June Roll Out

 

My vote: do not make June a pure explanation month, and do not jump in with a random isolated topic either. Make June an applied introduction month — a “start here” month that teaches the whole FBTL system through one foundational skill. The best first Teaching Academy topic is Self-Awareness. More specifically: “Know What You’re Feeling Before It Starts Playing the Match.” That choice fits your site especially well because the homepage already defines EQ through self-awareness, self-regulation, motivation, empathy, and social skills; Daily Routines begins with a morning check-in; and the Emotion Racket is built around identifying emotions from the center of Flow outward, then reflecting, communicating, and regulating them.

I would not make the first month simply “What Is EQ?” for four straight weeks. Subscribers need to feel usefulness right away. If June is too theoretical, people will admire it but not yet feel it. If June is too narrow, they may miss how the whole platform connects. The sweet spot is: 20–25% explanation, 75–80% application. Teach what EQ is, but teach it through the first indispensable skill: noticing what you feel, naming it accurately, and understanding what it is doing to your tennis. That is the doorway into everything else on the site.

So my strongest recommendation for the first Teaching Academy course is:

June Teaching Academy Topic

Self-Awareness: The Skill Before Every Other Skill
or
Start Here: Know What You’re Feeling Before It Starts Playing the Match

That is the best opener because it lets you introduce:

  • what EQ is
  • why tennis is emotional by design
  • how players identify feelings
  • how those feelings affect performance
  • how FBTL helps regulate them

All of that is already reinforced across the live platform: Daily Routines starts with the morning check-in and one centering practice; Emotion Racket teaches identification, reflection, communication, and regulation; Player’s Box teaches emotional check-ins, role clarity, and post-match communication; and Pep Talks is already positioned as a reset tool for emotional spikes.

I would not use “The Importance of Being a Role Model” as the June opener, even though it is a strong topic and is currently showing as the Teaching Academy monthly topic on the site. It feels more like a Month 2 or Month 3 course, after members understand the FBTL language and framework a little better. For launch month, you want the broadest possible on-ramp. Self-awareness is that on-ramp. Role model is excellent, but it is not the easiest front door.

What June should look like across the whole platform

I would make June one unified platform-wide theme:

June Theme: START HERE

Know Yourself. Name It. Use It.

That gives you one clean umbrella for the whole launch. Every section then supports the same idea from a different angle. That is important, because your site already has multiple active sections — Teaching Academy, For Today, Daily Routines, Emotion Racket, Pep Talks, Player’s Box — and they will feel much stronger if they all orbit one launch theme instead of six unrelated ideas.

The June rollout I’d use

Teaching Academy

Make June the anchor course:
Self-Awareness: The Skill Before Every Other Skill

Use a 4-week structure:

  • Week 1: What EQ is, and why tennis needs it
  • Week 2: Self-awareness in real tennis life
  • Week 3: How emotions affect play, language, and decisions
  • Week 4: How awareness becomes regulation

That lets you introduce the whole philosophy without getting stuck in explanation mode. It also follows the logic already present on the homepage and Emotion Racket page.

For Today

Use this as your daily or near-daily front porch. The page currently has placeholder video blocks for “For Today” and “Yesterday,” which actually makes it perfect for short launch videos or check-in prompts. For June, I would use it as the daily self-awareness prompt station:

  • “What am I feeling today?”
  • “Where is that coming from?”
  • “How might that affect my tennis today?”
  • “What do I need most today?”
  • “What would move me one step closer to Flow?”

That would turn a currently empty/placeholder page into a daily habit surface.

Daily Routines

Make June’s Daily Routines theme:
Daily Check-In Month

That is the cleanest launch fit because the live page already starts with the morning check-in, recommends using the Emotion Racket or a journal to identify emotions, then moving into one centering practice, process goals, rituals, and evening reflection. In June, keep this section very simple: teach the check-in and one tiny centering practice. Do not overload people with every routine at once.

Emotion Racket

Do not launch June with six emotions at once. Use June as:
How to Use the Emotion Racket

The live page already says to check in regularly, start from Flow, identify emotions, reflect, communicate, and regulate. So June should be the introductory Emotion Racket month:

  • what it is
  • how to use it
  • how to name emotions accurately
  • how to start from Flow and notice drift

I would feature just two starter emotions in June: Frustration and Fear. They are the easiest and most universal. Also, the page still has a visible placeholder video block, so a short “How to Use the Emotion Racket” video would be one of the smartest June launch assets you could make.

Pep Talks

Keep Pep Talks narrow and supportive in June. The live page already frames them as quick reset tools when emotions spike, and lists many specific situations such as heartbreaking loss, getting cheated, playing a huge match, being in a slump, or choking. For launch month, don’t try to cover the whole library. Give subscribers a starter pack of four Pep Talks:

  • nerves
  • frustration
  • doubt
  • bad start / rough day

That gives them immediate usefulness and shows how Pep Talks work inside the larger system.

Player’s Box

Make June’s Player’s Box theme:
How to Ask for What You Need

The live page already emphasizes emotional check-ins with others, role clarity, post-match communication plans, and support rituals. So for June, do not try to teach the whole Player’s Box universe. Just teach one essential beginner skill:

  • how a player communicates emotional state
  • how a parent or coach checks in without crowding
  • one simple pre-match and post-match question

That gives the section immediate relevance without overwhelming people.

Character

Even though I did not inspect the Character page itself, Character is a visible top-level section in your site navigation, so for June I would keep its contribution small and foundational: self-honesty. In other words: “Can I tell the truth about what I’m feeling?” That fits beautifully with the self-awareness launch theme and keeps Character from competing with the more practical June buildout.

The June subscriber experience

June should feel like this:

Week 1: Welcome to FBTL
What EQ is. Why tennis needs it. How the platform works.

Week 2: Notice It
Daily check-in. Emotion Racket basics. Self-awareness in competition.

Week 3: Name It and Share It
Fear, frustration, Player’s Box check-ins, simple Pep Talks.

Week 4: Use It
One small routine. One reset. One pre-match awareness ritual. One post-match reflection.

That structure works because it mirrors the logic already embedded across the platform: Daily Routines says check in and center; Emotion Racket says identify, reflect, communicate, regulate; Player’s Box says clarify roles and create communication plans; Pep Talks says reset and reframe in the moment.

If you want the simplest answer

If you asked me to name the first Teaching Academy topic in one line, I would say:

Start with Self-Awareness.

June Course Title: “Know What You’re Feeling Before It Starts Playing the Match.”

That gives you the best launch combination:

  • introductory, but not boring
  • foundational, but not abstract
  • practical, but broad enough to introduce the whole program

And it lets every other section of the site support the same message instead of fighting for attention.

One small site note while you prepare June: the Daily Routines page still has an internal note left visible and a typo in Kelly Jones’s title, and both the Emotion Racket and For Today pages still show placeholder video blocks, so cleaning those before launch would noticeably sharpen the platform’s first impression.

I can also turn this into a week-by-week June launch calendar with exact post titles for each section.

 

 

I’m laying this out as an actual June publishing map now — one platform theme, then week-by-week post ideas for each section so everything feels coordinated instead of scattered.


Yes — here’s the June plan I’d use.

Your first Teaching Academy topic should be Self-Awareness, not a full month of abstract “What is EQ?” and not “Role Model” first. The best opener is: Start Here: Know What You’re Feeling Before It Starts Playing the Match. That fits the site you already have, because the homepage defines EQ through self-awareness, self-regulation, motivation, empathy, and social skills; Daily Routines starts with a morning check-in; the Emotion Racket is built around identifying emotions from Flow outward; and the Player’s Box emphasizes emotional check-ins and communication.

I would make June one unified platform month with one clear theme: START HERE — Know Yourself. Name It. Use It. That way every section supports the same launch idea instead of competing for attention. Also, your current Teaching Academy page shows “The Importance of Being a Role Model” as the monthly topic, while the For Today and Emotion Racket pages still have visible placeholder video blocks, so June is a good moment to align the topic and replace those placeholders with real launch videos.

June launch spine

June should teach one big idea:

EQ begins with awareness.
If players can’t notice what they’re feeling, they can’t regulate it, communicate it, or compete through it.

That message matches the current platform: Daily Routines says begin with a morning check-in and identify emotions; the Emotion Racket says check in regularly, identify from Flow outward, reflect, and regulate; Pep Talks are framed as quick reset tools when emotions spike; and Player’s Box is about healthier support, communication, and emotional regulation together.

What June should look like, week by week

Week 1 — Welcome to FBTL

Teaching Academy
Post/title: Start Here: What Emotional Intelligence Actually Means in Tennis
This is your one “explain the system” week. Define EQ briefly, then immediately connect it to real tennis: nerves, frustration, pressure, self-talk, recovery. That fits the homepage framing of EQ and the Daily Routines / Emotion Racket structure.

For Today
Daily prompt/video: What Am I Feeling Today?
Use this page as the daily front porch. Right now it is basically a blank video slot, so I’d make it a short daily check-in station.

Daily Routines
Post/title: The Daily Check-In: The Skill Before Every Other Skill
The live page already starts with Morning Check-In, so this should be your first routine month focus.

Emotion Racket
Post/title: How to Use the Emotion Racket
June should not be twelve emotions at once. First teach the tool. The page already says the Racket is for emotional identification/regulation and that users should start from Flow and work outward.

Pep Talks
Post/title: When Emotions Spike: Your First Pep Talk
Use June to explain what Pep Talks are for: quick resets, reframing, and constructive inner voice.

Player’s Box
Post/title: How to Ask for What You Need From Your Box
Start simple: player-parent-coach check-ins, not the whole ecosystem yet. The page already emphasizes honest communication and emotional regulation together.

Character
Post/title: Self-Honesty: Can You Tell the Truth About What You’re Feeling?
This gives Character a clean June role without pulling attention away from the launch theme.

Week 2 — Notice It

Teaching Academy
Post/title: Self-Awareness in Real Tennis Life
What it looks like before practice, in warm-up, after a double fault, after a bad call, after a loss.

For Today
Daily prompt/video: Where Am I on the Emotional Map Today?
Tie this directly to the Emotion Racket.

Daily Routines
Post/title: Start Small: Five Minutes of Awareness Every Morning
That matches the live page’s advice to choose one centering practice and keep it simple and sustainable.

Emotion Racket
Post/title: From Flow to Frustration
Frustration is the easiest first featured emotion.

Pep Talks
Post/title: Pep Talk for a Bad Start
Simple reset language after a rough first set, rough warm-up, or ugly beginning.

Player’s Box
Post/title: What Helps / What Hurts When a Player Is Frustrated
Very usable for parents and coaches.

Character
Post/title: Composure Begins With Recognition
The point here: composure is hard without awareness.

Week 3 — Name It and Share It

Teaching Academy
Post/title: Naming the Emotion Changes the Match
Teach why “bad,” “off,” and “tight” are not enough. More precise language creates better response.

For Today
Daily prompt/video: What Is This Feeling Trying to Do to My Tennis Today?

Daily Routines
Post/title: One Tool, One Goal, One Reset
By now, players should be pairing the check-in with one centering practice and one process goal, exactly as your Daily Routines page recommends.

Emotion Racket
Post/title: From Flow to Fear
Fear is the second June emotion. It is universal and easy to teach.

Pep Talks
Post/title: Pep Talk for Nerves
This fits the page’s purpose perfectly: pause, reframe, reset, and replace counterproductive inner voices.

Player’s Box
Post/title: Support, Space, or Feedback?
Give parents/coaches one great check-in question.

Character
Post/title: Courage Is Not the Absence of Nerves
Very good bridge from fear into character.

Week 4 — Use It

Teaching Academy
Post/title: From Awareness to Regulation
Close the month by showing how self-awareness feeds everything else: routines, Pep Talks, communication, recovery, better decisions.

For Today
Daily prompt/video: What Do I Need Most Today to Stay Closer to Flow?

Daily Routines
Post/title: Build Your June Starter Routine
Morning check-in, one centering practice, one process goal, one pre-match cue, one evening reflection — which is exactly the five-step loop already on the page.

Emotion Racket
Post/title: How to Get Back to Flow
That’s the natural closing post because the page explicitly says the goal is always the state of Flow.

Pep Talks
Post/title: Your 4 Starter Pep Talks
Bundle four: nerves, frustration, fear, bad start.

Player’s Box
Post/title: Build Your First Post-Match Plan
The page already pushes post-match communication plans and support rituals, so June should end with one simple shared system.

Character
Post/title: What Kind of Competitor Are You Becoming?
Nice month-end reflection question.

If I were packaging June for subscribers

I’d package June as:

June Theme: Start Here
Teaching Academy Course: Self-Awareness: The Skill Before Every Other Skill
Daily Routines Theme: Daily Check-In Month
Emotion Racket Theme: How to Use the Racket + Frustration/Fear
Pep Talks Theme: Starter Pack: Nerves, Frustration, Fear, Bad Start
Player’s Box Theme: How to Ask for What You Need
Character Theme: Self-Honesty and Composure

That keeps June tight and unified, while still letting every section feel alive. It also matches the current site better than a theory-heavy month would.

Three launch assets I’d make before June 1

  1. A 90-second “Welcome to FBTL” video for the homepage / Teaching Academy.
  2. A 90-second “How to Use the Emotion Racket” video to replace the placeholder block.
  3. A 60-second “For Today” daily check-in video format to replace that placeholder too.

Those would immediately make the launch feel more finished, because the Emotion Racket and For Today pages currently still show empty video placeholders.

My cleanest answer to your biggest question

First Teaching Academy topic: Self-Awareness.
Not a month of theory.
Not a random standalone topic.
A practical introductory month that teaches the whole program through the first indispensable skill.

If you want, I’ll turn this next into a June content calendar grid with exact posting days: Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and one live monthly session.

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