Meet Jonathan Sadowski, a tennis instructor at all of the Elite clubs! He has a strong passion helping his tennis students learn and grow in the sport. Not only does Jonathan want to help them learn the sport technically, he hopes to instill his passion for the game in them as well.
Meet Jonathan Sadowski
- What position(s) do you currently hold at Elite and any you have held in the past?
I am a Tennis Instructor at all of the Elite clubs.
- How long have you been playing tennis?
I’ve been playing tennis since 2004. I started working at Elite in May 2024.
My greatest personal accomplishment in tennis was receiving an athletic scholarship playing Division I tennis at Saint Louis University. This has been a dream of mine ever since I started playing tennis, and the fact I received a scholarship, consistently started all four years, and succeeded is by far my greatest accomplishment.
- What made you want to become a tennis pro?
I have been playing tennis my whole life, and ever since I picked it up when I was three years old, I knew this sport was going to be a part of me for life. However, I didn’t know coaching was going to be in the picture. It wasn’t until five years ago that I coached my first ever tennis lesson and learned this was my passion. Witnessing the joy and determination that my student showed me gave me chills and helped me realize how much I enjoy coaching. And then seeing this student improve because of my coaching skills was icing on the cake. Ever since that day, I knew this was my passion and the true reason I wanted to become a tennis pro.
- What is your favorite part about your job? About tennis in general?
My favorite part about being a tennis instructor breaks down into two parts. First, seeing my students grow into the person they are on and off the court. When you are coaching someone, you are helping them in many aspects of life. And to see them grow mentally and physically as time goes on brings satisfaction to me as I know I’m a factor in helping this person improve. It warms my heart and is something I want to continue in the future. My other favorite part is seeing my students enjoying the sport. There have been too many times when I have seen players go from enjoying tennis to disliking it with a passion because they were pushed too hard, resulting in having zero enjoyment. Now although I believe a student should be pushed to their limit, it should be done in a fair manner where the players should be enjoying their time on the court as well. It’s a balance that I always focus on, and if done right, that becomes one of my favorite parts about tennis.
- What activities do you participate in at the club or outside of the club besides tennis?
Some activities that I participate in are, first, playing tennis matches with friends and family as we all enjoy the competition and workout. Second, we also enjoy golfing as it brings a different dynamic compared to tennis, which we thoroughly enjoy. Thirdly, my friends and family love the sport of baseball as we’re always attending Brewers games, or playing the sport ourselves. Finally, some other activities my brother and I specifically enjoy are working out, playing instruments, and going to the movie theater.
- How would you encourage someone who is considering tennis for the first time?
When it comes to someone who is considering tennis for the first time, I would first encourage them to make a long-term goal. An example of this would be the player asking themself where they want to be in five years with tennis. Do they want to be trying to play college tennis, or simply learn the sport for good exercise? This will help any player build a good foundation of what their future looks like for the sport and helps them understand how much they need to push themself. In addition to this, finding a good coach that you can connect with is just as important. You don’t want to find yourself jumping from coach to coach as each one is different, most likely confusing you as a beginning player. If you can accomplish these tasks, you will be in good shape when beginning your tennis journey.
- What advice do you give people who are just starting out in tennis?
My biggest piece of advice is to be patient. I have witnessed players who get upset when they don’t improve after two days, which is the wrong mentality. It took me over 15 years to understand this sport, and I’m still nowhere near perfect in understanding everything. No one is. So when you are starting, you need to be patient, and believe in the process, because great success will come your way if you do so. You must consistently work hard, trust in your coaches and yourself, and enjoy the ride. Putting too much pressure will result in setbacks.
Are you an experienced tennis player? Have you had a tennis lesson with Jonathan Sadowski? Tell us about your experience, or perhaps your own personal tennis story!
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