The following post is an excerpt from The Tennis Parent’s Bible. Thanks for visiting, Frank Giampaolo
In my opinion, confidence is one of the top factors in achieving peak performance. To achieve confidence as your child progresses on her journey, it is first best to consider her goal in tennis matches. Keep in mind that the best parents and players strive for a certain type of success. That success comes in the form of performing in tournaments at the child’s highest level versus having to win every match.
“The second week in a Grand Slam is all about belief.” Chris Everett
FUN FACT: Often professionals are quoted as saying “I’m satisfied and happy when I play in a match at the same level I do on the practice court!”
Lack of confidence issues such as self-doubt and a negative self-image arise from how athletes view past experiences. Often, when asking an adolescent what happened in the match they reply, “I don’t know, I‘m horrible!” Getting to the root of the issue is done by organizing tournament experiences by using match logs.
Champions have experienced losing hundreds of times more often than your junior player. The difference is how they view it. So, how should your daughter view tournament competition? Junior tennis tournaments in general should be viewed as information gathering missions. Success lies in doubling your child’s level of competence every six months. They have to be twice as good as they were six months ago. Replace focusing on winning with focusing on improving every week. Lack of confidence is a common issue. It sneaks into every athlete in every sport.
Confidence Fades:
- Players are not training or being trained properly
- They are injured or sick
- They are returning to the game after an injury or sickness
- They have underperformed in recent competition
- They are burnt out
Players in a slump may be under achieving in more than one of these issues simultaneously.
Rebuilding the Belief
Confidence is a progressive spiral of positive input which leads to positive attitude. True belief and trust is earned by doing everything in your power to be the best you can be. Let’s first look deeper at ten common stepping stones that will rekindle your daughter’s confidence.
- Re-Commit to Getting Fit: Tennis specific speed, agility and stamina are key. Cross training is terrific. Hit the gym, hit the track and get physically stronger.
- Clear the Mind: Re-focus on tennis. Teens can get derailed by numerous factors. School, parties, peer pressure, other sports, hobbies, shopping, etc.
- Proper Nutrition/Hydration: What she puts in is what she gets out. It takes just 1-2 percent dehydration and the body is impaired mentally and physically. This could take effect with blurred vision, mental confusion, headaches, cramping etc. As for proper nutrition, the body needs high quality protein and carbohydrates at the right time to function most efficiently.
- Customize the Instruction: “Practice in the manner in which you are expected to perform.” Build a game plan around exposing her great strengths while hiding her weaknesses. Customize her style to her brain and body type.
- Promote and Educate Independence: Independent problem solving promotes confidence on and off the court. Even though some parents think they are helping, it may be wise to slowly stop doing everything for your little phenom.
- Surround Them with Supportive People: Positive coaches, trainers and friends with character are key. Is her new boyfriend pulling her focus in a new direction? Do her new friends at school want to party and shop all the time? Is her coach pessimistic or negative? This includes keeping your child away from negative or jealous tennis players or tennis parents.
FUN FACT: Girls 14’s, Super Nationals Clay Court Championships in Florida. Minutes before a second round match a Southern California parent cornered my daughter, Sarah, to inform her that she is about to get killed by the next “Martina Hingis.” He practically chased Sarah to her court as he continued to banter about how unbelievable her opponent was and how she should not feel bad about losing to this “great” player.
Luckily for us, Sarah had no idea about this second round match up. We simply told her the parent was a jealous nut and just keep the ball to the girl’s pitiful backhand and we’ll go to her favorite lunch spot in an hour or so. Result: My daughter won in two and 6 years later this parent is still causing trouble on the tournament circuit.
- Help Others: Ask your daughter to assist the local food bank once a month and feed the homeless. Seeing the positive attitude of someone less fortunate reminds them how fortunate they truly are!
- Avoid Negative Comments: This is any advice or stimuli that are perceived as unfavorable. The key word here is perceived. Remember this, often parents will say five positive comments and one negative ones but guess what your child hears? Only the negative. We find that derogatory comments, tone of voice, body language or even facial expressions can tear down a sensitive player’s confidence.
Examples:
- A friend telling your daughter “You play Amanda next? Oh no!!! Nobody ever beats her. She won two nationals and is ranked in the top 5!”
- A coach saying “You’re going to run 20 laps if you miss another backhand. Just do it right!”
- A parent saying after a tournament loss “You always make so many errors, maybe you should quit!”
- Proper Warm Up and Pre-Match Routines: Confidence comes from rituals, such as, warming up all the primary and secondary strokes. This includes swing volleys, short angles, top spin lobs, proper nutrition, hydration, scouting, visualization and going for a short run before you go on the court.
- Perfectionists Set the Bar Too High: Unrealistic expectations kill confidence. Parents, just because your son won last week’s tournament, don’t expect him to win every one from now on. Players, a sure fire way to disable your confidence is to expect perfection. Even if you’re in the zone for a while, it’s a borrowed experience. No one owns the zone. No one stays in the zone and lives there year around.
Parents, ask your player to read through these ten common confidence busters. Do any of them apply to your child? If so, customize a plan to erase them!
Thank you visiting, Frank
Contact: Frank Giampaolo
FGSA@earthlink.net
www.maximizingtennispotential.com
www.RaisingAthleticRoyalty.com
