Your Flagstaff Advantage
Skill
experience
CHARACTER
"Our family has had numerous experiences with many, many coaches over the years and I can honestly say Trent is very special and has stood out by far. Honestly, Trent's personality and demeanor were a big reason why we chose him to coach our boys. I think "who" Trent genuinely is as a person, is what keeps his students committed and truly driven, and it's what brings those students back to the court time and time again, with grins from ear to ear. It has been amazing to watch him in action...encouraging students, exciting students, enjoying students, pushing students and truly moving them to be both better players on the court, and better people off the court. It has been priceless to our family." – Lisa Muscarella
Your advantage
What makes a great coach?
Passion, experience, kindess, and communication.
A great coach has mastered the game, and is able to translate and communicate these progressions in ways unique to each student. A great coach also genuinely cares about each a student, and these traits can be quickly recognized.
Trent’s unique background in tennis - as both a player and coach - can provide his students with many advantages on their journey towards becoming a better player. His instructional approach differs depending on age, skill, and goals – but always remains focused on consistent improvement.
“There are those rare moments in life when a person arrives and has a life-changing effect; this is what I would say in an attempt to summarize what Trent Hayward has done for my son, Taylor. Having experiences with numerous other tennis coaches, we can see that Trent simply stands out from the crowd. He is an example of a coach who delivers much more than basic tennis skills; Trent directs and inspires Taylor to improve his tennis while instilling in him excellent work ethics and strength of character. We know that inspiration can come in many forms – we are extremely grateful for Trent – he is a mentor, teacher, trainer, educator, drill instructor, guide and friend; we call him Coach.” - Michael McLaughlin
Beginner Basics
When you start out in the sport have a choice: build efficient stroke habits, or build flawed techniques that will eventually haunt your game. This early stage is crucial, and Trent patiently works to create the correct muscle-memory habits. Basic games, goals, and stroke practice help students witness their own progress as they develop crucial fundamentals.
tHE PLAYER
As a student progresses, they must continue to refine and enhance stroke mechanics until the correct form becomes second-nature. Trent also introduces more advanced concepts such as positioning, stroke selection, strategy, and more. He helps students understand the “how and why” of any given decision, and reinforces these progressions though new challenges, live-ball, and point-play scenarios.
the competitor
Spin, angle, depth. Movement, stance, balance. Percentages, tactics, opponents. And perhaps most importantly, mental conditioning. Trent’s experienced the journey of becoming an elite player, and now translates these skills to his students. In addition to incorporating more advanced drills and game scenarios – which he personally participates in to simulate peer competition – he’ll help you understand the game beyond the strokes themselves. It only gets more tactical - and fun - from here out!
“After holding a world ranking on the ATP Tour and completing a Division 1 college tennis career, I can tell you that Trent is easily one of the best competitors I have ever faced on the court. He can add a dimension to your game that will make you thrive and succeed under pressure time and time again. He brings his passion, determination, and will to his students and clinics. If you want to further your game and be a more competitive player, Trent is the guy you want to work with.”
- Brian Grooms, Tennis Professional and former ATP Tour Player.
the most important shot
The serve can be one of the most difficult strokes to master, and can singlehandedly ‘make or break’ your results. The slice, kick, flat, power, and twist serves all have unique techniques, and a player must pay close attention to the details surrounding the toss, body and limb mechanics, and fine motor adjustments.
At age 15, Trent began hitting serves in excess of 130 mph and went on to break (and holds) the Guinness World Record for ‘Most Successful Serves in an Hour’. Speed, spin, accuracy and most importantly, consistency are the hallmarks of a great server, and he’s here to help you develop them.
“During the time of Trenton’s involvement he not only shared his time and talent, he shared his compassion, dedication and sense of helping in a sport that he knew so much about. His strengths are his commitment and dedication He is also a strong leader who will go above and beyond what is asked of him.” – Sherrie Andrus, Special Olympics Coordinator for the Columbus City School
the mental side
What is mental conditioning? The combination of sports' psychology, strategy, and self - discipline (commonly called mental toughness). These factors can affect everything relating to your game’s progression, both on and off the court.
Trent's dedication to the cerebral side of tennis has shown throughout his career, and he looks forward to helping his students learn the same skills.
"I was able to experience Trenton Hayward’s on court work ethic and passion for the game of tennis. Besides naturally possessing successful teaching skills, I was mostly impressed by how Trenton handled being a role model for these children. He was able to give them the confidence and trust necessary to do something they have never done before. Seeing the excitement in their faces when he started his lessons is something I will remember for the rest of my life and my experiences with him motivate me to constantly better myself as an instructor, but more importantly as a mentor.” – Jeff Morys; Former #1 Singles Player for N.A.U. and Regional Director of Tennis at SPORTME Kings Park/ Lynbrook
young players
Children, at any stage, must enjoy practice in order to continue looking forward to it. Many instructors stress having fun, and Trent strongly believes in this as well…but is very careful that practice doesn’t just become recess with rackets. He’s worked extensively with children throughout his career and has developed an instructional approach built around two equally-important goals: have a great time, but get better!
Young players can encounter new and unique challenges -both mentally and physically - when it comes to learning a complex sport like tennis. Trent's kind, encouraging communication with young players helps them develop confidence and witness their own progress on the court.
Trent encourages parents to regularly watch their children’s learning to see that they are enjoying the sport, but also steadily improving.