What if the real difference between world‑class and almost‑there isn’t talent, but how you think when the match tightens? We sit down with Jay Berger—former world No. 7, U.S. Davis Cup and Olympic coach, and Director of Athletics at the Club at Ibis—to unpack the habits, systems, and mindset that turn potential into performance across decades.

Jay takes us from his early rise—round of 16 at the US Open as a college amateur—to the injury that ended his playing career and propelled him into coaching at the highest level. He shares rare, behind‑the‑scenes moments from Davis Cup and three Olympic Games, including gold with the Bryan brothers and a heartbreaking medal near‑miss that reshaped his view of winning. The stories reveal how pros manage pressure, why routines and controllables matter, and how champions shorten the time between frustration and refocus.

We dig into the evolution of training and longevity in tennis: traveling with physical therapists, strength coaches, nutrition, sleep strategies, and the data‑driven recovery practices that keep athletes competing into their late 30s. Jay contrasts today’s integrated support with his own “old school” grind, arguing for a smarter balance of autonomy on court and structure in the gym. He also breaks down what parents and coaches can do to develop resilient, process‑oriented competitors—praising effort, building fundamentals, and keeping family life steady regardless of wins or losses.

From raising multi‑sport kids to the explosive growth of pickleball alongside tennis at Ibis, this conversation blends elite insight with practical takeaways for athletes, parents, and coaches. If you care about performance, development, and a healthier relationship with competition, you’ll find tools you can use right away.

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Ready to trade guesswork for a real plan on the mats? We sit down with coach and gym owner Ryan Conforti of Rogue Wave in West Palm Beach to unpack a modern approach to jiu-jitsu that actually scales from day one to advanced competition. Ryan explains why the sport’s evolution now rewards wrestling, pressure, and clean guard passing, and how those same priorities make you safer in self-defense and smarter in MMA contexts.

Ryan’s story runs through striking, judo, MMA, and deeply technical no-gi systems—experience that shaped a transparent curriculum designed to take a beginner to purple belt with standards you can trust. We break down how belts map to real skill, why purple sits in the “advanced” pool alongside brown and black in many no-gi events, and how to avoid overpromotion traps that hurt credibility. For those curious about the top of the sport, we spotlight ADCC: trials, brackets, and what it takes to compete on the biggest stage.

Training smart matters. You’ll hear why swimming outperforms road miles for jiu-jitsu cardio, how rock climbing builds transferable grip and endurance, and what a two-day strength template should emphasize: core control, rotation, heavy carries, and durability over fluff. We share a practical weekly recipe for busy adults—stacking mat time, lifts, and one swim—plus mobility and Pilates to unlock hips, shoulders, and the posterior chain. We also address injury fears with a clear look at safe culture, tapping early, and how exposure builds calm under pressure. The unexpected bonus: community. Jiu-jitsu becomes a third place where effort beats status, confidence grows, and mental health gets a lift.

If you’re ready for a five-year roadmap with real checkpoints—not slogans—we’ve got you. Subscribe, share this with a training partner, and leave a review with the one habit you’ll add this week to move forward.

What if your child’s “cute” mispronunciations, drooling, or noisy sleep are signs of a deeper airway and muscle pattern that’s holding them back? We sit down with Dr. Christina Colonna, a pediatric speech pathologist and certified myofunctional therapist, to connect the dots between mouth breathing, tongue posture, palate growth, and the sounds kids struggle to say. Her story begins with her sister’s first words and leads to a practical, family-centered approach that blends speech therapy, airway screening, and playful home exercises that actually work.

We unpack the big red flags parents can spot—few words by 18 to 20 months, open-mouth rest, restless sleep, and one-sided chewing—and why structure shapes function. Christina explains how enlarged tonsils, adenoids, tongue or lip ties, and even long-term pacifier or thumb-sucking habits can narrow the palate and limit tongue elevation, making L, T, and D persistently hard. You’ll hear when an ENT, pediatric dentist, or orthodontist should join the team, how expansion creates space for the tongue, and why pre- and post-frenectomy therapy is crucial to guide the tongue to its new home.

For young athletes, breath is performance. Christina teaches nose-to-nose, diaphragmatic breathing to prevent over-breathing and improve endurance, plus movement-based drills that help kids keep their breath while they run, crawl, and read aloud. We also dig into stuttering strategy—slower starts, lower pressure—and practical swallowing steps that begin with saliva and build to balanced, bilateral chewing. From bottle weaning timelines to safe mouth tape recommendations for adults with clear airways, this is a roadmap for clearer speech, deeper sleep, better focus, and stronger performance.

If this conversation helped you see new patterns in your child—or yourself—tap follow, share the episode with a parent or coach, and leave a quick review so more families can find it.