Frank Giampaolo's Maximizing Tennis Potential

“Is enrolling my child into a tennis academy the right developmental pathway?”

This is one of the most frequently asked question I receive via email from tennis parents, both here and abroad. Like many junior tennis players, the words of many tennis academies don’t match their actions. Their words say one thing… Their actions something completely different.
Hopefully, the below blog helps you, the parent, identify if your child’s academy is truly a high performance training center or a sketchy waste of your precious time and money.

12 Signs of a Sketchy Tennis Academy 

Parents, in regards to maximizing your child’s potential at the quickest rate, you may be able to replace the money you’ve wasted but you can’t replace the valuable time your child lost.
If you’re witnessing three or more of the below inadequacies, your child may be enrolled in a sketchy tennis academy. If so, it may be time seek a new home for your junior champ.

1. Fifteen minutes into the session and coaches are still locating their baskets of dead balls and applying their own sun block as kids are waiting, playing on their cell phones.
2. No serious attempt at structured upper body and lower body dynamic stretching is present.
3. Once in groups, 8-10 players per court get in a single file line, hit one ball and then return to a long line of boredom before they hit another ball.
4. The coaches talk “AT” the students and apply minimum observational skills, so there is very little customized training.
5. Newbie/inexperienced coaches spewing outdated tennis myths. “Get the racket back first thing!”, “You have to roll over the ball more, if you want topspin”, “You need to toss higher on the serve, so you have more time!” and “You’re not watching the ball hit the strings!”
6. Lack of passion, enthusiasm, fun or laughter from the coaches so the students are walking through the drills like zombies.
7. Coaches lack the critical 2-way communication skills essential to engage the students in the learning process. When the inexperienced coaches do teach, the comments start with “Don’t do that!”, “You’re doing it wrong!” etc.
8. Intermediate students are still allowed to employ improper grips, out dated mechanics, inefficient footwork and reckless shot selection without any real attempt at instruction.

1. The few really good kids are training for free on the “show” court, with the better coaches, while the paid clientele are on the lower courts with the newbie coaches- playing time wasting games.
2. The after lunch format is a non-instructional “Live Ball” session. The players battle through match play with no monitoring. Students are supposed to “Figure it out for themselves!”

1. In academy match play, the reward is: Winners move up to the cool group. The punishment is: Losers move down to the loser group. While learning how to compete is critical, this old school method impairs the actual development you seek. It discourages the repetition/rehearsal of the critical new systems an athlete is learning to incorporate into their game as they go back to using the comfortable old flawed tactics to try to win.

1. The famous “marquee coach” whose name and pictures are on the brochure is rarely ever on court with your child. The best teachers I know spend as much time with the beginners as they do with the top ranked athletes on a daily basis.

Parents, if you are seeking a $25 per hour group babysitting service, then this type of camp may be just fine.  However, if you’re looking to maximize your child’s potential, please, contact other academies and enquirer about their program. I highly recommend not telling the academy directors when you’re coming, so they can’t put on the “dog & pony” show. Quietly observe future programs for a day or two before committing long term. Junior competitors should be doubling or even tripling their skill level during the long summer months.

Best of luck this summer and thank you for all the kind emails,
Frank Giampaolo