Welcome to Season 9, Episode 40, of the ParentingAces Podcast! This week Lisa speaks once again with coach Todd Widom.

To view the video version of this episode, go to https://youtu.be/XvNYHoB9Nrk.

Todd recently posted an old clipping on Facebook showing the Boys 16s rankings in Florida in the late 1990s. It sparked a conversation about the importance - or non-importance - of rankings and ratings and how today's players and parents seem to be obsessed with the numbers.

In this episode, Todd discusses why Tennis Parents need to shift their focus away from rankings and toward incremental developmental accomplishments to help their children reach their goals. He gives several examples of how junior ratings really don't reflect a player's long-term potential and talks about the challenges in the US Junior Competition system of needing certain rankings to compete on the national level.

For more information on Todd Widom, click here to visit his website. You can email Todd at todd@twtennis.com.

As always, a big thank you to Morgan Stone, aka STØNE, for our intro and outro music this season. You can find more of his music at SoundCloud.com/stonemuzic. If you’re interested in House Music, please be sure to check out his social media channels on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

If you’re so inclined, please share this – and all our episodes! – with your tennis community. You can subscribe to the podcast on iTunes or via the ParentingAces website. If you haven’t already, be sure to become a Member of ParentingAces by clicking here.

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