How did you get interested in tennis?

I was watching tennis on TV when I was 13 and decided to try it. It was a match between Borg and Connors in the Wimbledon finals.

What did your parents think?

They thought I was just having fun and not taking it seriously. Then one day a coach saw me play and he told my parents that he wanted to take me on the road to play. They didn't realize that I was that good.

So you were 14 when you started playing tournaments?

Yes.

And did you ever have a ranking in South Africa?

I was ranked #2 in the 14's.

And then what?

We moved to Australia.

Why did your family move to Australia?

There were better opportunities for tennis and to get away from apartheid.

Once you got to Australia what type of training did you do for tennis and did you play tournaments?

I joined a local club and played. I entered tournaments and found a local guy to coach me. Coach Allsop... he helped me a lot. My ranking was as high as #10 in the 18's in New South Wales. I worked at McDonald's to save money to play tennis.

So how did you end up in the States?

I got offered a tennis scholarship to come and play at Cook County College in Gainesville, TX. When I left junior college I was an All-American for Junior Colleges and ranked #2 in the National Collegiate. I was there for 3 semesters and transferred to Baylor University in Waco, TX.

How long did you play at Baylor?

I played for 2 years. I played #1 singles and finished ranked #30 in the Nation. I was the first to qualify for the NCAA tournament.

So when did you start playing on the ATP tour?

I started in 1985 and played till 1990. My highest ranking was 250 in the world.

When did you start coaching on tour?

In 1992 I started coaching Zina Garrison and Katrina Adams.

Over the years what are some things you have learned about coaching female athletes?

They're more emotional and more sensitive. I think sometimes they work harder in practice and training than the guys. In general guys think higher of themselves while women think lower of themselves and worry more. That causes them to think on the negative side of things. Women want to look good on the court. Physical appearance is important to them.

What injuries have you noticed that come up a lot in female tennis payers?

Shoulder and knee injuries tend to occur the most regardless of gender.

Obviously that's because of serving a lot and running/cutting motions?

Yes, twisting and turning, changing directions, and changing surfaces.

Have you found any exercises to help prevent some of these injuries?

Any good weight-training program is beneficial. Any time you strengthen quads and hamstrings it's good for your knees. Rowing seems to help a lot. The latest trend is players now tend to use bands for training.

How do you prepare your athletes for competition?

I first assess what physical shape they're in. For example, if they need to do more running, or strengthening, or flexibility. Then, I assess the technical part and see what shots they need to work on. Because the physical and the technical take the longest to improve, so I start with those. Then we go into their game plan. Are they a baseliner or serve and volleyer. Then we put a strategy together to maximize their strengths. The biggest part is the last part. You are programming it along the way... their mind. Building their self-belief in their strategy, the game they play, and execution. Nerves and anxiety can test your beliefs. I assess them mentally.

How about nutritionally? How do you prepare them?

The biggest thing is they need to have a lot of carbs. Grains, whole wheat bread. The meals are never too heavy... a lot of salads, pasta, and fruit. Not a whole lot of meat. Of course drink a lot of water.

What do you think is the best thing to drink/eat during a match?

A mixture of orange juice and water or a mixture of Gatorade and water. It's important to put back the water you lose. 1/3 of Gatorade to 2/3 water or 1/3 juice to 2/3 water. You want to add minerals and sugar which Gatorade and juice give you.

What types of workouts do you have your players do either off the court or on the court?

I like to do court sprints because it works agility and quickness. It's important to stretch before and after.

What are the pros and cons of coaching solo vs. coaching at an academy?

Solo you get more time to work with a player. At an academy you work with more people and you can't really help individuals. Plus the schedule is more flexible coaching solo. At an Academy you can coach 7+ hours a day, while coaching solo you can work fewer hours.

What is your favorite memory while coaching on the tour?

When I was coaching Nicole Arendt and Manon Bollegraf and they made it to the women's doubles finals of Wimbledon. There was so much excitement, and their outlook was great. They had never made it to the final of a Grand slam before. Anytime you work hard to achieve something and you achieve it there's always great satisfaction.

Who did they lose to in the final?

They lost to Zereva and Hernandez.

Any last words of wisdom to young female athletes aspiring to play at the professional level?