Lisa Live from Easter Bowl 2024

Summary

Lisa Stone reports live from the 2024 Easter Bowl at Indian Wells Tennis Garden, interviewing four people on-site: Colette Lewis (Zoo Tennis), Rex Kuhlman (boys 12s player), JY Obone (coach), and Jack Newman (coach from ATA). The episode covers the differences between the ITF at Indian Wells, the ITF in San Diego, and the Easter Bowl; player perspectives on competing at a national tournament; remote coaching logistics; choosing the right coach/facility; and the fluidity of college recruiting timelines. This is a field-reporting episode with rapid-fire interviews.

Guest Background

• Colette Lewis: Founder of Zoo Tennis; self-funded junior tennis journalist; 20+ years covering junior and college tennis; based in Kalamazoo, MI; attends virtually every major junior event
• Rex Kuhlman: Boys 12s player, 3-seed at Easter Bowl; from Florida; homeschooled; coached by JY Obone (remote from Atlanta); uses private hitting sessions, fitness training, stretching classes (Outschool), physio/acupuncture
• JY Obone: Coach based in Atlanta; coaching two boys 12s players at Easter Bowl remotely from their home bases; ParentingAces repeat guest; GPTCA-connected; uses SwingVision for remote match tracking
• Jack Newman: Coach from ATA (Academy); bringing a group of players to Easter Bowl; 27-year coaching veteran; presenting at upcoming ParentingAces virtual conference on college recruiting process

Key Topics

Tournament Landscape Comparison (Colette Lewis)

• ITF at Indian Wells (during BNP Paribas Open): “Junior Slam” atmosphere; live scoring, umpires, Stadium 2 matches; Indian Wells qualifying wild card as incentive; went full international in 2024; highest quality fields
• ITF in San Diego (Barnes): North American closed; smaller, more low-key; some college coaches attend (University of San Diego tournament nearby); good weather but less prestige signage
• Easter Bowl: Brand recognition spanning decades; 12s/14s/16s/18s divisions (USTA event, no longer ITF since 2022); 18s fields weaker since not ITF-eligible; strong SoCal local participation in younger divisions; Alex Mickelson won last ITF Easter Bowl

Colette Lewis on Scouting Young Players

• Identifies players she finds interesting by both game style and behavior
• Prefers Bjorn Borg/Chris Evert school of composure — “stoic is better”
• 12s: Amazing players but lack power to finish points; by 14s, finishing ability becomes necessary
• Watches for emotional regulation growth: some kids who struggled at 12 figure it out by 14s
• “Some are who they are at 10 or 11 and that’s not going to change”

Remote Coaching Model (JY Obone)

• Coaches two 12s players who don’t live in Atlanta — communicates with home coaches regularly
• Players send tournament matches via SwingVision; JY tracks progress remotely
• Tournament week role: “Manager” — warmup, eating schedule, debrief, match strategy (Plan A/B), recovery
• Does not teach new technique at tournaments: “I want to fix it, but I’m not going to change forehands or backhands”
• Manages parent expectations and provides unemotional, unbiased perspective
• Post-loss with 12-year-olds: eat quickly, nap if possible, shortened cooldown for doubles later; bike 15-20 minutes end of day to flush lactic acid

Choosing a Coach/Facility (JY Obone preview for June conference)

• Step 1: Clearly define the child’s goal and how competitive they want to be
• Step 2: Understand what environment best suits the child (big vs. small program, self-discipline level)
• Step 3: Be willing to change — great coaches don’t mesh with every player; “I’m not the best coach for every player”
• Give the child power in decision-making: let them build tournament schedules and practice plans to reveal true motivation
• If child hasn’t asked about a tournament in two months, “you’re getting the answers”

College Recruiting (Jack Newman)

• Presenting at ParentingAces virtual conference June 9 with Billy Pate on recruiting process
• ATA sending players to Vanderbilt, Trinity (CT), Colorado College, and others
• Some players still in regular decision process in late March — “don’t give up hope”
• Transfer portal still adds fluidity; gap years are a legitimate option
• “No one who’s gone to school at 19 has done worse than someone who went at 18”
• College recruiting process is individual — some know early, others go through regular decision

Tournament Logistics (Jack Newman)

• Manages multiple players across different age divisions with staggered starts
• ATA rents Airbnb across the street from venue to save time on meals/logistics
• Non-primary coaches at tournaments update primary coaches back home after matches
• This year’s Easter Bowl has many sites beyond Indian Wells Tennis Garden proper

Rex Kuhlman’s Daily Routine (12-year-old national-level player)

• Morning hitting session + fitness (30 min after)
• Lunch (Panera: pasta, chicken, soup)
• Afternoon hitting session
• Stretching classes via Outschool (Wednesdays and Fridays)
• Physio/acupuncture or prescribed stretches
• Homeschool during lunch and mornings/afternoons as needed
• Doubles: views it as “another opportunity to work on singles”
• Motivational system with JY: flat forehands = $5 each toward molten lava cake

Actionable Advice for Families

1. National tournaments like Easter Bowl are accessible to players beyond the elite tier — 12s and 14s divisions welcome developing players
2. Remote coaching can work effectively if the remote coach and home coaches communicate and share match video (SwingVision)
3. At tournaments, coaches should be managers: schedule meals, naps, warmups, and cooldowns; don’t try to fix technique mid-tournament
4. College recruiting is fluid through April and beyond; gap years are viable; don’t panic if unsigned by March
5. When choosing a coach: define goals first, match environment to child’s personality, be willing to change if fit isn’t right
6. Give children agency in scheduling tournaments and practice — their engagement level reveals their true motivation
7. Post-match recovery for young players: eat fast, nap if possible, bike/flush lactic acid at end of day

INTENNSE Relevance

• Zoo Tennis / Colette Lewis: Key media figure in junior tennis; self-funded model represents the grassroots media landscape that ParentingAces also occupies — both potential partners or reference sources for INTENNSE content
• JY Obone: GPTCA-connected coach using SwingVision for remote player tracking; represents the distributed coaching model becoming more common
• Easter Bowl brand value: The tournament’s multi-decade brand and Indian Wells setting make it a benchmark junior event; USTA event structure (12s/14s/16s/18s vs ITF all-ages) affects field strength
• Conference pipeline: ParentingAces virtual conference June 9 with JY Obone and Jack Newman/Billy Pate presenting — ParentingAces monetizing content community via events
• College recruiting fluidity: Jack Newman’s insight about late-stage recruiting, transfer portal, and gap years is valuable family navigation content

Notable Quotes

“The benefit for me is that they’re not my kids. So I’m a little bit more emotionally detached from it. I can provide an unemotional response that is unbiased, simply about what’s best for the player.” — JY Obone on coaching other people’s children

“I’m not going to change forehands or backhands. It’s hard for me because I want to fix it, but I’m not going to.” — JY Obone on not teaching new technique during tournaments

“No one who’s gone to school at 19 has done worse than someone who went at 18.” — Jack Newman on gap years as a viable option for college-bound tennis players