or just being a bitter coworker (since they worked together at the same club).
He is known for his criticism of established coaches, without revealing his own identity. He has done this many times before, but usually he disagreed with the methodology (though there was always a personal element), but in this case he went way overboard questioning this guy's career choices, ascribing motives to his move, and so on - just a complete character assassination which is the bread and butter of politics.
Re: comments from parents, I am not as broad-minded as you. I have my own reservations about yelp.com, but I think they require identification before posting and have algorithms to detect anamolies. I really don't trust some parents to provide truthful comments about their kids, be it with regard to coaches or school teachers.
I think I am going to ask mods to remove his post.
slice bh compliment
G.O.A.T.
Hhah, on one hand, everyone goes through it. CoachDad is a good guy with some unfortunately thin skin. I like him and wish he'd return to share his knowledge and his perspective Wish we had more folks like him: nice, smart people who are willing to share good, solid information. But I also recall that he had a bit of an ego (he felt this forum was covered between him and another poster with their complimentary skill sets). I am sure that lack of humility makes him successful in business and in tennis, but I am guessing it rubbed some folks the wrong way here.
I wish him well and hope he returns as a guy who can take a punch...and take a joke here and there.
I agree. That is strange advice.
Misterbill
Semi-Pro
I think the decision to move to a new coach should be based on how well the current coach is meeting objectives and milestones.............not on the calendar.
If the current coach is not achieving predetermined goals in the predetermined time frame......y'all are agreeing to these before you hire a coach, right?..........then I would have no hesitation to move on regardless of how much arbitrary time has passed on the calendar.
Why would anyone want to stick with a coach who isn't meeting expectations........unless there are not a lot of coaches in a particular area and kids are stuck.
Last edited:
chalkflewup
Hall of Fame
MisterBill,
Point well taken on the calendar. And the decision to move around wasn't so much calendar driven but it did happen every 12-15 months and usually revolved around development expectations, instinct and not ranking results. Breaking up is hard to do but sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do.
Misterbill
Semi-Pro
I was agreeing with your first post.....shoulda made that more clear....and concur now as well!
CitationJet
Rookie
Seems to me TennisCoachFL, er CoachDad or whoever he is has quite a bit in common with Johan Kriek. Something just doesn't work or something isn't quite liked and off he goes...
As a DadToAJuniorPlayer, I personally have enjoyed reading all the differing opinions put forth on this board by each and every poster who has taken the time out to express their views; and I'm able to balance each opinion out to sort the good from the bad without getting bent out of shape at one or the other. I think he'll be back soon enough as CoachToMyDaughter or CoachWhoWillNotStandForDifferingOpinions or something, with the same argumentative attitude as before, because guys like this they just can't stand being away from a place where they can blow hard...
As a DadToAJuniorPlayer, I personally have enjoyed reading all the differing opinions put forth on this board by each and every poster who has taken the time out to express their views; and I'm able to balance each opinion out to sort the good from the bad without getting bent out of shape at one or the other. I think he'll be back soon enough as CoachToMyDaughter or CoachWhoWillNotStandForDifferingOpinions or something, with the same argumentative attitude as before, because guys like this they just can't stand being away from a place where they can blow hard...
If everyone had the EXACT SAME OPINION, there would be nothing to discuss or share on this board.
I enjoy someone having a different opinion, as long as they can back it up with evidence, facts and/or personal stories of their own kids.
Chalkflewup's son has had quite a few coaches over the years, and it works for him.
I find that surprising, but he has the personal evidence in his son.....
Now, if the conversation had not been sidetracked by you quitting,
I would have mentioned Jack Sock or Ronnie Schneider having the same coach for many years and how these kids turned into phenomenal juniors.
Then, I would have mentioned the revolving door at the USTA for the kids who left their longstanding coaches, and we would have been off in another direction....
TCF, your the dad of a young girl, granted she is a superstar tennis kid,
but some of the parents here have older kids ( daughters) who will be able to give you good advice too in the future...
Besides, it is more fun when you are on board.
chalkflewup
Hall of Fame
Completely agree with you Tennis about TCF. And I certainly had no intention of running anyone off.
Why Do Junior Change Coaches So Often?
Here is the link to an article written by Steve Smith "Why Do Juniors Change Coaches So Often?"
Intersting read on the article and several comments... ENJOY!
http://thetennismom.com/2011/02/why-do-juniors-switch-coaches-so-often/comment-page-1/#comment-1055
P.S. The Tennis Mom Blog is not mine!
Here is the link to an article written by Steve Smith "Why Do Juniors Change Coaches So Often?"
Intersting read on the article and several comments... ENJOY!
http://thetennismom.com/2011/02/why-do-juniors-switch-coaches-so-often/comment-page-1/#comment-1055
P.S. The Tennis Mom Blog is not mine!
Last edited:
chalkflewup
Hall of Fame
Thanks for the link. Great article packed with lessons and several interesting comments from parents and other coaches too.
I think loyalty to a coach is very important.My daughters coach calls me constantly when shes in a tournament to find out how shes doing and that means alot to me and my daughter.I also coach kids and put all my heart and soul in each kid i work with.I know it hurts as a coach to put so much time and energy in a kid and they end up going to another coach.Parents sometimes have unreal expectations about their kids and think that the reason their kid is losing is because their kids coach isnt doing a good job.I know their are alot of coaches who are all about the money and arent really qualified.If thats the case then a parent should look elsewhere.I just think that if you find a good coach stick with him or her.I felt terrible last year because i took my daughter to go train with Rick Macci during the summer.I felt like i was cheating on somebody.I told my daughter never ever tell her coach we went to work out with Rick.I know what i did wasnt being loyal to her coach and i wont do it again.Coaches take pride in their work and its a slap in the face when you take them somewhere else.I just belive loyalty to your childs coach is very important.I coach my daughter as well but for me i think it works out well if she looks at me as daddy and not her coach.When she and i work out i try to make it fun and try not to say too much.Her coach can fuss at her and make her run sprints and push her in ways that i think are not healty in our parent child relationship.I think that parents can be one of the main reasons kids quit tennis.Its tough for a 10 year old little girl to play tennis and train for 2 hours a day when all of her friend are riding bikes past the court or swimming in the pool next to the courts.Tennis is a lonely sport and i think as a parent you should try to make it as much fun as possible and find ways to make them love the sport.
HIGH-TECH TENNIS
Rookie
We've seen so much "stuff" over the years and completely agree with every single word, GA Tennis!!!
The loyalty should be two ways, good coaches always have many students. Losing one does not really matter. It is hard to get loyalty from them, in return, it is hard to give your loyalty to them. Secondly, what is loyalty from tennis coach? more time for your own kids? same time it means more money out of your pockets. The only coaches I would give my loyalty to are the one who tie his reputation to my daughters' tennis performance.
as a parent, you have to study as much as you can to understand what is going on, you do not have to be a great coach, but you have to be a great pair of eyes to choose coach. I have seen for years talents and money were wasted due to parent's ignorance, those parents chose the coach physically looks like tennis player with a good "customer service" mouth. When the parents realized what mistake they made, most of times it is too late.
Tennishacker
Professional
For those with money, use several coaches, each specializing in different parts of the game.
We could only afford two coaches, (two lessons per week) one for serve and volleys, the other for ground strokes and footwork.
We could only afford two coaches, (two lessons per week) one for serve and volleys, the other for ground strokes and footwork.
Maybe we are just lucky.
Last edited:
I guess we are just lucky.EVERY kid at my daughters academy means alot to their coach.He treats his top nationally ranked players the same as he does his lower level kids.To say losing one doesnt matter is totally wrong.A good coach doesnt just teach tennis they help teach the kid about so much more.I have been around tennis for 30 plus years.I was a top ranked junior and was ranked top 15 in the country in college tennis.I worked for Nick B for 3 years so i know what a good coach is.A good coach doesnt tie himself to a students tennis performance a good coach ties himself to how a kid turns out as a young adult.A good coach truely cares about his or her students in many more ways than just forehands and backhands.
GAtennis, I agree with you 100%. When my 12 yo daughter went down last Summer to Florida to train with Harold Solomon, we let her local coach know. I did not want to deal with having to hide it from him and create some unnecessary friction. My daughter was going down to FL anyway to spend time with both grandparents and while their I wanted her to continue with her tennis and so we got her in with Solomon which happens to be a friend of my father. Anyway, her local coach saw it as a positive thing and even requested that we take some video's so he can see what he was working on with her so he can build off what she had learned.
Unfortunately, that coach left the academy last year and I ended up being her main coach since we really have no strong academies in the charlotte area until now with Kriek. Its tough being her full time coach, we tend to argue more, she takes more water breaks, shes seems less focused and shows less intensity. Of course, if I ask her, she will say and feel that she is working hard and giving it her all. But the fact is that she is not. I guess unconsciously she knows she can get away with more with me and not have to prove herself to me as much. On the one hand you want her to practice hard, but on the other hand you still want to keep it fun and have her not hate having to practice with me or being around you off the court. It seems to take me twice as long to accomplish what someone else can do in half the time. Not to say that we don”t have good practices it just takes a lot more out of each of us to do so. I much rather be the dad which chimes in as needed to keep her motivated, interested and support her along the way. As you mentioned, tennis is a very tough sport, mentally, physically and emotionally. It takes a lot of time and dedication. And you need someone around to support and guide you and to keep it fun which is difficult to do if your always telling her what to do as her coach. I am looking forward to passing on the batton on to Kriek this coming Summer.
Unfortunately, that coach left the academy last year and I ended up being her main coach since we really have no strong academies in the charlotte area until now with Kriek. Its tough being her full time coach, we tend to argue more, she takes more water breaks, shes seems less focused and shows less intensity. Of course, if I ask her, she will say and feel that she is working hard and giving it her all. But the fact is that she is not. I guess unconsciously she knows she can get away with more with me and not have to prove herself to me as much. On the one hand you want her to practice hard, but on the other hand you still want to keep it fun and have her not hate having to practice with me or being around you off the court. It seems to take me twice as long to accomplish what someone else can do in half the time. Not to say that we don”t have good practices it just takes a lot more out of each of us to do so. I much rather be the dad which chimes in as needed to keep her motivated, interested and support her along the way. As you mentioned, tennis is a very tough sport, mentally, physically and emotionally. It takes a lot of time and dedication. And you need someone around to support and guide you and to keep it fun which is difficult to do if your always telling her what to do as her coach. I am looking forward to passing on the batton on to Kriek this coming Summer.
Good luck with everything.I think you guys are lucky to have someone like that coming to your area.It will definitely give a big boost to tennis in charlotte.Are you guys coming to Hilton Head next week for the Bullfrog?
TennisFan2Day
Rookie
One thing I will tell you is that you and your daughter should have thick skin. Johan is a great guy but he will yell at her if she doesn't listen, and when I say yell, I mean yell. His pet peeve is picking up balls, he wants it done fast. I like his style of coaching but it isn't for everybody. The best part is what happens on the court stays on the court. I saw him yell at a parent and as soon as the lesson was over he came over and hugged her and told her that she pays him for the hour to talk to her daughter. I respect that.
GAteennis, its been tough this year with me being the coach. We basically practice after my work and it was not always productive. My daughter was on several team sports at school this past year (tennis, volleybal, soccerl and track) and then after her practices we would meet to practice for 1.5- 2hrs. It was tough to keep a regular training schedule and to maintain some continuity in her training. One or both of us would be tired and short on temper We traveled a lot to many bullfrogs, southern closed and some of the national tournaments this past year.. this was her match play. Well, my wife and I were recently going over our tennis budget and we ended up spending about $9000 last year on tourn,. fees, food, hotels etc. So to answer your question, no we will not be at Hilton Head this year. We are going to cut back some and be a little more selective, especially now that she will be training with Kriek and also because she will be aging up to the 14s in August. Plus that will eat up some into our funds, but I strongly believe it will be worth it. Probably the next big tournament we plan on going to is the state qualifier and the Southern Closed in June. Perhaps we will cross paths someday soon. I always enjoy having my daughter play the Georgia girls, you can count on them to always be strong competitors.
It's great that you and GaTennis decided to pass the barton to the coaches. Kids know parents love them UNCONDiTIONALLY so being their primary coaches (especially for daughters) cannot be easy!
Good Luck with your daughters and have fun watching their lessons and their tennis games grow : )
tennisdad65
Hall of Fame
WOW
My 9 yr old son plays 4-5 times a week, but no tournaments or traveling, and I coach him. I think we spend less than $1000 per year. He does tennis summer camps, but during the summer he has to be at some camp anyways. If it was ~$9000 a year, I would rather put him in for golf
.Since you work for Nick B, do you think Mr. B give same priority to shishkina and Mia Smith? It is a business, the coach has his own priorities. if he does not tie his reputation to your kids, your kid is not his top priority.
Good coach should not only coach technically. should coach mental, physical as well. But what matter is why you send your kid to specific coach. If you send your kid for improving basic mechanics, but "forehands and backhands" did not improve, maybe he/she learn some other super good things, do you think that coach is good?
Good luck with your kid. just share my 2 cents. I have learned a lot from this forum.
