Ashley Hobson joins Steve Smith and Dave Anderson to discuss coach mentorship, player development, and building athletes from the inside out. Hobson shares his path from South Africa and Lesotho into elite coaching, including formative years with Dennis Van der Meer and a decade with Peter Burwash, experiences that shaped his progression-based approach and emphasis on professionalism.

Episode 283 covers what has changed in junior tennis, including the rise of early “teams” around young players, the value of long-term coach player relationships, and why post-match evaluation and character-driven habits matter as much as technique. Listeners should also check out Hobson’s coaching resources and, separately, Robert Davis’s book Elements of Coaching Professional Tennis.

Robert Davis joins Steve Smith, Dave Anderson, and Ilja Semjonovs for a wide-ranging conversation on what pro-level coaching actually requires. With over 30 years on the ATP Tour and experience as a technical director and national coach across multiple federations, Davis brings a global perspective shaped by high-performance environments and his work as editor-in-chief of ELITE Tennis Journal.

The discussion examines coaching as a long-term responsibility, the difference between confidence and competence, and why doubles remains essential to complete player development. Episode 282 also breaks down professional routines such as planning, recovery, nutrition, and deliberate training, and how these habits separate coaches and players who continue to grow from those who stagnate.

Listeners are encouraged to check out Robert Davis’s book Elements of Coaching Professional Tennis for a deeper dive into the principles discussed in this episode.

As the new year approaches, Steve Smith and co-host Dave Anderson step back and re-center on the fundamentals that drive long-term development in tennis and in life: being proactive, prioritizing what matters, and committing to steady improvement. They connect timeless principles to junior development, especially grips, habits, and the idea that “winning” is built through process and skill-building rather than a scoreboard-driven mindset.

The conversation also highlights a set of ten "life lessons” drawn from a GreatBase student: being all-in, outworking the room, showing gratitude and respect, valuing character before technique, and doing the ordinary an extraordinary number of times. Steve and Dave discuss, on episode 281, why the best growth comes from “Program Plus" - the work done away from the lesson, the court, and the spotlight. The pair closes with a practical mindset for 2026: simplify goals, avoid spreading yourself thin, and make daily routines measurable and repeatable.