August 3, 2015 9:44 am Bro of the Month, Aussie Tour Tennis Coach, Jaymon Crabb
Jaymon Crabb is a professional tennis player from Australia. In 1996 Jaymon was a semi-finalist in the boys singles at Wimbledon. He played in the Australian Open singles in 1997, 2003 and 2004, in men’s doubles and mixed doubles at Wimbledon, where he partnered with his future wife, Bryanne Stewart in 2003 (Mom of the Week, June, 2015).
Jaymon and Bryanne are currently based in the US. Jaymon is a traveling coach for Australian star, Lleyton Hewitt and an integral part of his team. He also coaches Patrick Davidson of Greenwich, a professional tennis player.
Jaymon was at Wimbledon in June to help Lleyton Hewitt prepare for his final tournament there. Players who have been Wimbledon champions in the past (like Hewitt) may use the grass courts, gyms and locker rooms well ahead of the tournament.
Jaymon was kind enough to give Party with Moms an exclusive interview
What accomplishments in your life are you most proud of?
Definitely persuading Bryanne to marry me. It was a long “courting” period and we had a lot of fun together. I think we have even better times ahead of us.
Our two kids, Xander (4.5) and Isabella (1.5). It is a joy to watch them grow and develop and I would sacrifice anything for them. Being away from family is the toughest thing about the travel. I miss the kids’ milestones. I hate not being there for them and also the extra burden it puts on Bryanne having to raise them both on her own for periods of time. I definitely feel guilty about that. On the flipside Bryanne and the kids travel with me a lot and we see wonderful parts of the world and meet interesting people so those times are also special. It’s good for the kids to have to adapt to different cultures, time zones and surroundings.
In 2004 I qualified for the Australian Open (winning 3 tough matches) and then beat Andrew Illie in the first round before losing to David Nalbandian in a close match. That was very exciting. Playing in front of 10,000 people and the buzz at the time is something I will never forget.
Coaching Lleyton Hewitt is also something I’m proud of. He has had great coaches before and is demanding of high performance so the fact that he trusts his game and game plans to me gives me confidence in the job I’m doing. The highlight was coaching him to his last title, one year ago at the ATP $250,000 tour event in Newport, Rhode Island. Having both our families there made it even more special. Xander remembers Lleyton pulling him over the fence after he won, and running on the court with Lleyton’s kids.
I’m really proud of the work I’ve done with Patrick Davidson and the work ethic and love of the game of tennis he exudes. Pat and I have taken his game from average high school player to competitive against anyone on the world stage. The commitment to his training and lifestyle choices as well as traveling the world have also made Pat a well rounded human being and I’m proud to be a part of that.
What qualities do you admire in a father?
Being a father is a really tough job but also so rewarding! I think especially because I’m away on the road, when I get back I find it hard to discipline and sometimes want to be more of a friend than a father! I think it is really important to find the balance between having fun and making kids happy and then also disciplining them so they grow to be the sort of people that we want them to be.
The world is always changing so to be a good father you have to always be learning and keeping up with the latest trends, whether that be nutrition, school work, sport training or the internet. You need patience and you need to be humble because I’m sure everyone thinks his kid is the greatest and most likely everyone else doesn’t want to hear about it!
You have to be a good role model as kids really are like sponges. They pick up on everything we do. I was lucky to have great role models in my own parents who instilled great family values and an emphasis on working hard to a high standard.
You do a lot of traveling. Which places are your favorites to visit? What does the remainder of your calendar year look like?
I always love getting back to Australia – Sydney and Perth (and especially down south of Perth). I love the beaches these places have to offer and the relaxed mood. Plus we get to see family and friends! It is great to see Mum, Dad, my brother and sister so we always plan our holidays or even tournament schedules to get some family time. I also like Melbourne for the Australian Open. I think of Melbourne as the sports capital of the world. The Australian Open is always such a fun time.
This year I’ve done a lot of traveling. After Wimbledon I had a week in Greenwich but that was broken up with a trip to Newport for the tournament there. I’m in Vancouver as I write this. Bahamas next week for training, then Washington DC, possibly Montreal, then back to Greenwich for a month (during US OPEN). In mid- November we will head to Sydney and start doing our pre-season to prepare for Australian Open 2016 (Lleyton’s last tournament).
Besides tennis, what other sports do you enjoy?
Australian Rules Football, Cricket, and Golf. I’ve tried to get into American sports. We go to some New York Giants games and it is always awesome to go to a Yankee game. I find them more like entertainment, where I have more passion for the Australian sports.
What kind of music do you like?
I guess Rock music. I listen to a pretty big mix. Normally the top 40 or whatever is on the radio. Bryanne gets me to listen to Bon Jovi. Xander has his play list and he normally finds a song he likes and wants to listen to it 100 times in a row (this week it is Centuries by Fall Out Boy).
I’ve heard you are buddies with fellow Aussie, Adam Scott. Can you tell us what a night out with Adam would be like?
Yeah Adam lives in the Bahamas, the same as Lleyton so we see him there quite a bit. He likes to play some tennis (he was a good junior tennis player growing up). We see him in the gym a lot and he is always out on the golf course working on his game while we are on the tennis court. Adam has come to watch Lleyton at Wimbledon and in Australia and he is always up for a beer or two and a chat. Very nice down-to-earth guy.
What is your drink of choice and where is your favorite place to Party with Moms?
I like a nice red wine, either a Napa Valley Cab Sav or a Barossa Valley Shiraz.
Probably Bar Taco is my favorite restaurant at the moment (obviously need a margarita there, rocks and salt).
