COMMON PERFORMANCE ANXIETIES 
Performing in an athlete’s peak performance state of mind requires morphing into character and memorizing their scripts of top patterns and emotional protocols. Parents have an essential role in this process. Uneducated tennis parents unintentionally sabotage any real chance of their children performing well when they need it the most. An important job of any tennis parent is to help prepare their athlete for pressure.
1) Common Anxiety: “I don’t want to play, what if I lose?”
“Devalue the event to deflate the anxiety.”
A common outcome-oriented mindset is that each tournament is a life or death crisis. This negative frame of mind is counterproductive and incredibly stressful. It would be wise to educate the athlete and their entourage that tournament play is only an information gathering mission. Each match should be analyzed to determine why they won points and why they lost points as a result of their competitive decisions. The objective is simple, quantify the data and learn from it.
Competition should be seen as a fun challenge, not intensely difficult or dangerous.
To prepare the athlete for pressure, decompress the situation.
2) Common Anxiety: “I hit for 10 minutes … I’m ready!”
“Prepare both hardware & software for battle!”
Pre-match preparation begins the weeks leading into the event. During this prep phase, avoid significant mechanical changes or adding brand new concepts. It takes approximately 3-6 weeks for a new motor program to override an old one. The days leading to an event are not the correct time to introduce a new skill. Starting a new routine may cause the athlete to become confused, sore, or injured and require recovery time not available.
Morphing into a match warrior involves building confidence in their existing skills. Begin with dead ball drills focusing exclusively on neutral, offense, and defensive skill situations. Rehearse court controlling top patterns and solutions in live ball settings. Ask the athlete to incorporate plenty of complete practice matches and listen to their customized audio tapes recorded on their cell phones to visualize solutions (mental rehearsals.) The night before is a terrific time for them to organize their clothes, equipment, and their nutrition and hydration requirements.
Come game day; I recommend athletes prepare their mental and emotional components by reviewing their audio tapes, once again, the morning of the match. Complete a dynamic stretch and warm-up primary and secondary strokes with multitasking movement. (Hitting on the move instead of just standing still.) Prior to checking in, hydrate and go for a short run to reduce anxiety and warm-up the body.
Preparing for pressure requires the confidence that comes from complete preparation.
3) Common Anxiety: “Everyone says ‘JUST PLAY YOUR GAME.,’ but I don’t know what my game is?”
“Top contenders have defined their global style & most proficient patterns of play.”
Upon arrival at a coaching gig in Spain, I noticed the coaches on all ten red clay courts running the same drill. Player A hits a high & heavy ball deep to player B’s backhand. Player B retreats, contacting the ball above his/her shoulders and produces a short reply. Player A moves into no-man’s land and screeches “AHH …HEEE” and drives a winner into the open court. I asked the famous director “What’s the drill they’re all working on?” He laughed and said, we call it, “How to beat the Americans.”
Athletes should start each match with their global style of play. Whether they’re in Miami or Moscow, in the first round or finals, on hard or clay courts, starting matched by doing what they do best is an intelligent formula. Their global system is their most proficient style of play (not necessarily their favorite style). Styles include hard hitting baseliners, counterpunchers, retrievers, and net rushers.
The athlete’s global system also includes their strategic plan – which is their most proficient patterns of play. These patterns need to be designed and developed. They include: serving and return patterns, rally patterns (like the above Spanish group), short ball options, and net rushing plays.
In competition, each athlete has to know what they do best and must routinely apply their global plan and hitting the same old, boring winners over and over.
When you preach “Just go out there and play your game.” do your athletes honestly know what their game is?
Preparing for pressure consists of exposing the athlete’s strengths to the athlete.
“Preparing for pressure requires making the unknown …a little more known.”
