Tennis Federations
Coach-development strategy, coach education, conference content and support for national or regional development systems.
Work With Steve Whelan
I currently consult and work with major international tennis federations, academies, clubs and coaches across the world.
Projects include coach development, coach education, club programme design, player development and coaching methodology—supported by more than 25 years of practical coaching experience and ongoing academic research.
Who I work with
The same coaching idea cannot simply be copied into every country, club, programme or player pathway.
I work with organisations and coaches to understand their context, expose the assumptions shaping current practice and co-design changes that are usable, coherent and sustainable.
Coach-development strategy, coach education, conference content and support for national or regional development systems.
Programme reviews, coaching methodology, staff development and practice-design frameworks aligned across the academy.
Support with club programmes, player pathways, coaching culture and the connection between participation and competition.
Individual mentoring, practice review, professional learning and help applying research within real coaching environments.
Consultancy areas
Sustainable change depends on the wider system: its beliefs, language, incentives, programme structures, learning environments and people.
Designing clearer development pathways, mentoring systems and professional learning environments for coaches.
Developing courses, workshops and learning experiences that connect research with applied coaching practice.
Reviewing programme design, staff alignment, competition, progression and the environments players experience.
Building player-centred pathways and representative learning environments that support adaptation and match transfer.
Clarifying the principles, language and assumptions behind how an organisation wants its coaches to work.
Academic research
I am an academic researcher completing an MRes in Sport & Exercise Science at the University of Winchester. My research helps me examine not only what coaches do, but why particular practices, assumptions and behaviours persist.
This research informs my consultancy and coach education while keeping the work grounded in the culture, constraints and realities of each coaching environment.
How a coach’s beliefs about knowledge, learning and expertise shape practice design, intervention and decision-making.
How coaches interact, observe, communicate and adapt their behaviour within complex social and performance environments.
How formal education, mentoring and workplace learning influence whether new ideas transfer into applied coaching practice.
Ways to work together
Every engagement is shaped around the people, goals and constraints of the organisation or coach rather than delivered as a generic package.
Strategic and practical support for federations, academies and clubs seeking meaningful programme or methodology change.
Evidence-informed, challenging and practical presentations for tennis conferences, organisations and online events.
Interactive learning for coaching teams that connects contemporary research with problems coaches face on court.
Personalised virtual support for coaches and programme leaders who want clarity, critical challenge and practical action.
My approach
I do not arrive with a pre-packaged methodology and impose it on every environment. We start with your goals, people, culture, resources and current constraints.
The work is research-informed but collaborative, practical and honest. The goal is to create changes your coaches understand, your organisation can support and your players can experience.
Clarify the goals, people, culture, constraints and current reality.
Find the assumptions, structures or behaviours creating the greatest limitation.
Co-create practical actions, support implementation and adapt from what emerges.
Trusted by coaches and events
“Many thanks for your great participation at the WTC6 which with 61 presentations and 65 speakers was a complete success.”Fernando Segal — World Tennis Conference Founder
“Great presentation. Your content and messaging aligns with what we are trying to convey.”Jay Deacon — Tennis Australia
“You didn’t just look great on our event court, Steve—you also delivered an outstanding performance during your presentation.”Kai Gerber — Coach the Coaches Founder
Trusted across tennis
My work includes consultancy, conference presentations, coach education projects, workshops, webinars and professional partnerships across the international tennis industry.
This includes different forms of consultancy, speaking engagements, coach education, workshops and professional collaboration. Logos indicate professional connection or work, not necessarily formal endorsement.
Start the conversation
Book an initial conversation to discuss your federation, academy, club, coaching team or individual development needs. We will clarify the challenge before deciding what form of support makes sense.