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Interview with Tennis Legend JOHAN KRIEK

Posted on November 25, 2016 by in Maximizing Tennis Potential

 

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

 

 JOHAN QUOTE PHOTO

JOHAN KRIEK TWO TIME GRAND SLAM CHAMPION

ATP 2-Time Grand Slam Champion, Coach and Owner of Johan Kriek Tennis Academy

 

Frank: You have a very successful tennis academy in Charlotte, North Carolina (USA) – Johan Kriek Tennis Academy.  What are the strong points of your academy?

Johan: I am personally on the court every day with my academy coaches and the clients. Each kid sees me every day and that is a rarity in America from someone with my credentials.

I also have created a great team of coaches that are very competent and we work in tandem as not to sow confusion when we coach privately with a kid and when the kid also trains in the academy. We have coaches on our staff from around the world and that gives the academy a very deep tennis base of knowledge to draw from.

Besides our great coaching staff, we fulfill all the necessary needs of each client whether it is coaching, changing a stroke or a grip, fitness needs, nutrition, mental training on court and in a classroom, tournament scheduling and the very important aspect of getting kids ready to apply for a college. Our connections in the college arena are very strong as college tennis is a very important aspect for most of our clients.

 

Frank: What would your advice be to parents of a hungry young talent?

Johan: Be supportive but not to the point that the kid feels this is becoming a “job” and their desire starts to disappear. If a kid is under ten years old, let him play other sports as well, soccer comes to mind as a great sport for fitness, endurance and footwork that complements tennis. Let the kid be a kid, not a tennis professional at age 10!

The more parents have fun with their child and avoids harping on results, at such a young age, the more the kid will want to stay in the game. The nationally ranked kid age 14 trains already perhaps 14 hours minimum a week with goals very different from a much younger child.

As a coach I need to be very aware of the expectations of parents, the child and the pressures that are “at play” in this journey. Unfortunately I see a lot of very good juniors with parents who are completely overbearing and pushing to the point it creates a very bad relationship and conflict rules the day. Even well-meaning parents that are not “sophisticated” enough in the knowledge of the sport and their child’s growth can derail a good talent easily…

It is my job to sit with the parents, sometimes many times during a year, especially after tournaments to discuss all the aspects I see that need to be addressed and “educate” the parents about the path forward.

 

Frank: What do you feel is the primary role of the tennis parent in today’s world?

Johan: The parent or parents have their child 20 hours of the day each day. In the academy I have the child for but a few hours. The role of the parent is vitally important to the tennis success of their child. It is tough enough to just be a parent but to be the parent of a budding tennis star is a whole different level of parenting. A child will always want to please the parents no matter the situation. So the parents must be the child’s support system in a very positive nurturing way. On this subject, “The Tennis Parent’s Bible” provides tremendous insight and information on how to deal with so many aspects of this issue. The book should be a must read for any parent or parents out there whether you are just starting out or have been “in the junior tennis world” for a while now.

 

Frank: How important is an “educated” parent in the developmental process?

Johan: This junior tennis journey is a very competitive world. Parents will see things happening on and off the court they never dreamed of seeing… Competition brings out a tremendous amount of joy when a kid wins but remember, there is but only one winner in a tournament! A kid will lose a lot, so get used to it. Disappointment and frustration is an everyday thing so how a parent deals with it and how a kid reacts to losing is where an “educated” parent has a huge impact on the mental well-being of their tennis prodigy.

It is so frustrating for me to see a well-meaning “uneducated” parent interrogate their kid right after they lost a match. The parent delves into the reasons why he or she lost and asking them they why did you not do this or that etc. …I see it all the time! The poor kid is already devastated from his loss and comes to the parent for support, but the parent makes it ten times worse. Parents should offer a safe haven for the child. There is a time and a place for everything. An educated tennis parent will know based on his or her child’s reaction after the loss whether they can talk about the match or whether they should just grab some lunch…

 

Frank: What’s your recommendation to coaches around the world regarding the synergy of the player- parent-coach entourage?

Johan: Coaches must understand that the parent is a very important part of this “triangle.” Ignoring this is a recipe for disaster. Without proper communication between the coach, parents and the player, sometimes together, unrealistic expectations may arise and lead to unnecessary conflict and stress for everybody involved. A smart coach will know parents and their child very well and this is the only way to continue on a healthy path through this rough and tumble world of junior tennis. And this applies to every sport, not just tennis!

Not a week goes by where I do not sit with a set of parents and discuss their child. Sometimes it requires face to face discussions but many times it is a phone call or an email. Communication is KEY!

 

Frank: Let’s go back to your junior years. What were the motivational forces that propelled you to stardom? Why couldn’t you just be another normal kid?

Johan: I guess I was normal or so I thought… Looking back, I was a very gifted athlete and exceptionally competitive by nature- I hated losing more than anything! Down deep I believed I could win. My internal drive to be “the best I could be” propelled me forward…

 

Frank: Back in the late 1970’s, which developmental components did you or did not focus on?

Johan:  I was always a very natural ball striker.  The technical components of my game were very sound, but I knew I needed the “exposure” to tougher opponents to expose and improve my weaknesses.  So at the age of 17, I went to Austria to improve my match competitiveness.  I trained on clay and played set after set and multiple tournaments. Although I got wiped most of the time, I was steadily improving.

 

Frank: If you had a “do-over”, what would you have developed differently?

Johan: Looking back, the element most lacking in my game was the mental component. Unfortunately, during my youth developmental phase, the mental components of tennis were not specialized. Most definitely, focusing on the mental application of tennis would be my “do-over” by far!

 

Frank: How did being South African effect your breakthrough at the International level?

Johan: Being from South-Africa was not easy. The South African political issues often blocked my participation in tournaments, but fortunately, I persevered and never let politics affect my desire to play tennis. I eventually took American citizenship which cleared my path to play wherever I wanted to play.

 

Frank: Can you share some incredible memories from the ATP days?

Johan: I have amazing memories from my days on the ATP tour. Some of the most memorable memories include: the first ATP tournament John McEnroe won was against me in Hartford CT., beating Stefan Edberg in 5 sets at Wimbledon, after being down 2 sets to love; winning my first ATP event in Sarasota Florida…But my most incredibly awesome memories are winning my first major in Australia in 1981 and then again in 1982! It was so farfetched that I still can’t believe that I won two Grand Slams back to back!

Even after my Grand Slam wins, unforgettable ATP memories continued. For instance beating John McEnroe, as he held the #1 player in the world ranking, a few weeks after my second Australian Open win was fantastic. My ATP career has left indelible memories- I could tell stories forever…

 

Frank: How did you recover after a tough loss on the ATP tour?

Johan: I once had Borg 2 sets to love in the semis of the ’80 US Open and McEnroe 2 sets to 1 in the quarters of “Wimby” and lost …it happens. I had my share of bad losses but I chose to not let them get me down for long periods of time. I actually took the negatives aspects of the losses and turned them into a positive driving force. This is because I knew I “had” the guy that I lost to and the loss forced me to work harder to beat him the next time.

After about 3 years on the tour, I rarely lost to a guy more than once in a row.

I believe growth comes from losses. One has to learn from losses and figure “stuff out” in order to improve.  Once the same “pressure points” or games arrive you’re more equipped to handle the situation.

 

Frank: How did you take such an emotional hit and recover so well?

Johan: I ended up winning two Aussie Opens after some tough losses. Tournament competition is a grind man… It’s not easy but once you have battled through a couple of very “tough” matches, you begin to become more familiar with the experience and learn to develop the proper protocol in handling the experience.

It is still hard, but once you have experienced hard fought matches, for months or years, they become easier to deal with and “accepted” as part of the game.

 

Johan Kriek Tennis Academy Website: www.johankriektennis.com Email:Johan@johankriektennis.com Twitter: @johankriek

 

Skill Sets of Champions

Posted on October 31, 2016 by in Emotional Aptitude in Sports, Maximizing Tennis Potential, 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

 Frank Giampaolo

QUESTION: What are the hidden skill sets of champions?

Frank: Jarrod Wilson has the Babolat Pure Drive, strung with natural gut on the crosses and polly on the mains… just like the pros. He sports the latest “Nadal” Nike shirts, shorts and shoes. His 12-pack racquet bag even says “TOUR TEAM” on it. Man, he even goes to an $80,000 a year tennis academy. At first glance, he looks like a sure bet for the pros.

Now let’s look at Jarrod’s regiment a little deeper as it pertains to player accountability.  Jarrod loses early almost every event in an implosion of negative behavior. There is nothing more common than young, talented athletes that are weak competitors. This is a prime time example of player accountability. After reading the below Ten Essential Hidden Skills of a Champion ask yourself, are there any similarities between Jarrod and your little tennis phenom?

Ten Essential Hidden Skills of a Champion

1) Champions face their fears versus avoiding them.

If you ask Jarrod to play a practice set against a younger retriever he has 100 excuses why he can’t and won’t play.

2) Champions have swagger which is truly different than fake, empty confidence.

Jarrod willingly practices his primary stroke production and then routinely SKIPS his weekly regime of off-court training sessions, rehearsing closing out sets, match play video analysis and his required mental/emotional classroom sessions. His empty confidence shatters under the slightest bit of pressure

3) Champions are strong competitor’s not just good athletes.

Set up a great sparring session for Jarrod and he’ll tell you “No thanks…I’m good! …I already rallied with Kenny today.”

4) Champions do everything to prepare properly.

Jarrod often stays out late the night before a big event, leaves no time in the morning for a real breakfast, neglects to organize his tournament bag, hits for 10 minutes before the match and actually believes he is ready to compete.

5) Champions know that they will lose more than they will win.

Jarrod and his parents believe that he should win every match he plays.

6) Champions develop problem solving skills, confidence, perseverance, determination and work ethic.

Jarrod chooses to focus on stationary strokes, week in and week out.

7) Champions have self-belief and a positive outlook.

Jarrod wears his ball cap backwards and twirls his racquet confidently at the start of each tournament, until the umpire yells “2 minutes gentlemen.” Then like clockwork, he loses focus and morphs into an “Emotional Basket Case” every weekend. Jarrod only has one game style- hard hitting baseliner.

8) Champions develop several game plans, emotional solutions to common problems, agility and brain speed.

Jarrod is brain washed into believing that if he perfects his primary strokes every day, he will go pro.

9) Champions understand that controlling their adrenaline and concentration wins matches.

Jarrod believes that he is the one and only gifted, athlete out there and that should be enough to sky rocket him to success. When his opponents begin to challenge his game, he folds emotionally.

10) Champions spot tendencies and control the energy of the match.

simply hits the shots that feel good to him versus hitting the shots that feel uncomfortable to the opponent.

 

In conclusion, it’s important to understand that there is nothing more common than extremely athletic individuals with weak competitive skills. This is why, to the untrained eye, it appears that the better “looking” athlete should win. As you all know, it is often not the case. Although it is essential to develop solid fundamental, once fundamentals are developed, the art of winning stems from developing these hidden skill sets.

 

Pre-Match Gamesmanship

Posted on October 21, 2016 by in Emotional Aptitude in Sports, Emotional Tennis, Maximizing Tennis Potential, 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

 sarah

QUESTION: What is pre-match gamesmanship and/or intimidation?

Frank: Winning matches begins in the pre-match warm up. Controlling the opponent by exhibiting a superior demeanor causes intimidation. It’s a perception of power.  Let’s look at ten legal strategies your athlete can employ to gain a psychological advantage even before the very first point has been played.

 

How to Intimidate Legally in the Warm-Up Checklist:

1)      Make the opponent wait for you. This sends a message that you’re the person who’s going to control today’s match.

2)      Feed balls directly at their belly button during the warm up to see which stroke they prefer. They’ll run around their weaker side, “telling you” their deficiencies.

3)      Use your most elegant form on every stroke.

4)      Move quickly to get every ball on one bounce.

5)      If you don’t like their shot, catch the ball and re-start the rally.

6)      During baseline rallies, aim your groundstrokes deep at their feet. This serves two purposes, it grooves your depth and only provides them with defensive shot options.

7)      When they’re at the net, junk balls at their feet versus giving them hard & high confidence building volleys.

8)      As you offer lobs for their overhead smashes, re-lob deeper to make them hit off their back foot.

9)      When serving, don’t let them hit returns yet, try to steal a few returns to get a feel for their serve.

10)  Consistency is incredibly intimidating. Be steady by simply matching the ball speed.

By controlling the warm up, your athlete is sending the subliminal message that the opponent is going to have a bad day at the office.

Tennis Myths

Posted on October 8, 2016 by in Maximizing Tennis Potential, 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

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QUESTION: What are some of the hidden roadblocks and myths found in high performance tennis?

Frank: It fascinates me how some junior athletes will hold on to crazy-beliefs. They would rather live in their “altered state of reality” and continue to get poor results than simply be accountable to their deliberate customized developmental plan. I have compiled some of the most common myths coming out of the mouths of your kids!

 

Under Training Off-Court

If your child “thinks” that they are mostly in shape…they are most likely not in shape. Players that are in great shape “know” they are in great shape. Getting past the third day of a big event is going to be a challenge for every junior who only “thinks” they’re in shape.

 

Solid fundamentals will get them in the draw. Being crazy fit keeps them in the draw. But being mentally and emotionally stable under stress wins titles.

 

Cramming Last Minute for an Event

Cramming in training days before a national event will lead to your child’s “batteries” half full come match time. Also, their millisecond decision making skills won’t be sharp. They will likely hesitate with their judgments and often over think under stress. Lastly, last minute crammers usually end up playing sore or injured.

 

Mistake Management

It is essential that your child understands the difference between a “good” mistake and a “bad” mistake. Also, did the mistake stem from technical form, inappropriate shot selections or poor movement? Mentally making the appropriate corrections without emotional condemnation is important.

 

Anger Management

Poor preparation is the source of the problems that cause the anger. Plans and patterns should be nurtured months before an event. Tools are sharpened and the rust is buffed out.

 

It’s not the opponent that causes the actual anger issues in a match. It’s the fact that the opponent has exposed a weakness that wasn’t fixed before the match began.

 

Blame Management

Blaming is a common excuse many juniors prefect. Changing string tension, racquets, coaches, and academies is a short-term feel good fix. However, designing a strong personalized developmental program and sticking to it is the solution to their problems.

 

Intermediates spend most of their time working on the strokes they already own. Advanced players also spend time perfecting the strokes and patterns they wish to add to their tool belt.

 

Lack of Pre-Match Routines and Rituals

Essential routines and rituals are used by professionals and often overlooked by junior competitors. Teens are often too cool to prepare properly. Champions act like champions long before they become champions.

 

To review, I highly recommend taking time to communicate the above player accountability issues with your athlete and their entourage of coaches. Plan on organizing solutions to the common road blocks and de-bunking the myths.

 

Parent Athlete Communication

Posted on October 2, 2016 by in Maximizing Tennis Potential, 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

 Frank Giampaolo

It is the responsibly of the parent of a high performance athlete to become aware of the ‘do’s and don’ts’ as they manage their child’s athletic career. Poor communication (words and actions) can crush the most talented athlete’s confidence, destroy enthusiasm and permanently damage the emotional climate great coaches’ work to build. Positive communication can increases momentum, reignite commitment and maximize athletic potential.

 

Awarded Top 100 Tennis Blog!

Posted on September 25, 2016 by in Maximizing Tennis Potential

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Acknowledging Your Child’s Efforts

Posted on September 12, 2016 by in Maximizing Tennis Potential, Parent Player Communication

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 Maximizing Tennis Potential with Frank Giampaolo

 

Acknowledging Your Child’s Efforts

Once a month, throughout the course of your youngsters tennis career (or any committed passion your child may have…), plan on sitting down and writing a letter stating how proud you are of them. Place it on their bed at night.

It’s my bet that most adults could not handle the pressure a serious junior competitor endures day in and day out. Take a few moments to acknowledge how proud you are of their efforts. Thank them for the courage they show as they lay it on the line week after week.

 

Strengthen Neurological-Connections with Repetition

Posted on September 1, 2016 by in Maximizing Tennis Potential, Tennis Specific Training, The Second Edition of The Tennis Parent's Bible

Coming soon Emotional Aptitude in Sports – a practical guide to solving competitive issues.

EA in sports3

 

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 is repetition so important in developing athletic royalty?

Frank: Most professional coaches view repetition as the godfather of mastery. Repetition is essentially motor programming.

Developing a motor program begins with a thought, which is messaged through the nervous system, down the spinal cord and into the muscular system. The more we pre-set the protocols the more it “grooves” the pathways. So, the more familiar the habit, the easier it is to execute the proper protocol during match play.

Repetition doesn’t just involve the physical strokes. It also applies to the athletic, flexible skills movements, the cognitive processing skills and emotional responses. All four of these components need appropriate, deliberate repetition.

“It doesn’t matter if you’re actually doing it, imagining it or observing it,
you are developing a pathway.”

Neurological-connections are strengthened by repetition. One of the most important keys to repetition is to “practice in the manner in which you’re expected to perform.” Often, improvements are maximized through manipulating the exercises with variations. Examples include:

  • Athleticism– Varying the direction, physical reps and/or sets.
  • Strokes– Varying the strike zones, tempo and/or movement.
  • Emotional– Varying the performance anxieties and their pre-set solutions.
  • Mental– Varying the different patterns used to beat the different styles of opponents.

Applying each of the four components under stress effortlessly requires an intuitive process. What appears to be a natural talent is actually a learned behavior through repetition. Mastering each component requires repetition.

It’s important to note that repetition isn’t always good. Repeating the same old flawed mechanical stroke or repeating the incorrect emotional response to stress is only ingraining that flaw deeper, making it harder to fix later.

CONTACT: Frank Giampaolo FGSA@earthlink.net

Managing Tipping Point Tendencies

Posted on August 27, 2016 by in Maximizing Tennis Potential, 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 Orderblack_ebook_design2

 

TIPPING POINT TENDENCIES

Experienced champions have developed seemingly hidden skill sets I call, Tipping Point Tendencies. To the untrained eye, as the athletes warm up, opponents may appear to be equally matched with similar physical abilities. It is during match play that tipping point tendencies become apparent. The game is on and “playing catch” is over and playing “keep away” begins. These pre-developed skill sets are the critical factors that tip a close match in ones favor.

The tipping points are those hidden moments in each match when an emotional energy shift is about to happen.

 

“In close tennis matches, positive and negative energy and attitudes flows back and forth.”

 

Most intermediate athletes and their parents don’t even realize that this critical struggle for power is taking place. That is… until now! Mental readiness is required to control the positive energy.

 

Think back to the last few times your athlete lost tight matches. Chances are you blamed the losses on bad luck, or the opponent cheated, or your kid just did not have the “feel” that day, or for you superstitious types… you went to Quiznoz’s instead of Subway. Those re-occurring close defeats are most likely due to your child’s incomplete training and not lunch meat. Tipping point tendencies are essential learned behaviors that athletic royalty must master.

An athlete that shifts focus to the following tipping point tendencies, accelerates the learning process and a competitive warrior is born. Close matches are often decided by a handful of points. Let’s look a little deeper at ten of the top “hidden” tipping point tendencies that can help tip your athlete’s matches in their favor. (These are terrific conversation starters for your athlete and their coaches.)

 

Top Ten Tipping Point Tendencies:

1) Pay attention to the energy flow throughout the match. Who’s cranky and negative, who’s eager, hungry and positive? If you’re negative, apply your triggers and steal the energy back.

2) Monitor your state of mind. Is your mental and emotional state in the under arousal state of mind, in the optimal peak performance state of mind or in the over arousal state of mind?

3) Learn to spot the mental and emotional signs of choking (over-thinking) and panicking (under-thinking).

4) Manage the score to manage your adrenaline. Different points have different psychological values. Pay attention and get pumped up before big points.

5) Note that tennis scoring isn’t numerically fair: You can win more points than the opponent in the match and still lose the match. Winning requires spotting tipping points.

6) Spot the mega points (game winning points) and run the appropriate pattern that you’ve trained to death versus going rogue.

7) Spot mini-mega points. A 30-15 lead isn’t the correct time to relax. Winning that crucial point earns you a 40-15 advantage, lose it and you’re staring at a 30-30 tie.

8) Spot mini-mega games. These games in a set hold crucial building blocks. A 4-2 lead isn’t time to relax. Winning that mini-mega game earns you a 5-2 lead. Lose is and the sets a 4-3 dog fight.

9) Opponent profiling is crucial. It’s the flip side to running your Top 7 Patterns. Competitors who pay attention not only spot the opponents preferred patterns but actually shut them down on these big occasions.

10) Self-chart both sides of the net. Witness where errors and winners stem from and problem solve accordingly.

In regards to higher learning, I’m amazed at how often very young intermediate athletes understand this type of mental and emotional training. It is not reserved for the older advanced group. Parents and coaches, please remember, their world isn’t remotely like ours at their age. With Google on their smart phones, they are accustom to collecting and quantifying data at lightning speeds.

Have you ever witnessed your child on their phone with one friend, doing their homework, skyping another friend, snap-chatting, while eating and watching TV?  Children can multi-task. Asking an intermediate tennis player to improve their mechanical stroke components while improving their mental components is a piece of cake!

 

Mastering the tipping point tendencies is the art of winning under stress. Those seemingly “little things” are actually the extremely “big things” that make all the difference in tipping the odds in your favor.

 

CONTACT: Frank Giampaolo FGSA@earthlink.net

 

Beyond Tennis Strokes

Posted on June 23, 2016 by in Maximizing Tennis Potential

 

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

 

Blunder: Ignoring Off-Court Training, Proper Nutrition and Hydrationblack_ebook_design2

When your athlete gets fatigued their movement gets sloppy, their stroke spacing is off and unforced errors begin to fly off their racket.  Poor decision making and negative emotions set in.  Often, the actual cause of a child’s emotional breakdown is a lack of fitness. Unfit players do not perform their rituals, they do not spot tendencies and they do not manage their mistake.  Poor physical fitness manifests in mental and emotional breakdowns. For instance, most juniors go for low percentage shots due to the fact that they are too tired to grind out the point. So is off-court training linked to the mental side?  Absolutely!

Proper hydration and nutrition is also a critical factor in the physical, mental and emotional links of every tennis competitor. As parents, we have to insist that our players fuel up before battle. Dehydration triggers fatigue, dizziness, headaches and nausea. Lack of adequate nutrition affects the blood sugar levels to the brain.

Improper nutrition and hydration guarantees poor decision making skills at crunch time.

 

CONTACT: Frank Giampaolo
FGSA@earthlink.net