Connection Counts Twice: Reflections from the 2025 ITA Coaches Convention

A heartfelt thank you to the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) for inviting e.t.c coaching consultants (Sarah McQuade and Linda Low) to lead a workshop and facilitate the inaugural ITA-W networking social at this year’s Coaches Convention in Tempe, Arizona.

The experience was inspiring, humbling, thought-provoking — and most importantly, rich with new connections across the collegiate coaching community.

Coaching With Connection: What Coaches Want Their Athletes to Feel

The workshop gathered more than 100 coaches from all NCAA divisions and the NAIA. From the very beginning, the room was alive with energy — a productive blend of conversation, curiosity, and collaboration.

Rather than exploring what coaches do, the session invited coaches to explore how they want their athletes to feel as part of the coaching experience. Coaches reflected on the environment they create, the tone they set, and the presence they bring to their teams.

To help organise their thinking, we offered three simple but powerful reference points:

• Composed

• Connected

• Competitive

These “buckets” helped coaches clarify what matters most to them and identify the coaching behaviours that enhance their ability to foster those feelings. What emerged was a strong collective recognition that:

Connection is intentional. When coaches think deeply about connection, they naturally become more relational, more person-centred, and more attuned to the humanity of their athletes.

And the impact is profound: Athletes who feel genuinely connected are more open, more receptive, and more autonomous in their growth — both on and off the court.

The overall takeaway from the session was clear: Coaching with connection isn’t about adding more — it’s about choosing with purpose.

ITAW Women’s Social: A Community Rooted in Confidence, Courage, and Commitment

The second session of the Convention — the first-ever ITAW networking social — was equally meaningful. Set on a beautiful rooftop terrace overlooking Tempe, the space was perfect for honest conversation and genuine connection.

This gathering is the result of Lauren Conching’s vision and leadership, creating a dedicated environment where women coaches can connect, communicate, be curious, and begin building a community that supports and celebrates one another.

Through a series of simple, human-centred conversation prompts, women shared stories, explored common challenges, and discovered new points of connection. It was warm, lively, and deeply affirming.

The heart of the evening was not networking for its own sake — it was community building. A community that strengthens confidence. A community that fosters courage. A community that reinforces commitment — to self, to the profession, and to one another.

A Convention That Reinforced What We Already Know

Across both sessions, one message echoed throughout: Connection counts twice.

It strengthens coaches. It strengthens athletes. And it strengthens the communities we build around the sport.

e.t.c coaching consultants are grateful for the opportunity to contribute to this year’s Convention and look forward to continuing these conversations in service of a more connected, intentional, and people-centred coaching world.

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