Dr. Kovacs is a performance physiologist, researcher, author, speaker and coach with an extensive background training and researching athletes and elite performers. He is a founder of the International Tennis Performance Association (iTPA), which is the worldwide leader in tennis-specific performance enhancement and injury prevention education and certification (www.itpa-tennis.org). He formally directed the Sport Science, Strength & Conditioning and Coaching Education departments for the United States Tennis Association (USTA) and was the Director of the Gatorade Sport Science Institute. He was an executive with Pepsico. He is a Fellow of the American College of Sports Medicine and the iTPA. He has published over 50 peer-reviewed scientific articles and abstracts in top research journals, in addition to presenting workshops and keynote addresses on five continents and well over 100 presentations. Along with his academic and scientific background Dr. Kovacs is also a coach and former professional athlete. He was an All-American and NCAA doubles champion in tennis at Auburn University. After playing professionally, he completed his graduate work at Auburn University and earned his Ph.D. in Exercise Physiology from The University of Alabama. Dr. Kovacs is a Certified Tennis Performance Specialist (CTPS) through the International Tennis Performance Association (iTPA), Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist through the National Strength and Conditioning Association, a certified Health/Fitness Specialist through the American College of Sports Medicine, a United States Track and Field Level II Sprints Coach and USPTA-P1 Certified Tennis Coach. He has published five books including Dynamic Stretching and Tennis Training: Enhancing On Court Performance. In 2010 he was awarded the prestigious Plagenhoef Award for sport science achievement (youngest ever recipient) and in 2012 he was the youngest ever International Tennis Hall of Fame Educational Merit Award winner. He has worked with more than two dozen top professional tennis as well as dozens of top professional athletes in the NBA, NFL and MLB. His expertise has been retained by major corporations, academic institutions and media outlets including Harvard University, Princeton University, University of Southern California, University of North Carolina, New York University Medical Center, University of Pittsburgh, Pepsico, Gatorade, New York Times, Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, ESPN, NCAA, National Athletic Trainers Association, National Strength & Conditioning Association, American College of Sports Medicine, International Tennis Federation, Association of Tennis Professionals, Women’s Tennis Association among others.
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