Today on the Tennis fitness podcast we welcome Brian Parkkonen. Brian and I dive into the art of coaching. We discussed the finer points of what makes up a great coach and the importance of building a strong and healthy relationship with one’s players, in order to help them achieve their fullest potential. Brian, who joined the PTR staff in May 2014, has had a series of promotions during his tenure. Prior to his new post as COO, Parkkonen served as Director of Education, where he was responsible for the direction and content of the organization’s four education pathways to certification, as well as Level 3 Specialist and Master of Tennis programs. In addition, he developed new courses and opportunities, including PTR’s Education Dashboard that provides hundreds of hours of free online video presentations, and was a key player in the evolution of the PTR Coach App. Brian started at PTR as Director of Development where he oversaw the delivery of PTR education and managed scores of clinicians across the United States. Before leading the clinicians, he was one himself. Brian’s evolution in the organization began long before he joined the staff. Coincidentally, he started his career as Head Pro and Director of College Placement at the Van der Meer World Class Academy (Dennis Van der Meer founded PTR), before going on to serve as director of some of the largest public and private clubs in the country.
