#107: Winning Words: Chapter 3 – Building Trust And Connection

🎧 Episode 3 of Winning Words – The Audiobook Series is now live!

As I’m releasing this episode, I just hit 99 reviews on Goodreads and Amazon combined—and I can’t tell you how proud I am of that. Even more surreal: we just crossed 1,000 copies sold.

When I first published Winning Words, my goal was to maybe reach 500 readers in the first year. Hitting that number in just 2.5 months has been overwhelming in the best way possible. If you’ve read the book and found it valuable – thank you. And if you haven’t left a review yet, I’d be incredibly grateful if you took a moment to do so. Honest reviews help spread the word and make sure the next 1,000 coaches get access to these tools too.

Now – let’s get into Chapter 3: Building Trust and Connection.

✅ How do you earn true buy-in from players?
✅ Why trust isn’t something you demand – it’s something you build.
✅ How to balance connection and professionalism without becoming “just a friend.”
✅ A practical framework for adapting to how your players learn and communicate.

In short: Connection comes before correction. If a player doesn’t trust you, your coaching won’t stick. This chapter will help you deepen the relationship, adapt your message, and communicate in a way that opens the door – not shuts it.

💡 Heads up: You don’t have to wait for each chapter to drop. More and more coaches are taking advantage of the full audiobook version – because, let’s be real, most coaches don’t read books anymore.

I’ve recently become a dad, and I barely have time to sit down with a paperback. If it’s not a podcast or audiobook, I probably don’t get through it. So if you’re like me – jumping between lessons, matches, and long drives – having the full audiobook in your pocket just makes sense.

🎧 Get instant access to the full audiobook for the same price as the paperback ($14.99).
Just email me at adamblicher@gmail.com and I’ll send it over personally.

With all the waiting time we have as coaches – between sets, on the road, during rain delays – Winning Words in audio is a smart investment. You can actually absorb it, and more importantly, apply it. Right there on the court.

🎯 Grab your copy of Winning Words here:
https://tinyurl.com/WinningWordsAB

Thanks again for your support. Let’s keep helping players grow—by becoming the most trusted coach in their corner.

Let me know what stood out to you from this chapter. I’d love to hear your thoughts.

#106: Winning Words: Chapter 2 – Understanding the Person Behind the Player

🎧 Chapter 2 of Winning Words is now live!

📢 Want the full audiobook now? Email me at adamblicher@gmail.com to get access to the entire audiobook for the same price as the paperback ($14.99). Otherwise, new chapters will drop as episodes over the coming months.

In this episode, we dive into Chapter 2:

✅ Beyond the Backhand – Why great coaching starts by understanding the person, not just the player
✅ Personality & Communication – How different types of players tick, and how to adapt your coaching to get through to each of them
✅ Gender, Culture, and Sensitive Topics – How to coach without falling into stereotypes or ignoring what matters most
✅ Tools & Tips – From using personality profiles to spotting key behavioral patterns that impact performance

The truth is: you can’t coach effectively if you don’t know the person you’re coaching. This chapter helps you build deeper understanding, adapt your message, and connect in ways that build trust and boost performance.

You’ll walk away with practical strategies to uncover what drives your players—and how to use that insight to coach more consciously and effectively.

🎯 Grab your copy of Winning Words here:
https://tinyurl.com/WinningWordsAB

I’d love to hear what stands out most to you! 🚀🎾

#105: Winning Words: Chapter 1 – Setting The Foundation for Strong Coaching Relationships

Many of you have been asking for an audiobook version of Winning Words—and now it’s here! 🎧

📢 Want the full audiobook right away? You can get immediate access to the entire audiobook for the same price as the paperback ($14.99) by emailing me at adamblicher@gmail.com. Otherwise, the rest of the book will be released in episodes over the coming months.

In this episode, we dive into Chapter 1:

The Power of Clear Roles & Expectations – Why strong coaching relationships start long before stepping on the tennis court
Avoiding Misalignment – How thorough conversations can prevent misunderstandings between coaches, players, and parents
Making the Right Coaching Decisions – Evaluating whether a player-coach relationship is the right fit

One of the most overlooked aspects of coaching success isn’t just what you teach—but how you communicate expectations and structure relationships.

This chapter breaks down how to establish clear roles, set mutual expectations, and navigate tough decisions—ensuring trust, respect, and alignment from day one.

🎯 Grab a copy of Winning Words here:
https://tinyurl.com/WinningWordsAB

I’d love to hear your thoughts! 🚀🎾

#104: Introduction – Overcomming Communication Hurdles in Tennis Coaching

You Asked for It – Here It Is! 🎙️📖

Many of you have been asking for an audiobook version of Winning Words – and now it’s here! 🎧

📢 Want the full audiobook right away? You can get immediate access to the entire audiobook for the same price as the paperback ($14.99) by emailing me at adamblicher@gmail.com. Otherwise, the rest of the book will be released in episodes over the coming months.

In this episode, you’ll hear:
The initial spark – how Winning Words came to life and why communication became my focus
Overcoming Communication Hurdles – real-life coaching struggles that shaped the book’s prologue
Unlocking the Power of Communication – why mastering the way we speak, listen, and interact elevates coaching effectiveness

If you’ve been curious about the thought process behind Winning Words and how it can help you become a more impactful coach, this episode is for you!

🎯 Grab a copy of Winning Words here:
https://tinyurl.com/WinningWordsAB

I’d love to hear your thoughts! 🚀🎾

#103: Winning Words in 30 Minutes: AI Breaks It Down

In this special episode, I’m diving into something truly fascinating—AI has taken on Winning Words – How to Unlock Potential Through Communication as a Tennis Coach and condensed the entire book into just 30 minutes!

Using Notebook LMN, this AI-generated episode pulls out the most essential lessons from the book’s three key sections—Off-Court, On-Court, and At Tournaments—and the accuracy is mind-blowing.

In this episode, you’ll hear:
✅ How AI breaks down the fundamentals of relationship-building with players
✅ The key takeaways on how to communicate information effectively as a coach
✅ The essential framework for helping players perform at their best in tournaments

If you’re looking for a fast-track guide to the most powerful coaching communication insights, this AI-powered recap is an episode you don’t want to miss!

🎯 Grab a copy of Winning Words here:
https://tinyurl.com/WinningWordsAB

I’d love to hear your thoughts!

#102: Winning Words is Here – Listen to It for Free!

In this special episode, I’m thrilled to share some exciting news with you—I’ve written a book! Winning Words – How to Unlock Potential Through Communication as a Tennis Coach is finally here, and I couldn’t be more excited to tell you all about it.

But that’s not all… 👀

As a special thank you to my loyal listeners and the tennis coaching community, I’m making the entire audiobook version of Winning Words available for free right here on the podcast! 🎧💡

In this episode, I’ll dive into:
✅ Why I wrote Winning Words
✅ How it can help you become a better coach
✅ What you can expect from the audiobook series
✅ How better communication can unlock your players’ full potential

If you’ve been following the podcast and found value in the insights shared over the years, this book is the next step in taking your coaching game to new heights.

🎯 Grab a copy of the paperback here:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DRTK3ZZW?psc=1&smid=A1Y53T3O3Q25L8&ref_=chk_typ_imgToDp

I’d love to hear your thoughts on the book and how it helps you in your coaching journey. Let’s keep learning and growing together! 🙏

How a filled dixie plastic cup can make your players perform better

In 2014, I (Kyle) coached a tennis player based in Miami. As tennis players, we like to have control over everything, but sometimes we can’t. When some players can’t control everything, they tend to become negative and focus on all the bad things. In my research, negativity was one of the seven reasons for failure. In fact, it was number two, behind fear of failure.

The player I (Kyle) was coaching was playing against a very tough opponent who was playing at her home club, with her coaches, family, and friends all there. The club was in a bad part of town, and the courts were not in great shape. Every time my player missed a ball, the opponent’s entourage cheered wildly. The South Florida afternoon was incredibly hot and humid, and it looked like it could pour rain at any minute. My (Kyle) player lost the first set 6-1 and was down 4-2 in the second set when a big rain shower came down, lasting only two minutes but completely wiping out the courts.

During the rain delay, my (Kyle) player came over to me, dragging herself, head down, and complaining about everything that was going wrong. Instead of giving her cliché advice, I (Kyle) told her to go to the igloo cooler, take a plastic Dixie cup, fill it to the top with water, and make two laps around the court without spilling a drop. She looked at me like I (Kyle) was crazy, but she did it.

When she came back out, the courts had dried in no time, and my (Kyle) player filled up the little plastic cup with water, took two laps around, didn’t spill a drop, and went on to win the match. She later told me (Kyle) that she had been so focused on the task at hand that she had forgotten about all the negativity around her.

The moral of the story is that sometimes when we’re in a negative environment and can’t control certain things, we need to focus on the task at hand and keep our nose to the grindstone. As tennis coaches, it’s important to grab our players’ attention and steer it towards something that they can control. Redirecting their attention towards the task at hand can be very effective in helping them overcome negative thoughts and feelings.

Should one aim for work-life balance as a tennis coach?

I have often wondered about this for some time now. Every day, I ask myself if there is a way to achieve success without sacrificing work-life balance. However, in any field, whether it’s being a tennis coach, an athlete, a lawyer, a doctor, or an accountant, you will have to put in long hours and make certain sacrifices to achieve your goals.

Although we live in a social environment where there is a hierarchy, we must prioritize what is valuable to us. There will always be individuals who are better or worse than us at what we do, but if we want to excel, we must make sacrifices, and this inevitably results in an imbalance in our lives.

In my (Kyle) experience, I have not encountered any successful tennis coach with a stable work-life balance. It’s a deal that we make to pursue our passion, and we never seem to get out of it because we love what we do. Even on bad days or long days, there is something that keeps us coming back, like an addiction to the game and the desire to give back to the sport. However, there are coaches who have left the industry due to the heavily influenced service industry and it’s demanding work hours.

As coaches, we are part of the service industry, and it’s essential to make a distinction that we are not in the servant industry. Respect for our time is crucial. We do ourselves a disservice when we undercut our fellow professionals or resort to territorial behavior. Working together and helping each other out is the way to succeed. It’s the little extra effort that sets apart ordinary from extraordinary, and we need to make that extra effort to excel.

There is no right answer to achieving work-life balance, but being a tennis coach is one of the most rewarding and powerful professions. In fact, if you ask 100 people on the street who the most influential person in their life is, they are likely to say a teacher or a coach. The impact we can make is significant and long-lasting. A great coach leaves a legacy that lives on, even if they have struggled with work-life balance. It’s this legacy that makes it all worth it in the end.

Have we as tennis coaches become too soft?

You could certainly make arguments for both sides, but I believe that there was a certain generation of coaches who were more dogmatic in their approach.

While it is necessary for coaches to be strict and stern when it comes to technique, the laws of physics, and the geometry of the court, there are other aspects where you have to loosen the reins a little bit and understand your player’s personality and preferences.

Great coaches, even in the past, were able to understand and read their players better than just a good coach. Adaptability is key in coaching, and while it may have been more acceptable in the past to treat players a certain way based on what was known, now there is more education and information available to make everyone better.

With the world changing and social media allowing anyone to record and share anything they want, there is an opportunity for coaches and players alike to be more well-informed.

Q: Is it possible to be both adaptable and foster an environment in which there are some clear non-negotiables?

As a coach, it’s important to establish clear boundaries and expectations for your players. There’s a certain line that you cannot cross with certain coaches, but it’s important to communicate those standards based on your relationship with each player.

The line can always change, depending on the player and the situation. For example, Phil Jackson did not coach Michael Jordan the same way he coached Dennis Rodman. As a coach, you need to treat everyone fairly, but not necessarily the same way, as everyone is different and on a different journey. You must adapt to each player and their needs, rather than expecting them to adapt to you.

To effectively communicate your expectations, you need crystal clear clarity from the start. Make sure that the player understands where you’re coming from, what you want them to do, and encourage them to be honest and upfront with you as well.

Without that foundation of honesty, you have nothing. Ask the player about their non-negotiables and what they need from you. Understanding their boundaries and expectations will help you provide the best possible service.

At a higher level, like the pro tour, coaches are typically employees of the player, so it’s important to work together and establish a good working relationship. At a club level, coaches are usually in charge, but at the tour level, players have more say. Regardless of the level, the three keys to success are clear communication, adaptability, and honesty. By establishing these from the beginning, you can avoid issues down the line and build a successful relationship with your player.

Get the player to believe the change comes from them

Coaching is based on several factors, including content, method, and coaching quality, rather than just one buzzword or unique theory.

The principles of tennis, such as the geometry of the court and laws of physics, are critical in coaching. What matters most is getting from point A to point B, and how you achieve it doesn’t matter.

Tennis requires a lot of repetition-based activities, which can be challenging for players. Therefore, a coach must tailor their approach to the player’s abilities and strengths. It’s crucial to identify players’ strengths and weaknesses and work with them accordingly.

Coaches need to be adaptable and connect with players on a personal level. Without this connection, there can be no direction.

Therefore, a great coach must understand the player, not only on a technical level, but also personally. A great coach has the ability to get the player to believe that the change is coming from them, rather than the coach. Ultimately, the coach’s ability to adapt and understand the player is crucial to success, as every player is unique and requires a tailored approach.