Coaching Spotlight: Adam Lee, Glen Head Racquet & Fitness
Long Island has an array of high-level junior tennis talent, and much of the success of those players, especially recently, can be attributed to the dedicated coaches and teaching pros who guide their development.
One of those coaches is Adam Lee, a High Performance coach at Glen Head Racquet & Fitness, who has been teaching here on Long Island for the last three years.
“I’ve always loved the game so much, and I want to help people, so I think I always wanted to go into coaching,” said Lee. “Going pro was always the dream, but when that didn’t work out, I realized I wanted to help players do well, more than I want to do well myself. I love to see the improvement in the kids I work with, and trying to get the most out of our High Performance players is something that really drives me each day.”
Born in Sheffield, England, about two hours east of Liverpool, Lee got his start in tennis when he was around four-years-old. He would tag along with his older sister and his father to the local park, helping them pickup balls after their practice. Towards the end of these sessions, he would grab a racquet for a few minutes, and he was hooked.
Lee doesn’t remember a lot about his time in England, but he does have one memory in particular that stands out. By way of his winning the Great Britain Junior 12U Nationals with a victory over current professional Joe Salisbury in the finals, he got the chance to play in an exhibition doubles match with the likes of Lleyton Hewitt and Carlos Moya,
“It was amazing,” Lee recalls. “Hewitt was my idol growing up. His energy and competitiveness was something I always tried to emulate.”
Before he turned 13, Lee and his family headed to New Zealand, a destination that was decided after a family vacation. There, Lee continued to develop his game and was competing in ITF tournaments across New Zealand and Australia, aiming to land a college scholarship.
He was competing with the crop of Australian tennis players you see on the ATP Tour today, including Nick Kyrgios, Jordan Thompson and James Duckworth. As he continued to climb up the junior rankings, he began to field offers from colleges here in the United States, ultimately choosing Wake Forest.
“They just wanted me more, and that went a long way. The coach came and saw me play a tournament in Thailand, and stayed with us in New Zealand for a week,” said Lee. “I became familiar and personal with him, and when they brought me over for a visit, I met the team and it seemed like a great fit. When someone wants you and you feel like this is home, it’s an easy decision.”
Lee would go on to set the single-season wins record, winning 38 singles matches in his junior campaign, a record that still stands. His success in Winston-Salem set the stage for him to become a professional tennis player, but an elbow injury late in his final semester put a damper on those hopes.
“I had surgery on my elbow right after I graduated, and I probably came back a little too early because my arm was still bothering me,” he recalls. “I gave it a shot, but it got to the point where I wasn’t competing for the love of the game anymore, I was doing it because I needed the money. That took the edge off and added more pressure. I played my last match against David Goffin, and retired after that loss.”
So Lee was left searching for the next step in his life. Still a lover of tennis, he knew he had the desire to help people, and coaching was the logical answer. He had received offers from clubs and academies in the southern part of the United States, but after moving to New York, he got an offer to coach at Glen Head Racquet & Fitness.
As Lee says:
“I took it from there and haven’t looked back.”
Lee now lives in Locust Valley and runs the High Performance program at Glen Head, where he develops the facility’s top junior players, many of whom are ranked highly on Long Island and in the Eastern Section. He loves his role and the people he works with at Glen Head, and believes it’s an ideal environment for the area’s top players to train at.
“It’s unique here, because every coach is friendly, and I don’t think you get that at every place you go to,” he says. “Everyone is energetic and supportive, and honestly, it’s like a home. It’s a family here. I’m a big believer in that if you have the right environment, success will follow. I can give my players to another coach to hit with, and I know that that coach will help them get better instead of trying to steer that in the wrong direction.”
That camaraderie and atmosphere starts at the top with Phil Barres, who took over ownership of the club from longtime owner Robert Friedman back in 2019. Barres has helped rejuvenate the club into a high performance destination.
“He wants to turn this place into one where good national players can come train,” said Lee. “He really has developed the club to the point where we have so many top-ranked players here.”
Of Lee, Barres said:
“His passion for the game is incredible, and his energy level is off the charts. He’s elevated the standard here. Adam is everything you’d want in a coach, he’s a great guy who is totally devoted to the kids he works with. He’ll give you everything he has if you are willing to work.”
When he isn’t on court, Lee likes to play another sport he loved as a child, soccer, competing in a men’s league on Long Island. He also enjoys fishing and playing golf when he can find the time.
Much of his time is also spent reading and studying, as he is always looking to improve himself as a coach to continue to get the most out of his players.
“No one is perfect, and my goal is just to get better and learn every day,” said Lee. “It’s important to always be learning and getting better. I’ve done a lot of research and earned my certifications, but can still learn more. And I tell my players similarly. I’m realistic with them and say, if you aren’t putting the work in, someone else is. There’s no magic wand, the goal for players and coaches alike should be getting better day-in-and-day-out.”
