This week we are thrilled to announce our brand new series, Short Takes! Short Takes will take place every Wednesday and will feature some of the top coaches, players, and professionals throughout the sport. The series will consist of a Q&A format and will cover a wide ground of topics. We hope you enjoy the thought-provoking, insightful, and entertaining dialogue. It’s gonna be fun!

To kick off this awesome new series, we have University of Florida Head Men’s Tennis Coach, Bryan Shelton! Bryan played college tennis at Georgia Tech from 1985-1988 and then played professionally for 9 years. Shelton reached a career high singles ranking of 55 in the world, reaching the 4th round of Wimbledon in 1994. After his professional career, he returned back to his alma mater, Georgia Tech, to coach the women’s team where he led them to a national championship in 2007. In 2012, Coach Shelton was named head coach of the Florida Gators Men’s Tennis Team and continually pushes the program to new heights.

(TT) Describe the moment you walked onto Stadium Court at the U.S. Open to play Jimmy Connors under the lights?

(BS) “It was surreal to be in the main draw of Wimbledon and the U.S. Open my first full year on the professional circuit after college. Fortunately, the experience of playing “It was surreal to be in the main draw of Wimbledon and the U.S. Open my first full year on the professional circuit after college. Fortunately, the experience of playing Boris Becker at Wimbledon a couple of months prior helped prepare me. Becker owned the grass at the All England Club and Connors owned New York. I vowed that night not to look up into the Stadium, but, instead, to stay focused on each point. After winning the first set in a tiebreaker, I couldn’t help myself, and as I sat in my chair at the set break, I took in the stadium which held 20,000 and also the scoreboard. Consequently, that proved to be my biggest unforced error of the night as I lost the next three sets 6-2, 6-2, 6-2. What a night!”

(TT) What is your proudest accomplishment in your playing career and why? (BS) “Reaching the 4th round of Wimbledon in 1994 was the accomplishment that sticks with me the most. Going into Wimbledon that year, I was in one of the biggest slumps of my tennis career. I had lost 10 or 11 first round matches in a row, which was a brutal stretch where I had to do a lot of soul searching. After seeing my ranking take a nose dive, I found myself in London at the infamous Roehampton where the qualifying rounds of Wimbledon are played. I was able to finally win a match in the qualifying draw, and then five or six days later after qualifying, I took down Michael Stich in the first round of the Championships and later reached the 4th round the following week. It has served as a reminder when I or anyone I work with is going through some adversity that ‘this too shall pass’.”

(TT) Do you enjoy the way the game is played today, or do you miss the traditional serve and volley tennis? (BS) “As a man who made a living as a serve and volleyer, I certainly miss seeing the contrasting styles of play. I can certainly appreciate what today’s tennis player can do on the court as it relates to ripping the cover off the ball with control though. The game today is so fast and the athletes are able to produce super human feats on the court. It would enhance the game if we had competent serve and volleyers playing who could challenge today’s power players and pose different questions during the match. The contrasting styles is what makes competition so great in every sport. It is what helps to push the boundaries and make sports interesting. Pursuing excellence becomes an everlasting journey versus a destination. I believe it would take tennis to an even higher level!”

(TT) If you could change one thing about college tennis, what would it be and why? (BS) “Hard to pick only one, but the limitations on how much we can work with players (8 hours per week in off season and 20 hours per week in season) and the limits on competitive opportunities (25 competitive dates per year) are the most frustrating parts of the job. Having a player request your help at different times of the season and having to deny him is a conflict that bothers me and many of my colleagues. Unfortunately, most of the top junior players have no experience planning their own practice or taking responsibility for their own game. We have to do a better job as parents and private coaches of giving these young players more responsibility as they develop. My great coach, “Hard to pick only one, but the limitations on how much we can work with players (8 hours per week in off season and 20 hours per week in season) and the limits on competitive opportunities (25 competitive dates per year) are the most frustrating parts of the job. Having a player request your help at different times of the season and having to deny him is a conflict that bothers me and many of my colleagues. Unfortunately, most of the top junior players have no experience planning their own practice or taking responsibility for their own game. We have to do a better job as parents and private coaches of giving these young players more responsibility as they develop. My great coach, Bill Tym , always said the player needs to also become the coach, sports psychologist, and cheerleader on the court. In that way, they could still thrive in the college setting. It takes so much time to develop your game physically, mentally, and emotionally. More is required not less! Being efficient and prepared as a college coach is essential!”

(TT) Describe the transition between coaching the women’s side versus being on the men’s side now? (BS) “After coaching the Men’s team at Florida for the past six years, I do see some differences from my experience at Georgia Tech where I led the women’s program for 13 years. The females I coached enjoyed and needed more feedback and were more willing to write things in their journal that might help them down the road. They also tended to need a little more nurturing, so my approach was to given them a “After coaching the Men’s team at Florida for the past six years, I do see some differences from my experience at Georgia Tech where I led the women’s program for 13 years. The females I coached enjoyed and needed more feedback and were more willing to write things in their journal that might help them down the road. They also tended to need a little more nurturing, so my approach was to given them a ratio of 3:1 with praise and critical analysis . With the guys, I’ve had to be much more direct in order to get their attention. It’s hard to say which I enjoy more. As a coach, I strive to find ways to relate to each and every student I work with. The relationships are the most important thing, and I’ve been fortunate on both sides to develop amazing relationships with some incredible young women and men.”

(TT) Who was your biggest tennis mentor and why?

(BS) “ Bill Tym has been one of my chief mentors in my life alongside my parents. Coach Tym has taught and continues to teach me so many lessons that I have applied to my tennis and all areas of my life. Growing up, I played many other sports, but Coach Tym is the reason I chose tennis over the rest. His discipline and no-nonsense approach resonated with me having grown up in a military family. Coach has a systematic way of teaching that leads the student from one progression to another. The principles he adheres to and teaches are sound and hold up under amazing pressure and can be applied to everything both in the game of tennis and life. The education I received from Coach Tym is absolutely priceless, and I try in my own style to do the same with the students I work with.”