The following post is an excerpt from The Tennis Parent’s Bible. Thank you for visiting, Frank Giampaolo
Anger on the Court?
On-court anger is very familiar to many. The ability to channel anger and improve performance is a skill many juniors have not fully developed. Most juniors displaying anger/emotional meltdowns on court are doing so because they have not properly prepared. Below are several reasons your that may help your child reduce anger fits on court. (For more detail: The Tennis Parent’s Bible)
Rehearse Successful Performance Goals Versus “I Have to Win” Goals:
Champions are performance orientated and not outcome orientated. After a match parents need to replace “Did you win?” with “How did you play?” In the 2009 Masters Doubles, one ATP team got 81 percent of their first serves in and capitalized on 3 out of 4 break points. Guess who won easily?
Tennis is Not Fair:
There are so many reasons why this game is not fair. Understanding these issues will reduce the stress some juniors place on themselves. For instance, luck of the draw, court surfaces, match location, weather (wind, sun, etc.), lucky let courts…Can you think of a few?
Everyone Gets the Same 24 Hours in a Day:
The difference is how they use it. I mentioned in a previous chapter that most juniors have an excess number of hours unaccounted for… I suggested getting a daily planner and discuss time management with your child. Assist them in organizing their on-court and off-court weekly schedule.
Managing Stress:
Experience tells us that if you are in a fight, take some time to clear your head. Get away or go for a brisk walk. Talk to your child about time management as it pertains to controlling the pace of the match. Winners often take bathroom breaks at critical times in a match, don’t they? Controlling the energy flow of the match is a super way to control the fire.
Champions Experience Failure:
Most tennis champions have probably lost way more matches than your child has lost. Ambitious people experience many failures. The majority of professionals lose every week- only one player can win the tournament. Does that mean most players are losers? Not a chance! Champions learn from their loses.
Never Outgrow Fun:
You often see top professionals battle and still smile in the course of a match. Stress and anger clutter your thought processes, which decreases your ability to perform.
Tennis is a Gift Not a Right:
Discuss how there are millions of great athletes that are the same age as your child that will never get the opportunity to compete at this level. Tennis isn’t fair, right? But has your child thought about how lucky they are to be able to play tennis and have a family that wants to support their passion?
Good Judgment Comes From Experience:
So where does experience come from? The funny answer is bad judgment. Talk to your child about how it is far less painful to learn from other peoples’ failures. After a loss, stay at the tournament site and chart a top seed. Analyze others’ success as well as pitfalls and learn how to avoid them.
Stay Aggressive through the Fear:
An old saying is “courage is not the absence of fear but the ability to carry on in spite of it.” Discuss how all too often we shift our style from “playing to win” to “playing not to lose.” Trust me folks, they are two very different mind sets.
Contact: Frank Giampaolo
FGSA@earthlink.net
www.MaximizingTennisPotential.com
Affiliate
