Story of the Week
​Colossal Tennis turned eight this year, and I’m proud to say we’ve built a fantastic community of like-minded, competitive tennis players.
Over the past eight years, our Minnesota junior students have become incredibly successful on the local, sectional, and national tennis scenes—leading their teams and winning tournaments week after week.
Our students have claimed United States Tennis Association (USTA) sectional and national tournament titles, and even USTA national gold balls (Level 1 champions).
Many of them graduate from our program ready to continue their competitive journey at the highest levels of collegiate tennis.
Looking back, starting Colossal Tennis seems like an obvious decision. But it took us over 15 years to finally pursue the dream my co-founder Sion Wilkins and I first shared in our college apartment.
The Challenge in Starting
There’s incredible excitement in beginning something new—the thrill of imagining what could be created and who you might become.
But that thrill often gives way to frustration, delay, and confusion, especially when the path forward is unclear. That’s when “paralysis by analysis” sets in, and progress stalls.
That’s exactly how it was for us when starting Colossal Tennis.
When Sion and I considered leaving our jobs to chase our long-held dream of launching our own tennis academy, there was a lot on the line.
We had a strong track record as junior coaches and teaching partners, but we were stepping into a world where we’d be starting from scratch.
On top of that, we had to manage a full-fledged business and brand—something completely new to us both.
Our biggest obstacle? Court space.
In snowy Minnesota, year-round training requires indoor facilities, and there were virtually no independent courts available to rent. Without space, even our best efforts might have never gotten off the ground.
Still, we pushed forward and did the hardest thing of all—we started.
Day by day, we tackled each piece of building a business.
Step by step, we created a unique training system designed to deliver a top-tier educational experience—and a team-first environment in a sport that’s usually all about the individual.
Every day, we taught a little better, grew a little stronger, and became more of our future selves.
And while the progress was slow, it was progress.
As my dad likes to say:
The longer it takes you to get good, the longer you stay good.
Eight years ago, we started with access to a single court for just two hours a few times a week.
Today, our junior programs are at full capacity, and we now operate our Elite and Performance programs across 10 courts throughout the week.
Like any flywheel, the initial turns were heavy. But with time, momentum builds—and if you're in it for the long haul and work to improve a little each day, the results can be astounding.
Your Turn
There will always be a million reasons to delay starting something.
But time spent waiting is time that could be spent doing.
Instead of worrying about everything that lies ahead, make a plan—and take one small step toward your goal today.
So, what’s something in your tennis journey you’ve been delaying?
On-court, could it be…
- A technical change you’ve been avoiding?
- A tactical pattern that feels uncomfortable?
- Too much practice and not enough competition—or vice versa?
Off-court, could it be…
- Journaling before and after training or match play?
- Establishing a new routine (fitness, sleep, nutrition, etc.)?
- Reviewing match footage?
Whatever it is, there’s no time like the present to take that first step.
What are you going to start today?
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