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Dealing with Adversity

Posted on May 24, 2017 by in Cheating, Emotional Aptitude in Sports, Emotional Tennis

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

QUESTION: Why does my daughter become irrational when cheated?

Frank: The human brain simply can’t stand being treated unfairly. It’s that resentment of injustice which triggers the downward spiral. Youngsters feel they deserve a fair chance of any reward being offered and with that taken away … so goes their rational decision-making abilities.

How to handle unjust situations is not a tennis issue, it’s a learned life skill. When a tennis opponent is repeatedly cheating and provoking your athlete, a full-blown meltdown is often the result. Biochemical reactions in the brain distort rational reasoning and the fight or flight syndrome overtakes the situation. That is unless your athlete has been trained to insert the correct protocol- which is the solution to the problem.

Taking back control begins by understanding Channel Capacity- a term neuroscience has assigned to the brain’s inability to process multiple forms of important information at one time.  A common example of channel capacity is texting and driving.

“The human brain cannot solve two complicated tasks simultaneously.”

On-court, the creative line caller systematically pulls your athlete away from the present (performance state of mind) and into the past or future (outcome state of mind.) Understanding this phenomenon is key to salvaging seemingly catastrophic matches.

So instead of little Zack focusing on his performance goals such as “ I’m going to serve to the backhand, hit high and heavy ground-strokes and crush short balls.”, Zack finds himself stuck in the wrong thought process. He is thinking “This guy is such a punk!!! I can’t lose to such a jerk, what will my friends say? I can’t believe I lost the last set, he’s ranked 57 spots below me…” The creative line caller has now got Zack right where he wants him-mentally far away from his performance goals.

If your athlete has issues playing against cheaters, ignoring the issue and hoping it will go away is not in their best interest. I recommend practicing their pre-set protocol during practice sessions to reinforce their match tough confidence. Arrange a few practice matches each week with the opponent being allowed to call any close ball out. Learning to deal with adversity and staying on the correct side of your brain under duress is a skill set that must be rehearsed.

 

Solutions to Confronting Gamesmanship

Posted on October 16, 2016 by in Cheating

 

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

frank-at-melbourne

QUESTION: What are the solutions to confronting gamesmanship?

Frank: First of all, let’s be honest; cheaters do exist.  But let’s look at the issue from a growth angle. Cheaters will stretch your child beyond their normal frustration tolerance levels and that’s emotional toughness. Your athlete needs emotional intelligence as much as a wicked topspin backhand. Handling those “creative line callers” is a necessary stepping stone to becoming a tennis champion. Share with your junior champs the below ten factors and they will be better equipped to handle the antics of a cheater.

 

Solution Number 8: Appreciate that cheaters cheat because down deep they know that their skills are no match for yours.

A serious competitor is profiling the opponent. If they see that their physical game is no match for your child’s game, they begin to look for mental or emotional vulnerabilities to exploit. As the athlete’s manager, it is your job to organize the development of each and every component.

 

Solution Number 9: Try the standard procedure for handling cheaters.

First question the bad call. Then, of course, get a line judge. If the line judge leaves after a game or two, your athlete has three options: Go find the lines judge again and again …, be an “enabler” and let the “cheater” steal the match away from them or fight fire with fire. Although I don’t approve of retaliation cheating, I also don’t approve of being an enabler. This is a serious life lesson. In the real world, sometimes standing up for yourself when being bullied is the best action.

A perfect analogy to this situation is the role of the sheep, the wolf and the sheepdog. Athletes should be educated not to be the passive “sheep” accepting abuse or the aggressive “wolf’ unethically praying on the “sheep”, but to be the “sheep dog.” The “sheep dog” doesn’t allow the wolves to take what isn’t theirs.

 

Solution Number 10: After a confrontation do not begin play right away.

I recommend that your child regain their composer first by taking a “legal” bathroom break. Your player will need time to get their head back into their performance script. One of the most important qualities to nurture in your young player is accountability.  They’ve got to be accountable for pre-establishing protocols to handle these common and uncomfortable situations.

Excuses such as ‘they cheated me out of the match’ is the enemy of accountability.

If the opponents’ antics become your athlete’s excuses, your child is not mentally tough enough. Cheaters weed out the weak and make the champions stronger.

Training Anti-Gamesmanship Protocols

Posted on July 2, 2016 by in Cheating, The Second Edition of The Tennis Parent's Bible

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

black_ebook_design2

 

QUESTION: What forms of gamesmanship should my daughter expect in tournament tennis?

Frank: “Creative Line Callers” or cheaters, unfortunately play a major role in tennis. Back in the 1980’s I had several opportunities to chat with the legend: Jack Kramer. He said that in his youth, (in the 1930’s) he estimated an average of 6 bad lines calls per competitive match. Remarkably, that number of “creative” line calls remains the same.

“Experts agree it’s most often not the number of ‘gamesmanship’ issues per match that determine the outcome but the ability or inability to recover after the drama.”

Gamesmanship is found in every age division, from the 10 and under beginning crew to the national level juniors to the ladies leagues and all the way up to the 90 and up division of competitive play. Cheating does not go away… so parents and coaches would be wise to assist the athletes with the solutions needed to overcome these difficult situations.

“Counter gamesmanship tactics are learned behaviors.”

Communicating about possible/probable scenarios and pre-setting your child’s correct response (protocols) is a great start.  Rehearse the solutions by setting up scenarios whereby the form of gamesmanship is discussed and your child has to verbally rehearse their response sequence. Many parents and players are unaware that counter gamesmanship tactics are a learned behavior. Before we provide solutions, let’s review the top cheating antics found in tennis.

Top 10 Antics to Expect in High Level Tennis:

1) The opponent cheating on line calls (especially on game points.)

2) The opponent’s excessive stalling between points.

3) The opponent changing the score.

4) The opponent belittling your child.

5) The opponent taking several extended bathroom/trainer breaks.

6) The opponent displaying temper tantrums and slamming & breaking racquets.

7) The opponent fighting with their parents and/or referees during the match.

8) The opponent’s entourage heckling/belittling your child.

9) The opponent accusing your child of making bad line calls or cheating.

10) The opponent receiving coaching from a parent or coach through the fence.

Developing a protocol to handle each of these antics is an important learned behavior (mental and emotional.)  Organizing the solutions to these antics is a form of preventative medicine. The reason why each of the above top 10 forms of gamesmanship work so well is that secretly pull your child’s focus away from their essential performance goals and into the drama they create.

Cheaters prey on the weak which are those competitors with underdeveloped mental and emotional skills. Inexperienced players fall victim to gamesmanship as they get sucked into the drama and forget about the task at hand.

CONTACT: Frank Giampaolo
FGSA@earthlink.net

Confronting Gamesmanship

Posted on March 3, 2016 by in Cheating, The Second Edition of The Tennis Parent's Bible

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

QUESTION: What are the solutions to confronting gamesmanship?

Frank: First of all, let’s be honest; cheaters do exist.  But let’s look at the issue from a growth angle. Cheaters will stretch your child beyond their normal frustration tolerance levels and that’s emotional toughness. Your athlete needs emotional intelligence as much as a wicked topspin backhand. Handling those “creative line callers” is a necessary stepping stone to becoming a tennis champion. Share with your junior champs the below ten factors and they will be better equipped to handle the antics of a cheater.

 Ten Solutions to Conquering Gamesmanship:  3 More Solutions…

Solution Number 4: Learn from the past but stay in the present.

The opponent’s past dramas may have robbed your child from a crucial point but your child’s wandering mind robs them of present and future points. Being emotionally in the past is another cornerstone of why cheaters do often win. Focusing on the past “hook” is a sign of your athlete’s emotional weakness.

“Past or future thoughts interfere with the present task at hand.”

 

Solution Number 5: Project confidence.

Act like you’ve seen these antics a thousand times and the opponent is silly to think you’re going to fall for such a petty tactic. A player with a powerful presence acts like they own the place. Some players shy away from confrontation. Learning to handle intimidation and confrontation is a necessary protocol at the higher levels of tennis.

“Be courageous, there’s no room for the insecure at the top.”

 

Solution Number 6: Shift focus from how the opponent is cheating, to how the opponent is playing.

This takes the counterproductive thoughts of their personal assault out of the equation. By applying opponent profiling, your child is able to zero in on the opponent’s physical skills or lack thereof and avoid the drama.

 

CONTACT Frank Giampaolo
FGSA@earthlink.net

Solutions to Confronting Gamesmanship

Posted on January 29, 2016 by in Cheating, The Second Edition of The Tennis Parent's Bible

“Frank is one of the most knowledgeable tennis coaches in the country. He has written, in my professional opinion, the best and most comprehensive tennis book for parents that I’ve read in my 55 –year tennis career.”Desmond Oon

Desmond Oon, Ph.D., Former Davis Cup Coach (Republic of Singapore), Author, Master Pro USPTA

 

The following post is a Q & A excerpt from the Second Edition of The Tennis Parent’s Bible NOW AVAILABLE on Amazon!!! (Soon the second edition of The Tennis Parent’s Bible will be available on this web site and through your favorite on line store.)

Order your book NOW with Amazon: Click Here to Order

 

QUESTION: What are the solutions to confronting gamesmanship?

Frank: First of all, let’s be honest; cheaters do exist.  But let’s look at the issue from a growth angle. Cheaters will stretch your child beyond their normal frustration tolerance levels and that’s emotional toughness. Your athlete needs emotional intelligence as much as a wicked topspin backhand. Handling those “creative line callers” is a necessary stepping stone to becoming a tennis champion. Share with your junior champs the below ten factors and they will be better equipped to handle the antics of a cheater.

Three of the Ten Solutions to Conquering Gamesmanship:

Solution Number 1: Pre-match speculations.

Preconceived ideas of what might happen when playing a known cheater often causes so much stress that it can affect the immune system and often results in players actually feeling sick. Many lose sleep the night before the match. Do not let your child’s expectations of the possible cheating trauma pull them away from focusing on their performance goals.

“Worrying won’t stop the cheating…but educating your athlete will.”

Solution Number 2: Focus on what you can control.

This psychological protocol is the fundamental principle to your child’s mental and emotional approach to competition. Expect about 4-6 bad line calls per match. This is not in your child’s control. What is? How about the 40 unforced errors per match they commit? If they limit their unforced errors to 10 per set and they can let their opponent have a few hooks!

“Focus on executing the shots and patterns of play the moment demands.”

Solution Number 3: Ignore the drama.

Emotional toughness requires the athlete to stay on their pre-set script. Understand that focusing on the drama is a psychological trap. Once your child falls for the gamesmanship, they have left their performance state of mind and trouble is just around the corner.

“Intermediate juniors are easy marks because they are mentally and emotionally uneducated.”

CONTACT: Frank Giampaolo
FGSA@earthlink.net

Pre-Set Emotional Match Protocols

Posted on January 25, 2016 by in Cheating, The Second Edition of The Tennis Parent's Bible

“The Triangle between player, coach, and parent is full of speed bumps and sharp curves! Everyone wants to accelerate and speed ahead to the supposed finish line. Too often what should be a fun and rewarding journey gets forgotten. kudos to Frank for providing a road-map to developing a better young tennis player, and a better relationship with their coaches and parents forever.

This is a great resource for every coach who wants to develop great players and most importantly, responsible young adults.”Chuck Gill USPTA

Chuck Gill, President USPTA

 

 

The following post is a Q & A excerpt from the Second Edition of The Tennis Parent’s Bible available for pre-order now! (Pre-order yours with Amazon and email Linda the receipt at lindateresag@hotmail.com and get two free gifts for immediate download.)
Click Here to Order

 

QUESTION: My child is scared to call an umpire onto the court. How can we help?

Frank: As I’ve addressed throughout this book, pre-setting the emotional match protocols are as important as developing motor programs for mechanical strokes.  The solution to dealing with on-court controversy (such as calling an umpire to the court.) should already be pre-wired before the match begins.  Be sure your child is clear about the actual rules and regulations of competitive play. This requires reading the rules and regulations of the game.  Once your child is aware of the official protocol of calling an umpire to her court, she will be more confident in her proactive action.  Remind her that she works too hard to allow cheaters to steal what is rightfully hers.  Calling an umpire onto the court is demanding fair play.

 

Countering Gamesmanship

Posted on January 16, 2016 by in Cheating, The Second Edition of The Tennis Parent's Bible

“Even if you think you are an ‘expert’ tennis coach or parent, you need to read this book.”JOHAN QUOTE PHOTO

Johan Kriek, 2-time Grand Slam Champion Australian Open

 

 

 

The following post is a Q & A excerpt from the Second Edition of The Tennis Parent’s Bible available for pre-order now! (Pre-order with Amazon and email Linda the receipt at lindateresag@hotmail.com and get two free gifts for immediate download.) Click Here to Order

 

QUESTION: What forms of gamesmanship should my daughter expect in tournament tennis?

Frank: “Creative Line Callers” or cheaters, unfortunately play a major role in tennis. Back in the 1980’s I had several opportunities to chat with the legend: Jack Kramer. He said that in his youth, (in the 1930’s) he estimated an average of 6 bad lines calls per competitive match. Remarkably, that number of “creative” line calls remains the same.

“Experts agree it’s most often not the number of ‘gamesmanship’ issues per match that determine the outcome but the ability or inability to recover
after the drama.”

Gamesmanship is found in every age division, from the 10 and under beginning crew to the national level juniors to the ladies leagues and all the way up to the 90 and up division of competitive play. Cheating does not go away… so parents and coaches would be wise to assist the athletes with the solutions needed to overcome these difficult situations.

“Counter gamesmanship tactics are learned behaviors.”

Communicating about possible/probable scenarios and pre-setting your child’s correct response (protocols) is a great start.  Rehearse the solutions by setting up scenarios whereby the form of gamesmanship is discussed and your child has to verbally rehearse their response sequence. Many parents and players are unaware that counter gamesmanship tactics are a learned behavior. Before we provide solutions, let’s review the top cheating antics found in tennis.

Top 10 Antics to Expect in High Level Tennis:

1) The opponent cheating on line calls (especially on game points.)

2) The opponent’s excessive stalling between points.

3) The opponent changing the score.

4) The opponent belittling your child.

5) The opponent taking several extended bathroom/trainer breaks.

6) The opponent displaying temper tantrums and slamming & breaking racquets.

7) The opponent fighting with their parents and/or referees during the match.

8) The opponent’s entourage heckling/belittling your child.

9) The opponent accusing your child of making bad line calls/cheating.

10) The opponent receiving coaching from a parent or coach through the fence.

Developing a protocol to handle each of these antics is an important learned behavior (mental and emotional.)  Organizing the solutions to these antics is a form of preventative medicine. The reason why each of the above top 10 forms of gamesmanship work so well is that secretly pull your child’s focus away from their essential performance goals and into the drama they create.

Cheaters prey on the weak which are those competitors with underdeveloped mental and emotional skills. Inexperienced players fall victim to gamesmanship as they get sucked into the drama and forget about the task at hand.

Contact Frank Giampaolo
FGSA@earthlink.net
www.MaximizingTennisPotential.com

Dealing with Tennis Cheaters

Posted on November 5, 2015 by in Cheating, Emotional Tennis, The Tennis Parent's Bible

The following post is an excerpt from the second edition of The Tennis Parent’s Bible coming soon!

black_ebook_design2

 

QUESTION: Why does my daughter become irrational when cheated?

 

Frank: The human brain simply can’t stand being treated unfairly. It’s that resentment of injustice which triggers the downward spiral. Youngsters feel they deserve a fair chance of any reward being offered and with that taken away … so goes their rational decision making abilities.

How to handle unjust situations is not a tennis issue, it’s a learned life skill. When a tennis opponent is repeatedly cheating and provoking your athlete, a full-blown meltdown is often the result. Biochemical reactions in the brain distort rational reasoning and the fight or flight syndrome overtakes the situation. That is, unless your athlete has been trained to insert the correct protocol- which is the solution to the problem.

Taking back control begins by understanding Channel Capacity- a term neuroscience has assigned to the brain’s inability to process multiple forms of important information at one time.  A common example of channel capacity is texting and driving.

“The human brain cannot solve two complicated tasks simultaneously.”

On-court, the creative line caller systematically pulls your athlete away from the present (performance state of mind) and into the past or future (outcome state of mind.) Understanding this phenomenon is key to salvaging seemingly catastrophic matches.

So instead of little Zack focusing on his performance goals such as “ I’m going to serve to the backhand, hit high and heavy ground-strokes and crush short balls.”, Zack finds himself stuck in the wrong thought process. He is thinking “This guy is such a punk!!! I can’t lose to such a cheater, what will my friends say? I can’t believe I lost the last set, he’s ranked 57 spots below me…” The creative line caller has now got Zack right where he wants him-mentally far away from his performance goals.

If your athlete has issues playing against cheaters, ignoring the issue and hoping it will go away is not in their best interest. I recommend practicing their pre-set protocol during practice sessions to reinforce their match tough confidence. Arrange a few practice matches each week with the opponent being allowed to call any close ball out. Learning to deal with adversity and staying on the correct side of your brain under duress is a skill set that must be rehearsed.

“Tennis, like life, is not fair…but remember, sometimes it’s not fair in your favor.”

 

Contact: Frank Giampaolo
FGSA@earthlink.net
MaximizingTennisPotential.com
Affiliate 

 

Cheating in Tennis

Posted on September 2, 2015 by in Cheating, The Tennis Parent's Bible

The following post is an excerpt from The Tennis Parent’s Bible.  Thanks for visiting, Frank Giampaolo

 

“Cheating only creates a false sense of security.”Frank Giampaolo Maximizing Tennis Potential Junior Tennis

 

Those who have relied on manipulating, cheating and gamesmanship as their primary weapon in junior tennis match play lack the essential self-confidence needed at higher level tennis.

 

Contact: Frank Giampaolo
FGSA@earthlink.net
MaximizingTennisPotential.com
Affiliate

Bad Line Calls

Posted on August 3, 2015 by in Cheating, Maximizing Tennis Potential, The Tennis Parent's Bible

The following post is an excerpt from The Tennis Parent’s Bible.  Thanks for visiting, Frank Giampaolo

Frank Giampaolo Maximizing Tennis Potential Junior Tennis

Q: Is gamesmanship new to the game?

Frank: Let me share a story regarding Jack Kramer. Back in the 1990’s I had several opportunities to chat with the legend. One of our topics was regarding these “creative line callers”. Jack said that back in his youth, (in the 1930’s) as a top ranked junior, he estimated that there were an average of 6 bad lines calls for most of his competitive matches. Remarkably, that number of creative line calls remains the same.

Experts agree it’s not only the number of “gamesmanship” issues per match that determine the outcome of the match but the ability or inability to recover and persevere. Gamesmanship is found in every age division, from the 10 and under beginning crew to the national level juniors to the ladies leagues all the way up to the 90 and up division of competitive play. The point being is that it isn’t going away, so parents and coaches would be wise to assist the athletes with the solutions needed to overcome these difficult situations.

Contact: Frank Giampaolo
FGSA@earthlink.net
MaximizingTennisPotential.com
Affiliate