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Foster Emotional Strength- Part 2

Posted on November 30, 2017 by in Emotional Aptitude in Sports, Emotional Tennis, Maximizing Tennis Potential

The following post is an excerpt from Emotional Aptitude In Sports NOW available through most online retailers!  Click Here to Order

ea-in-sports4a_final

Following are Five More Solutions to Foster Emotional Strength.

  1. Embrace Failure
    Initial failures are the beginning of the long road to success. They are your teachers. It’s often through setbacks that your customized secrets to success are found.
  2. Step Up and Take Responsibility
    A challenge for many athletes is to not allow parents or coaches to routinely solve their problems for them. Solve your problems yourself versus tapping out when difficulties arise.
  3. Take Competitive Risks
    Being scared to leave your comfort zone stalls the growth you seek. Take the risk…or grow old wondering if you were ever good enough.
  4. Ask Experts About Their Story
    You’ll quickly realize that failing is what winners do often. Winners often don’t have the most physical talent. They most often possess the positive emotional qualities you seek.
  5. Organize a New Developmental Plan
    Success stems from spectacular preparation. A brand new deliberate, customized developmental plan along with intelligent game day preparation could make all the difference in the world.
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Solutions to Foster Emotional Strength

Posted on November 28, 2017 by in Emotional Aptitude in Sports, Emotional Tennis

The following post is an excerpt from Emotional Aptitude In Sports NOW available through most online retailers!  Click Here to Order

 

ea-in-sports4a_final

 

EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Elite competitors are confident that their superior emotional strength will override any hardships and physical limitations. The emotionally weak athletes are convinced that the unfair hardships and their perceived limitations will override their peak performance
and catastrophe will once again occur.

 

An old-school word used to describe emotional aptitude is Grit. In regards to high achievers, researchers have come to the conclusion that successful individuals possess traits deeper than the mastery of athletic ability.  Grit is persistent courage, resolve, and strength of character. Grit is the learned ability to have “nerves of steel,” fortitude and determination. Interestingly, some athletes are pre-wired to have these essential components and some are not. For those athletes who are not natural combatants, developing emotional aptitude is critical.

Sadly, emotionally weak competitors often ignore the development of such skills.  Cultivating these character traits is what propels the few into the winners’ circle. If you believe that your emotions are holding you hostage on game day and keeping you from the success you deserve, I suggest focusing your attention on the below list of solutions

Posted Below are Five of Fifteen Solutions to Foster Emotional Strength.

  1. Nurture the Love of Competition
    Studies show that experiences bring more joy than possessions. The energy of the event is contagious. Athletes should enjoy competing against their past, fatigue, opponents and against time.
  2. Commit to Improving
    Being the best of the best (even in your town) doesn’t come without extreme effort. Improve your performance by understanding emotional aptitude.
  3. Recognize That You Can’t Be Normal …and a Champion
    Champions lead very different lives than normal people. Being an athletic champion is a daily lifestyle.
  4. Customize Your Training
    Realize that diligent customized training trumps social, group learning. Research shows, on average, group training takes up to six times longer than quality private training.
  5. Adopt a Growth Mind-Set
    Great skills are cultivated through continuous effort more so than initial talent or IQ. Without effort…you fail by default. Understand that success starts with the effort of optimism and a growth mindset.
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Respecting Your Athlete’s Personality Profile

Posted on November 25, 2017 by in Raising Athletic Royalty

The following post is an excerpt from Raising Athletic Royalty NOW available through most online retailers!
Click Here to Order

 Raising Athletic Royalty

Battling is Optional

I got a call from Jim Thompson from Columbus, Ohio. “My son is one of the most talented athletes out there, but he can’t do anything right under pressure.” After an hour on the phone, Jim decided to book a flight to Southern California for him and his son Jordon for a 2-day session.

After I asked a series of brief introductory questions, we discussed how maximizing potential begins when a parent or coach stops forcing the athlete into their way of thinking and enters into the child’s world. It became clear that Mr. Thompson’s ISTJ personality profile was polar opposite to Jordan’s ENFP profile. Not only did Jordan see the world differently than his father, he had a contrasting style of completing tasks and was wired with a very different set of proficiencies and deficiencies. Jim went from answering most questions that I asked Jordan to remaining silent.

Jim began to realize how differently he and son viewed the world. With tears in his eyes, Jim said “I’ve been raising my son wrong for the last 14 years! I seriously believed that my way of thinking was the only way, without regard to Jordan’s personality preference.  I have been stunting his growth.  Jordan, I’m so sorry.”  As he apologized to Jordan, they both began to cry.

Jordan told me during a Skype session a few weeks later that the experience changed their entire family chemistry. He said, “My dad now tells me he loves me. He never did that before.” Understanding personality profiles have been known to bring harmony to an otherwise chaotic environment.

 

“If you need to control everyone and everything, you’ll lose in the long run. Raising athletic royalty is a compromise. Harmony is found when families take the time to look into how each individual is wired and respect how this may affect what they say or what they do.”

 

“PARENTS, DURING A BATTLE WITH YOUR CHILD, ENCOURAGE SOLUTIONS
VERSUS SIMPLY LISTING PROBLEMS.”

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SCTA #1 Cali Jankowski Interview: PART TWO

Posted on November 22, 2017 by in The Tennis Parent's Bible

Maximize Your Tennis Potential: The Second Edition of The Tennis Parent’s Bible NOW available through most online retailers!  Click Here to Order

Cali Jankowski

The following interview features part two of my interview with Cali Jankowski, the Southern California Tennis Association (SCTA) #1 ranked player! I’ve been lucky enough to have been coaching Cali since she was about 12 years old. It’s exciting to see organized teens willing to give back to the game and help the next generation. I’m sure that her advice will assist parents and athletes in maximizing their potential at a quicker rate.

Cali Jankowski

Age Started: 9 years old
First Tournament: 10 years old
Residence: Southern California
Notable Results:

  • 14’s Winter National Champion
  • 14’s Intersectional National Champions Team Member
  • 2 Time Henry Talbert Winner
  • 16’s Intersectional National 2nd Place Team Member
  • 16’s National Clay Courts 5th Place
  • 16’s National Selection Winner
  • 18’s Yamasaki Winner
  • 18’s Mike Agassi No Quit Winner
  • 18’s Ojai Winner
  • 18’s National Selection Winner
  • 18’s National Clay Courts 4th Place
  • 18’s Stanford Eve Zimmerman/Johnson National Winner

 

NOTE TO THE NEXT GENERATION:
An In-Depth Interview with SCTA #1 Cali Jankowski

 

 

 

Q: Your ranking skyrocketed in the 16’s. What were the reasons for the results? 

A: In the 16’s, I started putting together a really strong arsenal of coaches and match play. This meant getting my butt kicked on a weekly basis by older boys and doing countless drills that I couldn’t stand. I became a lot more independent and began to take responsibility for my game- which I believe really helped my game. I started managing my practice schedule and training the way I wanted to train. Being in charge of my practices made me excited to practice and get better. I’ll be honest though, sometimes putting in the work wasn’t super fun, but winning several big tournaments in one year was really fun!

 

Q: What life skills has tennis taught you? 

A: Tennis has absolutely shaped me into the person I am today. It has forced me to start thinking for myself a lot younger than the average teenager. I have also become incredibly independent when it comes to running my tennis, life, house and taking care of my dog. I also learned time management and the ability to solve problems quickly. Many of the obstacles I learned to hurdled over on the tennis court, from a young age, translated over to real life. I think any tennis player of a high level can speak on this: we are a lot more prepared for college than the average teen.

 

Q: Knowing then what you know now, how could you have maximized your potential at a quicker rate? 

A: I wasted a lot of time from age 10 to about 13 ½. I should’ve been working smarter, not harder. Instead of hitting a ton of forehands crosscourt, I should’ve been refining my short angles, lobs, footwork, and patterns. Strokes aside, I was very late to strengthening the mental aspect of my game. I would let my emotions run my game and determine the outcome of my matches. I still get frustrated on the court, but you will never ever see it translate to the next point. I have a very fiery personality that will never change, but it has definitely been harnessed.

 

Q: Within the 4 major components, what would you of done differently or given more attention to?

  • Stroke Development
  • Athleticism
  • Mental
  • Emotional

I would have worked on the mental and emotional components just as much as perfecting backswings and foot speed. I wish I could have spent more time off the court learning about how to manage my emotions and how to construct points. In my early tournament years, my frustrations on the court never stemmed from my bad grip or weird stroke, but from not knowing how to reset emotionally and actually play smart tennis.

 

Q: What type of specialized coaches, trainers & PT’s are part of your entourage?

A: As of right now, I work with three different coaches. With Frank Giampaolo, I work on drilling my secondary shots and refining my mental and emotional tactics and routines. I also work with a hitting coach where we almost always do live ball or point play the entire training session. He adjusts his style of play based on what I need to work on. Then, my third coach watches, coaches and directs while I spar with another player. I also do a group fitness class twice a week and once every other week get a sports massage from the same fitness trainer. I go to the gym throughout the week as well. They weren’t kidding when they say it takes a village.

 

Q: Did you play High School tennis all four years? Why or why not? 

I enrolled in an online high school starting my freshman year. This was to ensure I could travel and train without the restrictions of a classroom from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. I have never played high school tennis and have zero regrets about not doing so. High school coaches are strict about players attending all practices and matches and I feel as though hitting with girls who only pick up a racket during tennis season would’ve done nothing for my game.

 

Q: According to ScholarshipStats.com approximately 1% of female high school tennis players receive a full ride D-1 college tennis scholarship. What college offer did you decide to take? 

A: I will be attending Arizona State University in the Fall of 2018 on a full ride.

 

Q: What parting advice can you share with the current crop of parents and athletes on this journey?

A: It sounds harsh but you kind of need to be selfish in this sport. Don’t feel the need to stick with a coach because you’ll hurt their feelings if you leave. If they are not working out, then move on and find something else. Same thing goes for the players themselves, don’t feel the need to keep playing when it starts to feel like a chore.

Getting a little burnt out? Consider putting your rackets down for a little while and taking a break from tennis. The break will help you to determine if you love tennis and want to play again. It is virtually impossible to have good results when you aren’t enjoying it.

Speaking of enjoying it, enjoy the wild ride of junior tennis. As someone who goes off to college in about nine months, I can confidently say that my junior tennis career has flown by.

Best luck of luck to all the juniors and parents reading this!

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SCTA #1 Cali Interview: PART ONE

Posted on November 17, 2017 by in Customized Organizational Plan

Maximize Your Tennis Potential: The Second Edition of The Tennis Parent’s Bible NOW available through most online retailers!  Click Here to Order

cali clays 10

The following interview features an interview with Cali Jankowski, the Southern California Tennis Association (SCTA) #1 ranked player! I’ve been lucky enough to have been coaching Cali since she was about 12 years old. It’s exciting to see organized teens willing to give back to the game and help the next generation. I’m sure that her advice will assist parents and athletes in maximizing their potential at a quicker rate.

Cali Jankowski

Age Started: 9 years old
First Tournament: 10 years old
Residence: Southern California
Notable Results:

  • 14’s Winter National Champion
  • 14’s Intersectional National Champions Team Member
  • 2 Time Henry Talbert Winner
  • 16’s Intersectional National 2nd Place Team Member
  • 16’s National Clay Courts 5th Place
  • 16’s National Selection Winner
  • 18’s Yamasaki Winner
  • 18’s Mike Agassi No Quit Winner
  • 18’s Ojai Winner
  • 18’s National Selection Winner
  • 18’s National Clay Courts 4th Place
  • 18’s Stanford Eve Zimmerman/Johnson National Winner

 

NOTE TO THE NEXT GENERATION:
An In-Depth Interview with SCTA #1 Cali Jankowski

Q: At what age did you begin your SCTA tournament career? 

A: I was ten years old when I played my first ever tennis tournament. It was a small, round-robin tournament at a local high school. I didn’t come home with any hardware but definitely caught the competitive bug.

 

Q: Did you belong to a multi-generational tennis family or did your parents have to learn right along with you? 

A: Not in the slightest! My dad played in high school and my mom played in ladies league. Neither of them had any idea what the world of competitive junior tennis was like. As a family, we were constantly learning something new about what to do and what not to do.

 

Q: How did they navigate the junior tennis wars?

A:  It was a lot of trial and error for them. We had zero connections to the tennis world, so we had to find out for ourselves what coaches and clinics were most beneficial by trying. This meant trying a place for a few weeks and then deciding whether or not to move on or stay. My parents always had my best interest at heart and knew that there would be a good coach out there to refine my skills; it was just a matter of stumbling across that club or coach.

 

Q: In the 12’s, were you getting the results you believed you were capable of achieving? 

A: I was awful in the 10’s and early 12’s. I didn’t win my first Open Tournament until I was 12. I believe this was because I played very differently from my opponents- I was a hard hitter. I fell in love with tennis because it was so fun to hit the ball really hard, so anytime I came across a pusher (Like in every tournament!), I would collapse mentally, and my strokes would fall apart. I don’t think I was getting the results I was capable of. While my first coach was a firm believer in making sure I stuck to my aggressive style, he never gave me the tools I needed to take down pushers/retrievers. This was my biggest downfall.

 

Q: What came easily to you in the 14’s… what proved more difficult?

A:  I definitely started to make strides once I hit 13 or so. I was adding more dimensions to my game and adjusting my training to quality over quantity. At my peak in the 14’s, I reached about top 10 in SoCal. I was starting to understand what it took to beat any style of player. However, this mindset was very inconsistent. For me, it was difficult to maintain that high level of focus and patience for more than a few matches in a row. I finally had a massive breakthrough when I was 14; I kept my focus for an entire tournament and won the Winter Nationals, out of nowhere, as the 16 seed! This definitely gave me a huge boost of confidence.

 

 

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Customizing a Developmental Plan

Posted on November 11, 2017 by in Raising Athletic Royalty

The following post is an excerpt from Raising Athletic Royalty NOW available through most online retailers!
Click Here to Order Frank Giampaolo

 

ASSESSMENT

Customizing a Developmental Plan

When I accept a new client, I begin their session with a collection of detailed information as part of my Customized Evaluation Package. Upon completion of the evaluation, each component of the athlete’s game is systematically graded by three separate entities: the player, the parent and I. Most often, three different opinions result.  Typically, the players think they are great in all categories regardless of their actual skill level, the typical Type A personality parents believe their children are underachieving in most categories and I represent an unbiased professional opinion (usually somewhere in the middle). My role is to find a synergy of energy to bridge the gap between parent and child so a harmonious organizational plan can be activated to maximize potential.

I begin by gaining an understanding of the child’s personality profile, their athleticism, their athletic history, as well as their family’s athletic history. We don’t stop there. Discussions cover their general sports IQ (intelligence quotient), their current weekly developmental schedule, their academic schedule, their social calendars and their sport-specific schedules. We then dive into their sport-specific IQ, their current technical skills, their opinions regarding the demands of physical fitness, mental tenacity, and their emotional skill sets. All assets and liabilities are assessed before a customized developmental plan is put into effect.

This organizational process of designing an athletic blue-print should be the parent’s primary responsibility but is most often left to chance. Parents who take the time to develop a customized plan put their child in a position to maximize their potential at a faster rate. Note that for each stage of adolescence (early/mid/late), there are several common developmental protocols that most coaches follow. I challenge you to go deeper.

 

“Assessing your child’s abilities and developing a customized game plan begins with understanding their inborn strengths and weaknesses. Their brain type and body type play the most important role in understanding their developmental pathway.”

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Gain the Competitive Edge

Posted on November 8, 2017 by in Maximizing Tennis Potential, Neuro Priming for Peak Performance

The following post is an excerpt from Neuro Priming for Peak Performance NOW available!
Click Here to Order NEURO PRIMING FOR PEAK PERFORMANCE_3D

Pre-Plan Solutions for Panicking 

To gain the competitive edge under pressure, identify personal verbal and physical triggers for panicking and then practice the solutions both on-court and off-court (neuro priming.)

 

Energy Flow Management

  • I’ll control the playing speed of the match.
  • I’ll control the positive energy of the match.
  • I’ll inflate my fight to deflate their will to battle.

 

Game Day/Pre-Match Preparation

  • I will listen to my audio tapes to pre-set an excellent performance.
  • I will morph into an athletic warrior.
  • I will warm up my primary & secondary strokes.
  • I will go for a short run right before the match.
  • I will focus on performing excellently … not perfect.
  • I will trust my training and my awesomeness.

 

 

 

 

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Maximizing Tennis Growth Potential

Posted on November 6, 2017 by in Blunders and Cures, Customized Organizational Plan, Maximizing Tennis Potential

The following post is an excerpt from the Second Edition of The Tennis Parent’s Bible NOW available through most online retailers!  Click Here to Order  black_ebook_design2

 

 

 

 

 

ACCELERATED GROWTH BLUNDER: Not Seeing Stumbling Blocks as Stepping Stones

 

Regardless of the comfort level, accelerated growth demands aborting ineffective strokes, strategies or tactics and systematically re-tooling them. Change is mandatory for growth.

 

“Change is the only thing that’s permanent.”

Here’s a terrific example: a few years back, Molly Scott (former 2006, SCTA #1, Dartmouth College #1 standout) sprained her non-dominant left wrist.

Her initial position was to follow protocol which was no tennis for 4-6 weeks. Molly called saying, “Frank, I have to cancel my training for 4-6 weeks because my left arm is sprained.”

I said, “That’s upsetting, but we needed some time to switch focus anyway. This actually fits into a new developmental plan. We’ll begin to organize your proactive patterns and between point rituals, we’ll develop your one-handed slice backhand drop shot and your low, backhand volley. Let’s begin today with a new 4-week crash course on lower body fitness and stamina.” Molly’s voice dropped to this low, quiet depressed tone, “ooohhh….really..aahh…that’s… um….super.”

 

Six weeks later Molly beat a top ten player in the nation as she applied her newfound slice backhand drop shot to perfection!

 

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ASSESSMENT: Customizing a Developmental Plan

Posted on November 3, 2017 by in Raising Athletic Royalty

The following post is an excerpt from Raising Athletic Royalty NOW available through most online retailers!
Click Here to Order

Raising Athletic Royalty

 

ASSESSMENT

LESSON: Customizing a Developmental Plan

When I accept a new client, I begin their session with a collection of detailed information as part of my Customized Evaluation Package. Upon completion of the evaluation, each component of the athlete’s game is systematically graded by three separate entities: the player, the parent, and I. Most often, three different opinions result.  Typically, the players think they are great in all categories regardless of their actual skill level, the typical Type A personality parents believe their children are underachieving in most categories and I represent an unbiased professional opinion (usually somewhere in the middle). My role is to find a synergy of energy to bridge the gap between parent and child so a harmonious organizational plan can be activated to maximize potential.

I begin by gaining an understanding of the child’s personality profile, their athleticism, their athletic history, as well as their family’s athletic history. We don’t stop there. Discussions cover their general sports IQ (intelligence quotient), their current weekly developmental schedule, their academic schedule, their social calendars and their sport-specific schedules. We then dive into their sport-specific IQ, their existing technical skills, their opinions regarding the demands of physical fitness, mental tenacity, and their emotional skill sets. All assets and liabilities are assessed before a customized developmental plan is put into effect.

This organizational process of designing an athletic blueprint should be the parent’s primary responsibility but is most often left to chance. Parents who take the time to develop a customized plan put their child in a position to maximize their potential at a faster rate. Note that for each stage of adolescence (early/mid/late), there are several standard developmental protocols that most coaches follow. I challenge you to go deeper.

 

“ASSESSING YOUR CHILD’S ABILITIES AND DEVELOPING A CUSTOMIZED GAME PLAN BEGINS WITH UNDERSTANDING THEIR INBORN STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES. THEIR BRAIN TYPE AND BODY TYPE PLAY THE MOST IMPORTANT ROLE IN UNDERSTANDING THEIR DEVELOPMENTAL PATHWAY.”

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Last Day to Receive Special Rate of $0.99

Posted on November 1, 2017 by in Maximizing Tennis Potential

AMAZON EBOOK SPECIAL!

LAST DAY

Neuro Priming for Peak Performance

 ONLY $0.99 through November 1, 2017
(Regular Price $8.99 )

NEURO PRIMING FOR PEAK PERFORMANCE_3D

CLICK HERE TO ORDER

Neuro Priming For Peak Performance is a guidebook that provides a fresh, unique pathway to improving tennis skills through customized mental recordings to review and rehearse solutions for competitive performance. Neuro priming identifies the causes of an athlete’s anxiety and pin-points specific match situations and pre-sets their solutions. The visualization process is an essential off-court form of personalized training.

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