Jonathan Thie – Tennis Instructor for Autistic Children (2011)

Jonathan Thie is proud to have been a tennis instructor for autistic children in 2011.  The position pushed the tennis coach and instructor to be better than ever before.  It challenged him as a tennis player, coach, and person, but also came along with its own set of rewards that he wouldn’t have been able to imagine prior to taking the position.

Though Jonathan Thie would never recommend that every teacher take on this unique challenge, he believes it was the best thing for him to do at the time.  At that point in his career as a tennis instructor, Thie had experience in teaching children ages ten and under.  He had been teaching that age group for two years when he agreed to begin teaching autistic children.

When he started, Jonathan Thie believes he didn’t quite have a good idea of what he was getting into.  At first, Jonathan Thie thought that teaching autistic children would present an exciting new challenge that would push him as a teacher.  However, he quickly realized that teaching autistic children was a much more strenuous challenge than he first expected.

In many cases, Jonathan Thie struggled with a communication barrier.  Because some autistic children are very quiet, it can be difficult to get feedback on understanding concepts.  This forced Jonathan Thie to change his teaching style from one that was rooted in verbal communication to one that relied heavily on demonstration and physical repetition.

As Jonathan Thie began reconstructing his teaching methods during 2011, he found that some of the same principles were applicable in the other classes he taught.  Today, as Head Coach of the men’s tennis team at St. Thomas More, Jonathan Thie is using some techniques that he learned as a teacher of autistic children.

Hotel/Restaurant Management & Jonathan Thie

Today, Jonathan Thie is a tennis professional and coach in South Dakota.  However, he’s enjoyed a varied career in many industries, including hotel and restaurant management and furniture sales.

Things started off strong for Jonathan Thie when he earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Family Consumer Sciences and Hotel/Restaurant Management from South Dakota State University. Jonathan Thie earned the degree in 2006, and quickly launched into a career in the hotel and restaurant management field.

The hotel and restaurant management field can be a stressful and challenging one, acknowledges Jonathan Thie.  But, for some people, it’s a perfect fit.  It seems that the industry tends to bring out both the best and the worst in most people.  Because restaurants often receive the brunt of your average customer’s bad attitude, those who work in the industry have to learn to be extremely patient.

As a patient Christian man, Jonathan Thie did well in the hotel and restaurant business.  Also, he enjoyed the fast pace that the industry moves at.  However, he wasn’t completely fulfilled by his work in the hotel and restaurant management business. Jonathan Thie knew that there was something else out there for him.

After two and a half years, he decided the business wasn’t for him, and set out to find his true passion.  Thie spent a brief year working with a furniture sales company, and then fell in love with a career that was in line with his passion: tennis. Jonathan Thie spent a number of years playing tennis (growing up and then later as a Division 1 player in college).  Today, he’s happily employed as a tennis instructor and the Head Men’s Tennis Coach at St. Thomas More, a private Catholic High School in South Dakota.  However, he’s still grateful to have had his experiences in the hotel and restaurant management industry.

Jonathan Thie: How to Be a Great Tennis Instructor

Jonathan Thie has been a tennis instructor in one way or another for the last three years.  While Jonathan Thie is a great tennis player, he knows that playing the game well is only a small part of what it takes to be a great tennis instructor.

Jonathan Thie has gained experience in teaching tennis at all levels.  He’s taught children ages ten and under for three years, taught middle school tennis for one year, was a Junior Team tennis coordinator for a year, and has also taught at men and women at the high school level.  Currently, Jonathan Thie is the Head Coach for the St. Thomas More Men’s team (a private Catholic School in South Dakota).

While teaching styles and techniques vary amongst these diverse age groups and demographics, Jonathan Thie has found a few things to remain true across the board.  If you’re interested in becoming a tennis instructor or coach, Jonathan Thie has two main tips to share:

1. Become certified. Jonathan Thie has found that certification opens so many doors when you’re a tennis teacher.  There are so many talented tennis players out there, and many of them could be good teachers.  However, you’ll find that few have certifications. Jonathan Thie is certified by PTR, USPTA, and USTA.  While you don’t need to be certified by all three, having at least one certification will help you find coaching and teaching opportunities.
2. Be personable.  It’s important to remember that you aren’t just teaching tennis.  When your teaching children and high school students (especially), you’re also a role model. Jonathan Thie has learned that it’s very important to engage with his students on a more personal level than just talking about their backhand.

These are just two valuable lessons Jonathan Thie learned early on in his tennis instructing career.