Last Year, I posted a video podcast about mentoring in tennis coaching.
I explored the tension between traditional and modern methods, the importance of flexibility, and why we need to move beyond the copy-and-paste approach in coach development.
The response was positive,except for one comment, that arrived just last week.
“Awful video… your strategy is to put others down… truth is always known in the trenches.”
It came from another coach in the space, I work.
On the surface, it was short and sharp. But when you break it down, it reveals a lot about how online debates in coaching often play out.
1. Recognising the Tactics
The comment wasn’t feedback, it was a dismissal.
No specifics.
There was no point-by-point critique, just “awful.”
Motive-assigning.
He claimed my aim was views and likes, without evidence.
Gatekeeping.
“Truth… in the trenches” implies only on-court time counts.
Credibility jabs.
He framed me as too theory-driven, ignoring the on-court work I share weekly.
Moral high ground play.
He accused me of “putting others down” while doing exactly that.
Once you learn to spot these patterns, you stop taking them personally.
They’re behaviours, whether conscious or not, to shut down a conversation before it starts.
You can watch the video and make your own mind up below …..
2. The Contradictions
Often, these comments don’t hold up under light inspection:
He says online talk “lowers standards,” yet runs a paid online membership himself. He warns against self-elevation by putting others down, but does exactly that. He uses “trenches” as the ultimate measure, yet likely isn’t coaching weekly at a club. He dismisses me as theoretical, while my own video showed recent, practical on-court work and mentoring.
These contradictions aren’t unusual.
They’re what happens when someone reacts emotionally to a perceived threat to their professional identity.
3. Why the Reaction Happens
From experience, I see five likely reasons:
Identity threat.
My points challenged a coaching style he identifies with.
Credibility turf war.
He wants “trenches” to outrank evidence-based frameworks.
Cognitive dissonance.
His anti-online stance clashes with his own online business.
Market positioning.
We speak to the same audience, competition breeds friction.
Confirmation bias.
Tradition is familiar, so new frameworks are rejected at first sight.
4. What This Means for Coaches
In my video, I shared my own learning process.
I talked about barriers from head coaches and parents. I explained why nonlinear learning and exploration take time. I showed how the “copy and paste” loop in mentoring holds us back. I backed it with examples from evidence and practice design, while keeping it grounded in reality.
The key? Stay reflective. Keep learning.
Even if someone thinks that’s “awful,” the right people see the value.
Final thought:
When criticism comes in without substance, it’s rarely about you. It’s about the story the other person is telling themselves. As coaches, whether on court or online, we need to be able to separate the noise from the feedback worth hearing.
And if you want to join a space where those deeper, evidence-based conversations happen without the noise, keep an eye out for The Modern Coach Event 2026, bringing together some of the most forward-thinking minds in tennis coaching.
