How to Help Jr Players Become Their Best Selves ft Chris Marquez
Welcome to Season 14 Episode 13 of the ParentingAces Podcast! In this week's episode, we continue our discussion of what it takes to become a great coach and how great coaches bring out the best in their players. Coach Chris Marquez is our guest.
Chris Marquez is a nationally respected tennis coach with a career built on passion, perseverance, and a deep understanding of player development. A self-described late bloomer, Chris didn’t pick up a racquet until age 11—but by 16, he was ranked among Florida’s top 15 juniors, earning wins over top-10 players, all while coming from a modest, middle-class background. With his love for the game, Chris also found success on the national level and competed internationally as well.
He went on to play Division I college tennis at the University of South Florida, where he competed in both singles and doubles and helped lead the team to a conference championship. After college, Chris stepped into coaching, quickly rising through the ranks to become a Director of Player Development and Group Leader at the prestigious Palmer Academy in Tampa Fl. His coaching journey has taken him around the world, working with top U.S. juniors, international prospects, and traveling on the WTA Tour coaching at Grand Slams, Tour Events and Challengers.
Currently, Chris serves as the Head Tennis Professional and High Performance Coach at the Lakewood Ranch Golf and Country Club and is based in St. Petersburg, Florida. He’s coached players at the junior Grand Slam level, numerous top national and international junior players, and helped countless athletes find success at the NCAA Division I level.
A pioneer in his field, Chris was recognized on-air by Tennis TV personality Dave Kozlowski for reviving clay court tennis at the collegiate level. He founded and directed the Lakewood Ranch Dick Vitale Intercollegiate Clay Court Championships—widely considered one of the best ITA fall college events in the country, drawing top men’s and women’s programs from all Power 5 conferences and the Ivy League.
With decades of experience nurturing talent from the earliest stages to the professional and collegiate level, Chris brings insight, energy, and a genuine love for the game to everything he does.
If you would like to get in touch with Coach Chris Marquez, you can email him at collegetourn@gmail.com. You can also follow him on social media:
If you’re so inclined, please share this – and all our episodes! – with your fellow tennis players, parents, and coaches. You can subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts or via your favorite podcast app. Please be sure to check out our logo’d merch as well as our a la carte personal consultations in our online shop.
CREDITS
Intro & Outro Music: Morgan Stone aka STØNE
Audio & Video Editing: Lisa Stone