TTCP: THE John Latham

Family, growth, and good coaching go hand in hand. 

🎾 In this episode, Coach John Latham shares his journey into coaching tennis, the importance of family, building a coaching community, and strategies for team development and competition. Tune in for valuable insights and practical advice for tennis coaches at all levels.

#TexasTennis #CoachingLife #TennisCoach #HighSchoolTennis #TTCP

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:08

Hello and welcome to Texas to his coaches podcast. Reuben, how are you doing?

SPEAKER_03 0:17

Like we talked about earlier, I'm doing great. I get to look forward to a a night golf tournament that I'm helping with this Saturday, uh July 18th. And so that's always a fun tournament. One of the biggest tournaments we have, and it's fun. We play nine holes in the day, eat a hamburger, and then when it gets dark, while it while they're eating the hamburgers, we go set up the night golf course. And it's cool. And we're right by 287, Highway 287. And there's cars going by. It's a busy, busy highway. And it's right by the I can imagine they're looking over there because it's dark. And there's all these colored golf balls flying everywhere. It's like, mom, what's that? Mom, what's that? And it's pretty, yeah. I love, I love doing that. So I'm excited about that.

SPEAKER_00 0:57

Cool, cool, cool.

SPEAKER_03 0:58

What about you?

SPEAKER_00 0:59

Well, while you are golfing, we will be at, or we, uh lots of coaches from the state of Texas will be traveling to Houston for the Texas High School Coaches Association um coaching school. And I'm sure we've mentioned this before, but it's not just for football coaches anymore. It is open to boys and girls basketball, volleyball, boys and girls track, boys and girls cross-country tennis, aquatics. I think they have a symposium for athletic trainers to get like continuing education credits. Um that is where I will be.

SPEAKER_03 1:39

I used to love going there. That's one of the biggest conventions, I think, in the world, probably. You know, you get all those Texas coaches and from other states, I'm sure, come, but I loved every part of that thing. And I was uh just a tennis coach, but I used to love listening to football coaches and basketball coaches, just motivational speakers. It was fun. So I hope you have a good time.

SPEAKER_00 2:01

Me too. Uh it's interesting because it just feels, I will say, for us to have at Texas Tennis Coaches Association to have the resort of Horseshoe Bay. Um just almost to ourselves, practically to ourselves.

SPEAKER_05 2:21

Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 2:22

It's so different when everything's right there. I mean, you have your meals, you have everything you need. And then when you go to coaching school, big coaching school, it's like, oh, we gotta walk out. We gotta go out into the world.

SPEAKER_03 2:38

Yeah, yeah. Your hotels all over Houston and spread out for miles and miles. So yeah.

SPEAKER_00 2:45

Yes.

SPEAKER_03 2:45

But anyway, who do we have today?

SPEAKER_00 2:47

We have the uh John Latham of Pro Prosper Rock Hill.

SPEAKER_03 2:55

Yes. So and and and we're you know, if you know him, then you're gonna obviously know his wife, Marissa, who is also a coach. And uh can't remember where she's at though. Do you?

SPEAKER_00 3:08

Oh my god.

SPEAKER_03 3:10

That's okay. But she coaches at another high school and she does a great job too. But today we get to talk to uh the John Latham. And uh I'm looking forward to it because he's he's a kind of a quiet guy, but man, uh just talking to him throughout you know the years that I've known him and Marissa, uh, I I'm just glad that he's a head coach and and doing so well. And well, you know, he's been at uh I think three different schools with three different coaches, and he talks about that a little bit. But uh I I absolutely uh was looking forward to this uh podcast because we're getting to me a whole bunch of different personalities of coaches, and he's a whole different personality too. Uh so yeah, I I think the coaches that listen to this podcast are gonna appreciate him, uh who he is, what kind of coach he is, and what he's doing uh now at at Rock Hill. So I'm looking forward to it.

SPEAKER_00 4:00

Oh yeah. All right. Well, without further ado, this is TTCP, the John Latham. Welcome to Texas Sinnness Coaches Podcast. I'm your host, Avana Sterling. With me today is my co-host Ruben Vargas, and today we have the one and the only John Latham. Gentlemen, how are y'all doing?

SPEAKER_03 4:23

I'm doing good, doing good. And I'm obviously doing great, you know, not just the way I am. But uh glad to have you here, John.

SPEAKER_02 4:32

Uh thank y'all again for having me. Yeah. Of course.

SPEAKER_03 4:36

Now, Amanda, correct me if I'm wrong before I get going. This uh is this one of the first coaches we've had where they both coach?

SPEAKER_00 4:49

So, yes, if we're doing something.

SPEAKER_03 4:51

We're gonna say yes, you're our first official couple.

SPEAKER_00 4:53

This is the first official uh one of two uh coaching married couples that we've had.

SPEAKER_03 5:03

Right. Well, John, what we always like to do, and welcome, by the way, to the uh Texas Tennis Coaches Podcast. Uh, we're excited to have you, but we always like to start off with just you kind of getting to share your story about how you got into you know coaching tennis and where have you been? Have you been in one school or several schools? And I kind of want to know later on. I'll ask you later on how how you uh met up with Marissa and how all that went on, too. But you know, this is your chance to tell your story because it's different than anybody else's. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 5:33

Uh well, thank you again for having me. Um, well, I guess my story begins. Um, I was I was taught tennis by my grandfather. He they they're they they're from Greece, so every summer we would uh travel there, and he would uh give me and my brother lessons, hoping that one of us would it would stick with one of us, and it stuck with me. Um and so I played uh he he taught me everything, a lot of stuff that I know, and then I went and played high school tennis at Arlington High School for uh Tim O'Neal. Uh he's I think he's retired now, and every now and then I I see him down in Arlington. So um, and uh that's that's kind of where tennis tennis started for me. Uh I I I'm not like the other other coaches that went and played college tennis, but uh I got to be involved with the college team in a way of like learning the coaching side of it. Um I went to University of Texas at Tyler. Um and fun fact, I've I knew Sizemore. We went to class together at UT Tyler back in the day. So I've known Sizemore and JP for a for a while. Yeah, well, we were all at UT Tyler together.

SPEAKER_03 6:59

Yeah. And he's talking about this year's uh Texas Tennis Coaches Association uh president and also uh vice president. So yeah, that's pretty cool. Yeah, so I'm sorry.

SPEAKER_02 7:11

I've known them for a while, and then um, you know, I got my degree from UT Tyler in um kinesiology, professionalizing in uh physical education uh just to get into the trying to get into the coaching world. But uh just finished what is this? I think this was my tenth year of coaching, but 11th year in education.

SPEAKER_05 7:38

Right.

SPEAKER_02 7:39

Uh my first year I actually taught in Arlington ISD, uh teaching sixth grade uh math, or not math, English and science. So it's uh so it's an interesting start. So younger 20-something me uh teaching sixth grade and not doing anything tennis related for a year was uh was interesting. And then I it was my way of kind of getting my foot in the door just in the education world, and uh started applying for you know tennis jobs all over the state, and um I got an email from Spring Hill ISD out in Longview looking for a head coach. So I drove out there, did my interview, wasn't sure how it was gonna go, and then a few days later I get the call saying that they wanted to hire me. So within a span of two weeks during the summer after my first year of teaching, I moved all the way out to Longview, Texas. Oh my goodness. Not knowing anybody.

SPEAKER_03 8:55

And who was the coach before then?

SPEAKER_02 8:58

It was Coach Ford, Holly Ford.

SPEAKER_03 9:00

Oh my god, I don't I don't I don't know why I I knew that answer. I just can't believe it's been that long.

SPEAKER_02 9:07

Yeah. So she she she was with me for I was there for three years. Um she was with uh help coaching with me for two out of the three years.

SPEAKER_03 9:19

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 9:20

Then her last year, I think she went just full math, uh just classroom. Um but it was a good time there, and I'm glad I went there because that's where I met Marissa.

SPEAKER_03 9:30

Ah, it was destined to be, wasn't it?

SPEAKER_02 9:33

That's where it all began.

SPEAKER_03 9:34

Oh my gosh. That's awesome.

SPEAKER_02 9:37

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 9:38

And then and then where'd you go from there?

SPEAKER_02 9:40

So from there, so um story is is uh so during my first year, first couple of weeks there, that's actually where I met Marissa. Uh, because she was working at nukes at the time.

SPEAKER_03 9:54

No.

SPEAKER_02 9:54

And they came and did were doing this clinic uh up at the courts. That's how I first met her. And then uh didn't, you know, didn't he for a while after that. Then she gets a job in the coaching world at Lebanon Trail in Frisco with Steve Maupin.

SPEAKER_03 10:12

Oh my gosh, Maupin.

SPEAKER_02 10:14

Yes. And back back then they were foray, Lebanon Trail was foray like us, and so they were regional, a re it was a regional thing. And uh I remember uh I would message her every now and then just trying to do some like scouting entail, but also trying to, you know just sit in the door. Yeah, and uh, you know, just went from there. I would visit her a lot and then uh it got to the point where we got engaged and we uh had to decide, you know, we were thinking about where where do we do we move, do we stay in Longview? Do we does she come to Longview? Do I come to here? Right. Ultimately I came here. Yep. So from there, actually, I went to Allen High School for two years with Quest.

SPEAKER_03 11:05

Yeah, Justin Quest.

SPEAKER_02 11:06

So, and and my time there was was great. I learned a lot. Um, you know, he taught me a lot uh competing at now at that higher level. We're at that 6A level. You have it's a whole different world than 4A.

SPEAKER_03 11:21

Well, it is, yes.

SPEAKER_02 11:22

Whole different world, but tennis is way different. And uh so I was with that was there for two years, and then um I went over to Frisco um to Lebanon Trail because Marissa and Moffin went to go open Frisco Emerson. So I went to Lebanon Trail as an assistant coach with Jared Dawson.

SPEAKER_05 11:45

Oh, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 11:47

I was there for three years. Yeah. And, you know, it was a lot of fun there. I learned a lot from Jared as well. And then I'm going on my third year at Rock Hill, and I get the call saying, like, you know, this job's opening up. Do I want to apply for it? This was um what I think at the end of June, about three years ago. I go interview all that, they offer me the job, I take it, and then one week later I gotta get ready for two weeks worth of tennis camps. So Dang. That's quick quick.

SPEAKER_00 12:26

Now we don't hold on, we don't claim to be like a super good like podcast, but but also I would like to have I've had notes sent from Marissa.

SPEAKER_02 12:37

Oh I'm sure.

SPEAKER_00 12:39

Was so this might also be some good dating advice for coaches out there, but like was another way of you getting your foot in the door by asking her to play in mixed doubles tournaments?

SPEAKER_02 12:52

Yes, we did play in one in Longview. They have this uh they call it the turkey mixer, and she she drove down and we played we played in it together, and it was a lot of fun. So I would say if there's coaches that are wanting to date other coaches, sign up for mixed doubles.

SPEAKER_03 13:13

Oh my gosh, that's dope. That's so funny. So yeah, don't do don't do what I did. You know, uh we were dating and then we I ran a summer tournament and I I entered her with in mix with me, and she'd never played in her life. And I can't believe we, you know, she could should have said she should have known right then and there that yeah, that you don't want this guy. He's gonna do stuff like that to you. And so, but she played, we had a good time, and that's the only time we've ever played. Yeah. So yeah. Mixed Doubles works. It works.

SPEAKER_02 13:44

It's my favorite, favorite event.

SPEAKER_03 13:46

Yeah. So how long have you been at Rock Hill?

SPEAKER_02 13:49

So this is going on year, I'm starting year three. Okay. So this is my third year, and it it's been great. I've got uh I've got a great assistant coach, Kaylee Singer. Uh she's great. She's been great with the program. Uh she does, you know, she's she takes she's in charge of JV. So all the decisions for JB uh are all hers. Every time I have one of my crazy ideas about the about stuff I want to try and do with the program, I always run it by her just to now.

SPEAKER_00 14:21

Did you uh get to pick or did like like we did you sit on the room?

SPEAKER_02 14:26

She was there. Uh she was the previous like the the assistant coach previously there. Okay. So uh yeah, and I met her like right before camp and all that stuff, and then we had to get right in.

SPEAKER_03 14:41

You just hit the ground running, is what you're saying, huh?

SPEAKER_02 14:43

I I hit the ground running, and then trying to, you know, re learn all the admin stuff that comes with with it all. It was in a short amount of time was was a challenge, but uh you know, they they they I'm I guess I'm doing something right there.

SPEAKER_03 15:02

So Yeah. I I always like to ask this question because to me it takes probably five years, in my opinion, to get your program where it's your program, because it sounds terrible. But when you get there, the seniors aren't really your seniors, even they are so they're gone. And then it takes you, in my opinion, four more years for the freshman to get to be seniors. And so I don't know. Uh so where do you think you are, is what I'm saying, uh as the coach there, uh finishing three years.

SPEAKER_02 15:34

You know, I mean me and Kaylee talk about this all the time at when we're at during during the year, and you know, I would say that first year in I had to graduate do small things.

unknown 15:48

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 15:49

Because the one thing I learned when I was at Spring Hill was I think when I came in, I tried to do too much at the very beginning. So I had a lot of push, I had pushed some pushback. And so, you know, I I tried to keep things very similar for those seniors and then really focused on those younger kids, the you know, the sophomores and the freshmen. And now, and and then after those seniors graduated, you know, I had a some good good uh leaders last year that were bought into what I was trying to bring to the program my first year. And and ever since then, I think it's it's progressively gotten better and better. You know, it's it's it's definitely I would say the dynamic of our program has has changed since my first year there. Yeah. So and we we try to do a lot of stuff that brings all those all our kids together. I know one of our kind of the biggest struggles is you know, the the the boys' team doesn't really want to socialize with the girls' team and all this stuff, and and now we're kind of getting to the point where they're they're blending, they're meshing a lot more. You know, we had camp. We had a lot of our players volunteer to help out with camp, and they're always hanging out now, and it's these like seniors, juniors, and two freshman boys, or now they're sophomores now, but um you know that they just in they're just enjoying being together.

SPEAKER_03 17:24

So that's that's so important to have a really good cohesive team tennis uh group. You know, uh I know that that I I look at you know teams like Amanda's team and you know here in Vern and Carrie's team, and uh I think the more that they mesh, man, uh it's just a a stronger uh team and a better atmosphere because they're rooting for each other.

SPEAKER_02 17:46

Yeah. Yeah, even this summer we last year we started doing this thing on Mondays where you know we we called it, I stole this from Jarrett actually called Monday Night Lights. And we would have, you know, open up the courts because in Prosper we lock the high school courts when we're done today, so the public can't use them, which also means that the players can't use them. So anytime we open up those courts, they they just show up. And um, you know, it's it's it's been really good having all those kids see each other throughout the summer as well. And uh getting a chance to, you know, play tennis together and play games and stuff like that on the same courts and just things like that. I think last year I built in more stuff. I brought in I started bringing in more stuff to the program to to kind of get it to where it's going now. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 18:42

So how how many kids are in your program?

SPEAKER_02 18:45

So last year we had a little over fifty kids. Fifty kids. So we're about two weeks away from our final tryouts. We do two sets of tryouts, one before the school year ends to kind of for all the incoming kids just to kind of cut the ones that they're just not quite they're just not ready for the level that we compete at. Um, and then we'll do a final one to determine their class placement and if we gotta do any more final cuts at that point as well. So it's getting there. So it's somewhere between 40 and 50 kids is what we try to keep it is where it it will fall. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 19:29

How how many do you carry on the varsity?

SPEAKER_02 19:32

Um it depends. I I've always had the the the you know the I think last year we had about 10 girls and about 14 boys.

SPEAKER_05 19:43

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 19:43

And so that's kind of about the range where we'll keep it. I always say it just depends on where there's the biggest gap in skill.

SPEAKER_05 19:52

Right. Right.

SPEAKER_02 19:53

But you know there's a player that if they're on the JV team, they could be the number one J V player, but they can't quite hang with the person that's technically above them on a ladder on the overall ladder.

SPEAKER_03 20:06

Right. So it's like how many how many do you carry, Amanda?

SPEAKER_00 20:09

Um I've always done it differently, so it just depended like on the team need, but I do I think it does come down to like where does that big gap hit? Um like last year my whole goal was just to keep the numbers because like I didn't have enough for a full JV team, so I was like, y'all just come on and just get experience of what a varsity, what like varsity looks like. Um and we're also so like I don't want to say we're so small, but we were uh small enough, like at the end of our district matches, any we'd do like extra matches. So they do like an eight-game process. So that'd be like maybe two to three matches would go on after like all the varsity matches got put on. So it depends. I think this year I'll probably try to carry ten and ten. Um but there's a there's a lot going on down here.

SPEAKER_05 21:11

Oh, it's not bad.

SPEAKER_00 21:13

It's just yeah, it's just that I mean I think John, you you could probably agree, it's like who's coming back, you know, who's for sure coming back, like uh who's moving in. Um I didn't realize the uh there's like a lot of kids in this area that stay homeschool through middle school and then high school they get the they go to public high school, and so it's like who's who's where? I do have an idea, but it's like not you know, obviously not official.

SPEAKER_03 21:47

Right. I bet I bet where you're at, you probably have a lot of move ins, don't you? No, no, I'm sorry, John.

SPEAKER_02 21:57

Um we'll get maybe like one or too. Uh I always I always say that I think that and well because the thing about Rock Hill is that it's actually not in the town of Prosper. It's actually in Frisco. And so all of our kids don't even live in Prosper. They live in Frisco and actually McKinney. So if we get any move-ins, anyone that's moving in to Prosper, we we probably are not going to get them. Yeah. They're probably going to Prosper, Walnut Grove, or they're going to Richland.

SPEAKER_03 22:35

Yeah. So even then, I mean Frisco and McKinney, I mean that it's just a lot of people move into those places.

SPEAKER_02 22:42

Yeah. So, you know, we may get, you know, one or two that will come in. But majority of the time a lot of those players tend to fall into the JV, J V team. We haven't quite gotten that one that's going to be a varsity player just yet.

SPEAKER_03 23:01

Yeah. I I went 33 years coaching and I had a lot of move-ins. I had a few good ones. But I never got that one that was like, oh my gosh. Yeah. Amazing good. Yeah. So then I had a German girl that was good, but she didn't want to pay the money to uh you know go through the OL process. So she had to play JV. She was ticked. Because she was so good. She goes, that doesn't make sense, coach. You know, but it's got to you got to do what you got to do. But anyway. Yeah. Yeah. So hey uh I don't know if Amanda has anything to ask but uh one thing that crossed my mind earlier uh like when you're at rock like your district who's in your district first of all so this year we have you know we have Prosper we have Walnut Grove we have McKinney High we have McKinney Boyd we have Princeton we have uh Allen and we have Dallas Jesuit this year. So you're in Allen's district?

SPEAKER_02 24:02

Yes and last year we had um you take out um Walnut Grove and Jesuit and we had the three Planos.

SPEAKER_03 24:11

Oh my gosh. So that would be that was the ah people don't understand what some of those words he said Plano and Allen I mean you're talking about two uh very successful tennis programs you know you know I guess that's what I was going to get to you know the the the compared to the teams in your district how how where do you stand in the middle uh bottom top uh because I'm gonna ask you that question so you can think about where I'm getting at how long do you think for this year's district not last year with the plane house how long do you think it would take for you to get to be the or maybe you're there already the upper episode uh upper you know is it echelon of teams I don't know what the word is but that sounded good anyway. How long do you think that'll take? I mean it's it's got to be a goal.

SPEAKER_02 24:56

So the last two years you know we finished fifth. So we were that one spot away from playoffs.

SPEAKER_03 25:03

Okay.

SPEAKER_02 25:04

Um so my first year we finished fifth lost a tough match to Plano East for that fourth place spot last year and then we graduated 13 seniors so last year was a rebuilding year. Yeah uh so we had a pretty much a whole new girls team um I think really out of our girls team there were two of them that were returning varsity players and then on the boys side I think it was about the same three or four returning boys as well we we brought in a really good freshman boy from the middle school that that helped out a lot. Right. Um and we still managed to finish fifth who lost an even closer one to McKinney Boyd last year. Oh no I think we lost six thirteen to them last year. Um but you know this year I only graduated two girls and really four boys two of them just played doubles but then two of them played singles and doubles so I have a very much a a big bulk of my team coming back this year. And I've got a lot of I would say we we just have a ton of boys that have been playing a lot this summer. You know they're building up that UTR they're you know I think probably our lowest guy is going to be around that five and a half range but can compete up in the six range. Right. So I I think you know a lot of our our kids have all talked about um the Boyd match being the very big match because I mean you take Plano West out you take the Planos out it now opens up a lot of opportunities. Um so the our first district match that we open up with is going to be McKinney Boyd.

SPEAKER_05 27:02

Where at?

SPEAKER_02 27:03

At McKinney Boyd again at their place. Well that name brings back memories that's where Megan was for so long my daughter so and so from and from what I've seen you know it looks like they graduated a big chunk of their team this year so I think they might have I'm hoping they're gonna have a a new team next year for this year so the kids are more fired up about it. Yeah. Um but I would say I'd say that they they are very uh very much motivated to get at least into that top four spot this year.

SPEAKER_05 27:44

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 27:45

I always say I think the chances get better and better each year. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 27:49

Yeah. So yeah do you see anybody competing against Allen? I mean I it's a maybe not a fair question, but you know they're pretty dang good year in year out, aren't they?

SPEAKER_02 27:59

They're good. I mean and from from what I know I mean you know they have Sebastian Zavala who won the state title for boys singles. Um they didn't I don't think they graduated any girls. Oh no gosh I don't think they graduated a whole lot honestly when I when I look back at it so the the way that we kind of always see it is you know we'll we'll compete against everyone else and then we'll get to Alan and the goal is hey let's just be as competitive as we can be you know yeah that that's just what we're gonna do we're just gonna be competitive I I I think we'd have a good shot of beating any of the other all the other teams on a good day but Prosper has always been always been a tough one the last two years. Walnut Grove we've played them twice we won the first time 10-9 last year we lost 9-10 no that's competitive so that was that was when they were 5A and so now that it's a district thing so now it's on the line so is is Richland uh not in there or are they a different 5A next year. So they were 4A this year. Right and now they're gonna be 5A for the next two years. Okay.

SPEAKER_00 29:17

And then they'll be up next realignment.

SPEAKER_03 29:20

Yeah next realignment they'll be there. Wow. Uh anyway now Melissa uh Amanda you got anything going?

SPEAKER_00 29:29

Um okay so like how I mean I'm assuming are you tennis all day?

SPEAKER_02 29:36

I'm tennis all day.

SPEAKER_00 29:37

Do you do you get to work with your junior high?

SPEAKER_02 29:40

Yes so we have two junior highs that feed into Rock Hill. There's uh Hayes Middle School and then Jones Middle School which is across the street from Rock Hill. So I go over to Hayes um I'm not the actual tennis coach so when the matches happen there's another coach that does the lineup and all that stuff. But I I'm there at the matches to help coach as well but I do tennis PE with them in the middle of the day and uh so we have JV in the morning two classes of middle school tennis in the middle and then our varsity in the afternoon.

SPEAKER_03 30:18

I bet do you do you like that or would you rather be teaching some like classroom stuff.

SPEAKER_02 30:24

Sixth grade science and reading well when I was at Spring Hill I only taught just sixth grade at the middle school in Arlington sixth grade was still in the elementary school yeah so I I am I am very happy to not be in the classroom anymore. I like what I do I love doing it.

SPEAKER_03 30:48

Now is it my imagination are most of those coaches in the Frisco uh you know McKinney and and do do they a lot of I know Frisco I think a lot of them is straight tennis. McKinney is McKinney has classroom right I remember classroom um Prosper all of them have the same schedule they're all tennis they're all assigned to middle school and um they go do that during the middle of the day and have their high school stuff as well so do you do you think that's good to to have that kind of neat schedule and to be able to work with the younger kids and see them kind of go up yeah um I think I think so because now I have incoming freshmen that I had in seventh grade so I've had to already have the chance to work with them for two years prior to them coming into the high school program.

SPEAKER_02 31:39

Uh and it just helps building that kind of connection with them to get them excited to play high school tennis because the you know the one thing that we run into in our area is we have a bunch of kids that are just academically they're just very smart. Yes. And so sometimes you'll have all these kids in middle school and then when it gets to high school they're like well well I can't I can't play tennis. I have to take this class or I've got to take this class. Tennis doesn't fit because tennis is a double blocked class so they have to take it both you know they're gonna have it every day. So you know get building that with the younger kids I think is is great. Just because then they're like well I want to play I just want to play tennis in high school.

SPEAKER_03 32:27

So yeah. It gives them a chance to also know who you are and what they're gonna even though they have a different coach you're there with them. But that's who I'm gonna have in high school and I mean that's kind of exciting about that. Because I know in Vernon uh I work with the junior high also and I think that was I loved it. I loved and I also taught but I love that too. So I mean you know I I think it it's good for both. I like to get away sometimes from the tennis and just get in the classroom and teach. I taught science. So I I like doing that too. So I can see both sides. Some coaches like my daughter uh wanted to teach you know and coach and uh I what do you like to teach and coach Amanda? Oh gosh or do you have to teach and coach um I get to teach and coach I like that attitude yeah baby I like that I like that but if it if I ran the world if I ran I would probably ask to be a more athletics period.

SPEAKER_00 33:31

Yeah but again I have not been at a school that offered one like tennis was its own period separated from from volleyball basketball track tennis has always been part of the program right or the athletic program. So yeah and uh been told uh just been told we'll put it at that that it probably is not going to change if if ever well I'm gonna go a different direction here John because this is the one question that I was thinking about today as I was preparing for this.

SPEAKER_03 34:09

It's not a bad one. It's not a bad one at all. It's the dynamic of having a wife that coaches in a different school with a different probably schedule even though they may be Tuesdays and Fridays or whatever. But how the heck do you do it?

SPEAKER_02 34:25

Because is it do you feel like you're running around with your head cut off sometimes you know I think so like with Marissa and I before you know when we were in fr when we were in the Frisco district together, you know, we pretty much had the same schedule and then we both went up to Prosper. She went up to Walnut Grove for a year so we were kind of on that same you know calendar year there just you know the the math schedule is different. But we we try to we we we um you know we talk a lot during the day like we'll talk and call and stuff like that when we have the chance but you know at the end of the day we we'll come back here and uh you know we'll we'll talk about the we try not to talk too much about work like during the day we'll try to save it for when we get home and stuff like that. But then we kind of try to keep it to a a minimum because it's you know it's it is tennis all day and then you don't get to talk about that more do you don't want you don't want to talk a whole lot about tennis when we get home. Just tell about some stuff that's happened during the day but and I I think that was probably one of the probably one of the hardest things for me is not to talk about tennis because I love it so much. Yeah. I love the game like I just like talking about what we did what you know like stuff that we're doing at you know at our practices or I'll I'll run like ideas by her as well. Right. Just to get her input on it. So but it it you know it's it's it's it's it I would say it's it's a it's really great that she's doing the exact same thing that that I'm doing because then she understands exactly what comes with the job. Right. Because uh we have a lot of early mornings and late nights.

SPEAKER_03 36:19

That's what I was getting at. It to me it's almost i I don't want to say sad because it's it's not. I mean you both chose to do this but uh you're probably not together a whole lot until you come together in the evening if you don't have matches and stuff like that. And on the weekends when you have tournaments unless you go to the same tournaments I mean you you won't see each other for a while. I think this past year in the springtime uh we were at a lot of the same tournaments so we got to see each other there oh you know we we signed up for a bunch a lot of the same tournaments as well so it was good and then usually we play we play each other in the fall so like first week of school we're actually gonna play them we're gonna play her team and and who's gonna win question it's a good question no no no I want you to call it right now so when she sees this podcast she's either going to hit you in the shoulder or she's gonna hug you or something. Call it you may not want to call it but what are your chances? Let me put it to you like that.

SPEAKER_02 37:30

You know I because I I'll scout out the teams as well like we're all going to play I try to schedule matches against teams that are either the same as us on paper or they're gonna be better than us. Right. And I think her team is going to be the category that's they're gonna be better than us.

SPEAKER_03 37:48

Yeah well then hey there's nothing wrong with that. To me that that helps there it helps your team it really does. My my win loss record people would think it'd be great but it's not it because I I scheduled tough matches that I knew we were going to lose um so I didn't care about my win loss record. I wanted to get some good competition so yeah it's good.

SPEAKER_02 38:10

I know the last two seasons of mine it my I haven't had we haven't had a winning record but we've had a lot of good matches to get the kids ready for this season. Yeah they have some tough matches coming up as well.

SPEAKER_03 38:24

Yeah yeah so do you have any like I know Amanda has comes up with some really good I don't know what you call them a sayings or whatever like what was yours last year?

SPEAKER_02 38:34

My uh like no other like no other I mean do you use stuff like that John I mean uh a lot of people do it I've used it sometimes sometimes I haven't you know so that it matters to me we haven't really had like a I would say like a saying like that you know we I I've all I've been a big fan of like the saying that is posted at the French open victory belongs to the was it the most tenacious yes and so I it's something I've talked to I would talk to the you know I'd tell the kids at I you know at the beginning of the summer I'd say like you always you know see that because I mean it's you you really have to be if you really want to win especially against the teams that we go up against. Yeah you have to be you can't just go out there and see like well I'm I'm not gonna win either way so what's the point? You know I always tell the kids go keep them out there as as long as you can.

SPEAKER_05 39:32

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 39:33

And just and you who knows maybe you'll you walk away with a win against someone that you don't you shouldn't have any business winning or having a chance against.

SPEAKER_03 39:44

So I I think I told a kid one time listen if you can't win at least make them suffer. You know keep them out there as long as you can you know they're better you th you know throw 20 lobs a point you know just make them suffer you know but maybe that's a fan of Jorge Capistani like the little sabotage tennis. So yeah tell us about that because people may not know what you're talking about.

SPEAKER_02 40:12

You know it's uh the sabotage tennis where you know kid I think kids nowadays they just want to hit the ball just really hard. And so I I'll tell the kids I say that that's great and all but eventually you're gonna go up against someone that can do it better play longer and still hit the ball really hard. So then at that point what do you what is it that you're gonna do and so basically it's just you throw in slices, moon balls, drop shots, you know you move the ball around more to kind of bring the level of play to an even playing field. Right. And then hopefully that the better player just mentally just crumbles.

SPEAKER_03 40:58

That's great that's sabotage that's awesome. That's awesome. You said drop shot that's the most in my opinion I said this for the last 20 years of my coaching career because in Vernon we we worked the drop shot we practiced it you know fed and live ball and uh especially with the girls um that was the most underused shot in tennis and now what are you seeing the pros doing a lot of they're drop shots they're dropping like crazy you didn't used to see that back in the in the old days of tennis. So I I was kind of sit back looking you know at all these pros guys and everything I was like yeah I kept trying to tell y'all drop shots effective if you can hit it if you can use it. So yeah I'm I like that sabotage tennis kind of sabotage tennis that's another good shirt. Amanda what's gonna be your slogan this year you thought it would be all right oh my gosh.

SPEAKER_00 41:51

Unveil it uh I'll unveil it we'll have to record the first Saturday of uh August but I like to save it for my team like I won't have to I would not think that's great but you've already thought about it right yes okay that's good that's good and there's a few there are a few coaches that do know about it like out there that do listen to this because I was like I need your I need to know if this sounds as bad as I think it does as bad or as good no as bad. But it's good it's just one of those things where it's like huh makes you think but all right John I have a question for you all right because you were because you you mentioned like you didn't go play college tennis but I want to know because I've seen you I've heard you talk um what is it about coaching tennis that you just love or is just so appealing to you? Like why like honestly like why'd you get in this sport?

SPEAKER_02 43:05

Well you know it started with my grandfather he he got me into it and I got hooked on it and I mean tennis is just one of those sports that you can just play for the you know the rest of your life it's not you know it's you can build a lot of connections through the game. Uh and honestly it's helped me through a lot of like you know life as well because it is a tough sport. It's not an easy sport. You know you'll have athletes that will come out and be like oh tennis is an easy sport and then they hop on the court and then they try to hit against you know probably some of our better players and then they realize like oh they can't really do much.

SPEAKER_04 43:42

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 43:43

And um you know and it it's it is the best sport ever. I mean it I think I've met a lot of my friends through tennis in high school and in college as well. My roommate played on the team At UT Tyler, so I got to spend a lot of time with the team just through that aspect as well. And then my senior year in college, I got to be a student coach. So I got to learn from you know seeing at that level as well. Yeah. Um yeah.

SPEAKER_03 44:19

That's so so you said that. It reminded me you've got to have a handful of coaches that were really a really good, big influence on you uh through the last 10 years. Uh uh who are some of those? Kind of give them a little props, you know, some props.

SPEAKER_02 44:36

Holly Ford.

unknown 44:38

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 44:38

For sure. I mean, she was there my first, you know, at the very beginning of my tennis career of the high, you know, coaching high school. She's she was there. She helped me. Um, she helped me a lot, especially, you know, being a young coach, not really knowing a whole lot when I got to Spring Hill, like really now managing a team, you know, younger, earlier 20s, so I got kids, players that are closer to my age. Yes, yes.

SPEAKER_03 45:12

If y'all don't know, keep that thought, but Holly Ford was our treasurer uh uh forever at the Texas Tennis Coaches Association and uh did a lot with the with our convention and everything. And uh when we lost her, it was just a big, big huge loss for tennis itself, not just the association. But I absolutely loved her to death. So I'm glad you made mentioned her as one.

SPEAKER_02 45:38

Yeah, you know, um actually when Marissa and I got married during our honeymoon, I we were up in Brokenbow, and I drove down to Longview for the the funeral. Yeah. So I mean, it was I mean, she was she was special.

SPEAKER_03 45:56

She really was special. We drove down there for that too. Yeah. Anyway, I done I I don't want to put a downer on it, but I wanted to give her the praise that she deserves because she was a great, great lady, yeah, a great coach, and I'm glad she was one of your first ones that you mentioned. Who were some others?

SPEAKER_02 46:12

Uh, then there's Justin Quest at Allen. You know, and he he helped me, he taught me a lot just from when now it's competing at how to manage a big team. Because you know, the Allen team is a massive team. Yes, a huge team.

SPEAKER_03 46:27

So now it's like how to manage, you know, I got to see him manage and tell tell people what huge, what a ch huge team numbers are. Because people don't understand. Doesn't he have like two or three different teams? Or did I meant did I imagine that?

SPEAKER_02 46:42

Uh well he had, you know, he had a varsity and a J V. We had varsity and J V. Um, but I mean you have I think if you go look on UTR, you might see like 60 plus kids. Yeah. You know. To me, that's a big program.

SPEAKER_01 47:01

It is, it is.

SPEAKER_02 47:02

And I see like, you know, Sizemore's program that has over like probably a hundred kids on roster. So um so I'd say Quest, and then there were a bunch of you know, coaches that were that were that were there as well that um taught at their courts as well. That um they I learned a lot from them as well. And then even when I got to Frisco, I mean there's so many coaches that have been there, you know. I learned a lot from you know Jared as well. Like because, you know, I'm not I wouldn't say I'm the most sociable guy, you know, I'm not the most outspoken guy, but being there kind of helped me get out of my shell a little bit. And so, you know, now I don't have an issue, you know, talking to going up talking to people and stuff like that. Right. And then how to just, you know, be really energetic at at a practice and and all that. Um and then, you know, the other coaches in Frisco, you know, watching Centennial Doug Fair win three state titles in a row. Yes, amazing. Watching, you know, getting to play against some of his players and um just kind of watching and getting advice. Like this year, for example, and we had a we had a boys doubles team go to state, and when we were preparing for regionals and stuff like that, we were uh talking. I would go and take my boys to play against his kids, and the whole I'm talking to him the whole time, just trying to get input, advice, his thoughts about my boys and stuff like that, and you know it paid off.

SPEAKER_01 48:50

We got to the state tournament. It did.

SPEAKER_03 48:53

That was you know, you know, it was a surprise that we got some you're you've done ten years, you're gonna blink your eyes, and it's gonna be twenty and thirty years, and you're gonna have a lot of coaches that you don't even know right now. They're gonna be talking to you, calling you, asking you for advice, and I think that's a neat uh neat neat thing that happens through life. You know, I can remember being that first coach and being scared to death and calling, you know, Paul Smith, Steve Thomas, uh Coach Carter, and and two of those three are unfortunately gone now. But uh I just and I never knew that eventually I would be that person. So I I think it's so important for us to you know carry that uh pass that torch, I guess is what you're saying. Yeah, be able to share with other coaches. We talk about this a lot in these podcasts, but I think that's so important. So important. So anyway, I wanted to ask you about that real quick. And another thing before Amanda says something, it the energy that you have is great, but the energy that Marissa has is the older level.

SPEAKER_05 50:00

It's an old other level.

SPEAKER_03 50:03

Oh my gosh. Every time I see her, I have to smile because she's always just smiling and having a great time. I love that about her. She's amazing. She's and you are too. But it's like, oh, seeing y'all together is pretty cool. Anyway, thought I'd, you know, give her some props too. So thank you. She she'll she'll she'll she'll really love that. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 50:27

Well, I think we're gonna wind down. So, John, our last question, probably unless Ruben wants to ask one more, but um aside from like the paperwork or the admin side, what would you tell or what advice would you tell your first year self? Like, whether it's hey, beware of this or hey, you have this to look forward to, but what's something you would tell like what was something would you uh tell yourself to either relax you or help you look forward to as a first year coach?

SPEAKER_02 51:07

No, I'd say the big thing is because I've been you know, I've been to a couple of schools now, I've been to in m different programs now. You know, three out of the four, you know, I I came in pretty pretty new and wanting to like you know, change stuff and stuff like that. And you know, with Lebanon Trail, Jarrett and I came started there at the exact same time. So two new coaches coming in. And so I would say the big thing is is if you if you end up at a you know, you go to a different school is um give it time. Don't be too quick to try and change it to how you want to change it because um you'll probably get a lot of pushback at the beginning and then you I'd say gradually build it, but then really just kind of focus on those younger kids. Your your freshmen, your sophomores, because those are the kids that will ultimately carry, will start um, you know, they'll they'll they'll buy into the what your belief is, what the the culture is that you're trying to bring in. Yeah. And you know, and make time for make sure you make time for family as well. Um we Marissa and I have a little nephew named Jackson that, you know, Marissa's sister and our and her husband Jose, Molly and Jose, they now live in Texas. So we we we try to and they've come to some of the matches as well. They have some Emerson and Rock Hill gear, a little Jackson does now. So that's awesome. He uh, you know, it's it's making time for family and um you know when you go home, like just really enjoy that time with your family because you know one day they may not, you know, they may not be there one day. So you've got to make the most of it. The tennis will always be there. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 53:14

That's true.

SPEAKER_02 53:14

But you know, give make room for give give family and all that the time as well.

SPEAKER_03 53:22

Well, I do I actually do have one more question just because I like to always because you know, you came to this interview and uh I'm I'm sure you were like, I wonder what they're gonna ask. But is there anything we maybe didn't ask that you wanted to talk about and share with these other coaches? Because, you know, there's gonna be thousands of coaches listening to this podcast in the coming weeks. And so you have a chance now to give them some good uh Coach Latham advice.

SPEAKER_02 53:47

You know, it's it's uh you know, you know, with coach coaching school and all that, it's it's a great way to like build the build more connections. Like I can say through the convention, just being down there, getting to see uh old friends that I don't see very often. You know, I what you know, I see Sizemore. I've known Sizemore for a long time, and and he's helped me get a lot be where I'm at right now. He's he's always been uh on my resume.

SPEAKER_03 54:17

That's a good resume.

SPEAKER_02 54:18

I I owe him a few steak dinners, I think, at this point. But um uh, you know, it's it's it's a enjoy the enjoy the sport. It at the end of the day, it is a it's a it is a game as well. I know it I know we everyone wants to win and all that, but preparing these kids for life after the program is gonna be the uh more and more valuable than I would say the championships, because championships are gonna come and go and I think collect dust in the in the end. Yeah. But the the relationships, the connections you build with your you know, with your kids in your program, the coaches around you, those will be there for uh a lot longer. Yeah. So uh I would say just just uh always make time for those those things as well.

SPEAKER_03 55:16

So that's great stuff to finish with for sure. Well, thanks a lot, Coach Latham, for coming. And uh I I I've I look to uh the future and seeing how you're gonna do this year and and uh you know uh I want you to just sabotage the Allen Eagles as much as y'all can. Oh man. And I love Coach Quest. Don't get me wrong. I love Coach Quest. We're we go back a long way when he started coaching in 3A, and so uh we have great memories there. So but uh good luck to you this year and good luck to your kids, and and uh you tell Marissa we love her and wish her the best of luck too, okay? By the way, I don't know if you noticed this. I just put this on today. It says, I am they, and on the back it says, at least that's what they say. You know? And Marissa made this for me. Yeah, and Marissa made this for me too. Oh my gosh. Well, why didn't I get one made for me?

SPEAKER_00 56:10

I'm sorry.

SPEAKER_03 56:12

Selfish, selfish, selfish.

SPEAKER_00 56:14

I'll be right back.

SPEAKER_03 56:15

I see where we're at now. It's okay. We don't want to start a fight on the uh podcast.

SPEAKER_02 56:19

I'll I'll tell her to make your shirt, Ruben. There you go. There you go. Send her what you want and she can make it.

SPEAKER_03 56:26

I bet you can. I bet you can. Again, thanks a bunch, Coach, and uh good luck to you this year.

SPEAKER_01 56:31

Thank you.

SPEAKER_00 56:32

Thank you.

SPEAKER_03 56:33

Take care.

SPEAKER_00 56:34

Welcome back to TTCP. Ruben, what'd you think?

SPEAKER_03 56:39

Well, you know, I've I've known them for several years now, but I liked a lot of what he said. Uh just about, well, like like we talked about earlier, and I'm gonna talk about later in the in the uh motivational minute. I just like the most important thing is when he talked about, you know, uh it can't all be about winning, basically, you know. And uh uh it was a heartfelt comment that he made about that. And uh I really, really that rung a bell because as a coach for 33 years, that was my number one thing. And I was blessed to win some state championships, but I lost a lot more than I won. And so it couldn't be about that. So I loved that he brought that up as a a, you know, one of the important things in his life as a coach. And but uh no, he he you mentioned something about the coaching tree that was pretty, pretty impressive.

SPEAKER_00 57:32

Well, I mean, if y'all excuse me, just trying to adjust my leg. Um, but if y'all heard or kept up to have the coaching tree that John Latham has, which is the Holly Ford, the Justin Quest, the Jarrett Dawson. Um and he even mentions others like Douglas Fair, like that, those are solid people to have of the Charlie Sizeboard. But to go back and say, hey, make a phone call, or hey, I picked this up from like yeah, wow.

SPEAKER_05 58:10

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 58:11

And I'm sure Ruben, you were in John's position, and then I'm sure you are probably a branch to some coaches or were a branch still hard.

SPEAKER_03 58:20

Yeah, this this coaching tree in Texas is huge. And uh it's amazing how many people influenced me, and I'm sure I influenced other coaches. And uh, like I said, we talked about in that podcast, it's like uh I think that's you're gonna blink your eye, and and one one day you're asking for advice, the next day you're giving it, and the next day you're going out and playing golf because you're retired. So it just goes by fast. Take advantage of it. I mean, and I think he is, you know, I always thought the first 10 years were so important, and that he just finished his 10th year. And so uh I think his future is gonna be bright. Uh he's got a very good support system, not only with the coaches, but with his wife, and it's vice versa too. She has one through him. So uh I I I I've always liked them as a couple, and uh I just looked at the city. And a mixed doubles team. And a great mixed doubles team, of course.

SPEAKER_00 59:17

If you've ever seen the the TTCA convention to mixed doubles tournament, they are usually playing. And you if you want to talk about watching dynamics on court, that's one to watch.

SPEAKER_03 59:31

It's entertaining. I love it. I love it, yeah. So but uh I I I loved him and I I uh I can't wait to see what he does in the coming years. I'm excited about it. So uh I hear you got a motivational minute for us.

SPEAKER_00 59:44

Dang it, beat me to it. So sorry. Um I mean, dang it, Ruben. Like we talked about our coaching tree. I I will say I think it's something that I probably as a coach myself take advantage of. Um being at a smaller school and being um having the success that I've had. Um I loved his approach to the season of like, hey, we're gonna play teams either on paper that are at our level or above us. And to be in a competitive 6A district that John is in at Rock Hill, um I think if it it in what it sounds like to me is overreaching goal is like making true people, making good people. Um and I because like you said, champions are championships, trophies, those are gonna collect dust. You can't really some of the you can take the medals with you, but those are gonna collect dust too. Yeah. But I just thought, man, it in a because I mean, we've all seen the the the tennis kids that have that attitude that you're just like, oh yeah, please don't like you make this not fun. But to me, he I think John has a good head on his shoulders and is making his players have a good head on their shoulders as well.

SPEAKER_05 1:01:33

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 1:01:33

So please, coaches, help your kids get a good head on their shoulders.

SPEAKER_03 1:01:40

Well, and and be great young men and young women. I mean, that's what it's about. I mean, yeah. You know, and my motivational men, and I he talked about so many good things, but uh uh the the fact that he finished his one of his last statements of you know, it's it's family. Uh and when I see them, they're a young couple and and uh they are spoiling their uh uh was it nephew?

SPEAKER_00 1:02:06

Yes.

SPEAKER_03 1:02:07

Yes. And uh I think as a coach, sometimes you gotta remember that. Um yes, your job is important. Yes, getting the best kids to become great young men and young women important. But it can't it can't be more important than your family. And I think sometimes uh some coaches neglect their families and they don't do it on purpose. It's just they think it's more important uh to win and their job and all that. But I know it was tough on my wife growing up and raising two kids because I was always gone. But every chance we had to reconnect uh with our family, we did. Um what little free time we had. Off season we made it a big deal to you know get reconnected in uh summer traveling and then kind of putting tennis in the in the backburner, even though I worked with the kids and stuff. Uh my my number one outcome Yeah, the one number one thing I kept thinking about is I've gotta I've gotta think about the family first and and uh stay connected. And I think a lot of coaches need to re realize that because it's important. You know, sometimes you gotta say no to the job so you can say yes to the family. You know, and uh that's tough to do. I know people think it's tough, but like you said, the job, the kids, it'll come and go, but your family's always gonna be there, and that's why it's important. So uh he does a good job of that. So anyway, stay connected with your family, guys. That's the most important thing in my book. It really is.

SPEAKER_04 1:03:48

Yes.

SPEAKER_00 1:03:48

And it'll bring you back refreshed. It's okay to miss tennis. I tell my kids that all the time. It is okay to miss tennis. I actually, in fact, need you to miss tennis, please.

SPEAKER_03 1:03:59

That's why in the offseason, man, we we we might get on the tennis court one day. And if we do, it's just 30 minutes and it's a fun thing. It's nothing competitive, nothing. It's just something fun to do. But I like for my kids to not play tennis in the offseason. People are saying, Did you just say that? Yeah. Because guess what? When the offseason's over, spring is starting, they are pumped and ready to go. So that's how we did it here in Vernon. And I think she still does it here too. So anyway, that's all we got. John, you did a great job, man. Wish you the best.

SPEAKER_00 1:04:33

Yep. That is our first episode of season three.

SPEAKER_03 1:04:38

Season three. Oh my god.

SPEAKER_00 1:04:41

It's because of all you listeners out there.

SPEAKER_03 1:04:43

Yeah. Where's the time gone? Wow. Well, look forward to the next seven seasons. So we have a maybe by then I'll have a TTCP uh sweatshirt like that.

SPEAKER_00 1:04:56

I'm sure you will. All right, well bye, everybody. See y'all on the courts.

SPEAKER_03 1:05:03

Amen. Have a great summer. God bless. Bye. Bye bye.