Senior Player Writes a Book
Fred Hesse didn’t start playing tennis until he was 15 years old. He soon became a top-ranked junior and adult player in the USTA Eastern Section, was a two-time Eastern Interscholastic Net Champion at Columbia University, and he and his dad were ranked No. 3 in father-son competition in the USTA Eastern section.
Upon moving to Florida, Hesse was a state-ranked senior player.
This year, the 80-year-old published a tennis book, Mind – The Psychology Part of Tennis. Hesse drew from his experiences of playing and teaching to provide readers with key information ranging from playing smart tennis to handling frustration to managing pressure.
Hesse states that the key difference between tennis champions and ordinary players lies not in the power of the serve, the grace of footwork or strength of forehands and backhands, but in the power of the mind!
Mind – The Psychology Part of Tennis can be found on www.Amazon.com.
Gadusek Discovers Passion for Teaching Tennis
Former Top 10 world-ranked tennis professional Bonnie Gadusek was recently at the Bardmoor Tennis Academy in Largo sharing her experience, knowledge and mental training with aspiring junior players.
Gadusek believes her playing career prepared her for the career she was destined to have, that of sharing a mental skills program she developed to help others reach their highest potential.
“My mental skills program evolved from my time in competitive sports and something I had to learn in order to reach a higher level,” said Gadusek. “I’ve been teaching my mental skills program the last 8-10 years and it’s done amazing things. Often, what I see missing from players is the enjoyment of the game because frustration takes away that enjoyment and stressors reduce happiness and energy levels.”
Gadusek was just 24 years old when she retired from the tour when the constant travel, year-round competition and hectic lifestyle grew tiresome. She took time to work in the family business, learn to snow ski and explore nature through hiking and biking.
After teaching at several facilities in Florida and in North Carolina and Michigan, Gadusek contacted Maria Cercone, tennis director at Bardmoor Golf and Tennis Club in Largo, to offer to work with the club’s high performance players teaching her mental skills program.
