Ep 16: How to Succeed as a Tennis Parent? Interview of Hernan Chousa, former ATP player, Author and Expert on Sport Parenting

The Players' Lounge (Tennis Podcast)

How often do we hear stories about the so-called “crazy tennis parents”? A lot. But how often do we discuss the struggles tennis parents encounter or the tips and tools they can use to help their children reach their full potential? Not so much. In this episode of The Players’ Lounge, my guest Hernan Chousa shares his expertise on this topic.
Hernan Chousa is an author and public speaker. He lives in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and runs a zinc flake coating business.He is a former top 300 ATP tennis player and willing to share his youth sports parenting experiences from both sides of the coin. He was gracious to share his wisdom for The Players’ Lounge podcast right before the release of his 4th book called Parentshift: The Skills You Need To Become a Tennis Parent. He published My Son the Tennis Player and How to Help Your Kid Succeed in Sports. He also published Unplugged, his first novel, where he could fuse two passions: music and writing. tHe is married to Marianne with two sons: Julian and Sebastian.

During this candid conversation with Hernan, we discussed several themes:

1. Hernan’s tennis career and his relationship with his parents while he was on tour and why he retired at only 21: from 2’08 to 13’16
2. His transition from being a tennis player to becoming a “tennis parent”: from 13’16 to 16’34
3. How to pick a tennis coach for your kids and how to help them build their mindset off the court: from 16’35 to 23’18
4. The 5 most common mistakes tennis parents make: Hernan shares his own experience with his son Julian: from 23’19 to 28’35
5. How to keep the family dynamic healthy when you are a tennis parent and what to do if your child wants to quit tennis: from 28’36 to 35’54
6. How can young tennis players find balance between and develop their identity outside the game and engage in other activities: from 35’55 to 39’39
7. How is the covid situation benefiting the young tennis players on tour: from 39’40 to 44’40
8. The financial aspect: how to build a solid financial strategy to fund your children’s tennis career: from 44’41 to 47’08
9. How to remain humble when your child is having good results, the importance of mentoring: from 47’09 to 53’27
10. Closing remarks: final tips for tennis parents: from 53’28 to end

If you would like to get in touch with Hernan Chousa, you can find him on LinkedIn and learn more about sports parenting by purchasing his latest book Parentshift: The Skills You Need To Become a Tennis Parent on Amazon.
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