Hello and welcome to my services page.
I am a firm believer in paying it forward and reaching out to help the next person. I had a successful career playing junior tennis, college tennis at Stanford, and then professionally for eleven years due to the support and guidance of my parents, coaches, and agent. I had many challenging family times during my junior and professional career, and my goal is to help other families avoid some of these challenges.
Many families in competitive sports feel the pressure to keep up with high expectations for results and rankings. It can be overwhelming to novice players, as well as seasoned players and their families.
I enjoy helping families by sharing my expertise from my playing career, many years of high-performance coaching, and multiple coaching and counseling certifications. And yes, I am a parent of multi-sport athletes as well, so I know how challenging it can be!
I offer a wide range of services focusing on the student-athlete, parents, and healthy family dynamics within youth sports.
MY WORK INCLUDES:
- Public Speaking & Workshops
- Parent Information & Education
- Mentorship of Players and Parents
- Academic Planning for Student-Athletes
- College Counseling for Student-Athletes
- Navigating the College Recruiting Process
PUBLIC SPEAKING & WORKSHOPS
I am available for speaking engagements and workshops on a variety of subjects.
A sample of these topics include:
- The Life Skills Learned Through Tennis
- Navigating the Junior Pathway
- Re-Defining the “Tennis Parent”
- Goal Setting Workshops
- The Parent’s Role in Supporting Your Athlete
- Planning the College Process with Your Athlete
- Healthy Families and Youth Sports
PARENT INFORMATION & EDUCATION
A well-informed and educated parent in the complexities of navigating the junior pathway is essential to a healthy relationship between the athlete and parent, as well as the coach and parent.
I provide information and education in a one-on-one or large group format in the following:
- Collegiate Tennis Process
- Setting Goals With Your Athlete
- Role of the Parent
- Positive Communication with the Coach and Player
- Resources for the Tennis Parent
MENTORING THE PARENT AND/OR THE ATHLETE
A mentor provides guidance, motivation, emotional support, and advice on an ongoing basis. Mentorship is available for the parent and/or the player throughout their tennis journey.
Some of the topics that are covered in a mentor relationship are:
- Family Dynamics
- Pressures of Competition
- Designing a Schedule
- Setting Short Term and Long Term Goals
- Academic Planning
COLLEGE RECRUITING PROCESS
The college process is very competitive and stressful for student-athletes and parents. Starting to map out the process early in high school, allows for flexibility and increased opportunities when it is time for college applications and the recruiting process. Unlike many college tennis recruiting consultants, I have completed a certificate in college counseling from UCLA and assist in finding the right fit for the complete student, not just the athlete.
- Timeline for the student-athlete to organize the college process
- High School academic course selections
- Pros & cons of homeschooling
- Test preparation
- College lists to accommodate tennis, academic, and career interests
- Letters and emails to coaches
- Preparing for college visits
Please contact Marianne via Linkedin
Link to Testimonials & Recommendations
MORE ABOUT MARIANNE’S TENNIS CAREER:
Marianne Werdel is a former professional tennis player on the WTA Tour and an All-American at Stanford University. As a junior player, she won 19 USTA Junior Championships, and as a student-athlete at Stanford, she was an All-American and a member of the 1986 NCAA National Championship team. She went on to enjoy an 11-year career from 1986 to 1997. During that time, she reached a career-high ranking of #21 in singles and #29 in doubles, reaching the semi-finals of the 1995 Australian Open. She was a member of the United States Federation Cup Team and has wins over Martina Hingis, Arantxa Sanchez-Vicario, Gabriella Sabatini, and Pam Shriver.
Giving back to the community has always been a big part of Marianne’s life. As a player on the WTA Tour, Marianne was elected by her peers to serve as President of the WTA Tour Players’ Association for three consecutive years, from 1994-1997. In this role, she represented the players on the WTA Tour Board of Directors and was involved in negotiations with the Tournaments and Federations concerning Tour sponsorship operations and budgets, TV contracts, and hiring a new WTA Tour CEO. She received the “WTA Tour Player Service Award” for her philanthropic work while competing on the tour. She enjoyed working with Special Olympics, and the Women’s Sports Foundation, speaking to students in schools across the country about the importance of education in athletics and a variety of other organizations.
In 1996, Marianne was inducted into the Bob Elias Hall of Fame in her hometown of Bakersfield, CA; in 2011, she was inducted into the Garces Memorial High School Hall of Honor, and in 2015 she was inducted into the USTA Northern California Hall of Fame. In 2009, she received the San Diego North County Philanthropy Council “Volunteer of the Year Award” for her work in the Rancho Santa Fe community.
Marianne currently lives in San Diego, working to coach and mentor some of the top juniors in the country as a USTA Faculty Coach. Marianne uses her experience and education as a college counselor to assist student-athletes with the college recruiting process. When Marianne isn’t busy working, she enjoys volunteering in the community, golfing, hiking, traveling, baking, reading, and yoga (when necessary).
