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Why Character Building Matters- Part 4

Posted on July 23, 2021 by in The Soft Science of Tennis

The following post is an excerpt from Frank’s newest book, The Soft Science of Tennis.

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“You need to develop a thick skin” is a common mantra for strong character building. It’s an effective defense to the critics. Trust me, the most common way you know you’re rising above the crowd is when others begin to trash-talk and criticize you solely because of their petty jealousy. If athletes aren’t able to take criticism, they should stay home, lie on the couch and stop improving immediately!”

 

In regards to character, actions speak louder than words. Parents and coaches need to remember that they are modeling character and that their actions have a more significant impact than their words. It is the role of parents and coaches to create a positive environment for ideal character building. Build character and lead by example:

  • It’s cool to be kind so choose kindness.
  • Vulnerability is a courageous character trait and not a weakness. So embrace vulnerability.
  • Share successes and failures. Share your story as a learning tool.
  • Laugh and joke as you apply humor to your daily training sessions.
  • Give credit to others for your success.
  • Compliment others daily on everything and anything.

 

“Invest more time and energy in your positive character building, and you’ll witness your athletes
modeling positive behavior.”

Why Character Building Matters- Part 3

Posted on July 20, 2021 by in The Soft Science of Tennis

The following post is an excerpt from Frank’s newest book, The Soft Science of Tennis.

Click Here to Order through Amazon

The Power of Choicefrank

Positive character motivates the athlete to forge ahead. Negative character allows the athlete to give up. A critical question in our sport is “How do we teach our athletes to handle losses?”

A modern term used in sports psychology is Posttraumatic Growth (PTG). Psychologists apply the term PTG to describe a positive psychological change that can result from a traumatic experience, such as athletic failure. Though losing may not seem like a tragic event to some, to others competitive losses can be mentally and emotionally crippling.  PTG methodologies help clients through difficult situations by encouraging them to take responsibility with the power of choice.

The athlete can choose to fight or retreat. Tennis champions actually lose and lose often throughout their career. The athletes who choose to use their scar tissue as motivation to fight and endure the athletic pressure persevere and reach the top. Admirable character opens up the athlete to forge ahead instead of shutting down and giving up.

Why Character Building Matters- Part 2

Posted on July 19, 2021 by in The Soft Science of Tennis

The following post is an excerpt from Frank’s newest book, The Soft Science of Tennis.

Click Here to Order through Amazon

 

Busoft scienceilding character in young athletes is essential to the success of the athlete on and off the court. Positive character not only assists the athletes on the court but guides them as they make the world a better place. An excellent character is a secret precursor of winning. It drives performance, which accelerates results. It’s the heartbeat of The Soft Science of Tennis. Sadly, in today’s generation, many parents assume that the coaches are teaching positive character traits and critical life skills, while coaches believe that it’s the parents who are educating these essential skills, and sadly it’s a missing link in developing athletes.

 

“Excellent character is the secret precursor of winning. It drives consistent training which accelerates results.”

 

Character counts, so what is character? It’s a combination of the athlete’s emotional qualities, beliefs, and values. Great character isn’t a genetic predisposition. Humans aren’t born with great character. Good character is a learned skill set with well-nurtured emotional enhancements. One’s character, good or bad shines in all its glory when the athlete competes and under duress. Developing character molds the athlete’s inner dialog, which either pumps them up or tears them down on a daily basis.

 

“The underlining effectiveness of a parent or coach lies in their ability to develop positive character skills.”

Why Character Building Matters- Part 1

Posted on July 16, 2021 by in The Soft Science of Tennis

The following post is an excerpt from Frank’s newest book, The Soft Science of Tennis.

Click Here to Order through Amazon

frank

Why Character Building Matters

 

Jenny’s a full-time student at the First Strike Tennis Academy in Southern California and has been for nine years. In her own words: “I’m stuck, I’m SCTA ranked in the upper 80’s and going nowhere fast.” Jenny’s father is also frustrated with her tennis because he knows Jenny is a gifted athlete and he feels her academy is letting her down, despite the incredible amount of money he shells out to them each month. Jenny and her father both believe she is capable of achieving better results. 

The coaching staff at First Strike had convinced Jenny that she was doing everything she was supposed to do and to be patient and she would see results soon. Jenny confided in me that her motivation was gone and she was ready to hang up her rackets. She then broke down in tears as she revealed that although she’s good in practice, in competition her competitive grit, patience, and effort have abandoned her. She looked down and sobbed, “I’m just so tired of being average.” Jenny’s father interrupted and confessed, booking this session with you was our last resort.”

It didn’t take long to uncover the White Elephant on the court, which was the fact that Jenny has been training inefficiently for almost a decade.

Our initial conversation began with me asking Jenny some fundamental tennis developmental questions. “Since you’re telling me you know all too well how to be average, let me ask you an opposing question: Can you tell me how not to be average?” Jenny said, “Um…to do more training than my peers?” I smiled and said, “What’s even more important than the quantity of training?” “I don’t know… the quality of the training?” she responded. I agreed wholeheartedly. I then asked Jenny what she thought the difference was between-group drilling and a customized developmental plan. “Well,” she said. “I guess a customized developmental plan focuses on individual needs versus group activities. I said, “Right again sister!”

I asked Jenny about her tennis goals. She perked up and said, “It used to be to play D-1 Tennis at Stanford but …” “Ok, great!”  I jumped in. “Now what is your customized weekly plan to make it a reality? What are you doing week-in and week-out that is setting you far apart from your peers?” … (Crickets) “Let me ask you another way, has your only training been in the academy format? …More silence. I gave it the dramatic one-minute pause, which to her must have felt like an hour.

I sat back, took a deep breath, and said, “I see the problem. Jenny, you don’t have a customized plan. A goal without a customized plan isn’t a goal at all …it’s simply a dream.” I explained to Jenny that everyone has dreams, but a dream isn’t going to come true without a specific weekly customized developmental plan. Jenny’s eye’s brightened, and I saw her beautiful smile for the first time.

“I believe you owe it to yourself to attack your tennis development from a new perspective. Let’s hit a few balls so I can see your strokes and movement.”

So we hit a few baskets of balls as I identified her strengths and weaknesses in her primary and secondary strokes. We then sat down and went to work designing her customized weekly planner based on her efficiencies and deficiencies within her four main components: strokes, athleticism, mental and emotional. Our evaluation session was a mind-blowing revelation to Jenny and her Dad. No one had ever actually dissected Jenny’s game, let alone provided customized solutions for improvement. Our first day together went by quickly as we evaluated and improved her tennis IQ, her emotional aptitude, her organizational skills and we made adjustments in her deficient coaching entourage.

Jenny didn’t need to groove her stationary strokes or to run more laps around the track. She needed to apply life skills, positive character traits and a renewed belief in herself. Throughout our few days together, I identified the direction of training required and simply motivated her to be accountable for organizing her very own training regimen. She applied solid character traits such as the determination to devise an innovative, customized weekly blueprint. She was open-minded and humble throughout our sessions. Strong character traits are needed to champion tennis and life.

Within six months of completely modifying her training regimen, life skills, and positive character traits Jenny achieved a top 10 SCTA ranking and went on to play D-1 College ball. (The names have been changed to protect the guilty).

 

Physical Skills Versus Life Skills- Part 1

Posted on July 13, 2021 by in The Soft Science of Tennis

The following post is an excerpt from Frank’s newest book, The Soft Science of Tennis.

Click Here to Order through Amazon

Frank Giampaolo

Physical Skills Versus Life Skills

 

Marcus is a gifted tennis player from Phoenix, Arizona. At 16 he possesses incredible athleticism. He’s 6’3” and is ripped. His speed, agility, and stamina are off the charts. His tennis-specific skills are also above average. He possesses a huge serve and a killer forehand. Marcus’s UTR is hovering around 10.8. College coaches recruiting should be salivating for him, but sadly for Marcus and his folks, tennis scholarships are not being offered.

The red flags that the experienced college coaches quickly identify are underdeveloped character traits and life skills. You see, Marcus can’t communicate with others, and when he does, a storm of pessimism engulfs everyone around him like a dark cloud. As for his life skills, the college coaches quickly pick up on the fact that he’s late for their meetings, unorganized, and blames others for his downfalls. On-court Marcus shows irrational anger, reckless shot selections, and a lack of perseverance, adaptability, and resiliency even in practice match play. Due to Marcus’s underdeveloped software, his D-1 College dreams won’t be coming true. It’s within the job description of coaches and parents to teach positive character traits and life skills along with their tennis skill sets.

High-performance tennis is the combination of four required skill sets: character skills, life skills, athleticism, and tennis-specific skills. Customized training focuses on all four of these components, however, the degree of focus is based on the athlete’s specific needs. It is the job description of a progressive coach to navigate the mastery of all four of these skills effectively.

1.Character Skills

Character skills are productive personality traits. These habits include empathy, interpersonal skills for communicating and interacting effectively with others, a positive-optimistic attitude, ethics, morals, and leadership traits.

2. Life Skills

Life skills are defined as the ability to thrive within the challenges of an athlete’s everyday life. These include cognitive skills for analyzing performance and personal skills for organizing developmental plans and managing oneself.

3.Athletic Skills

Athletic skills are defined as the physical qualities that are characteristic of well-rounded athletic individuals regardless of the sport. Athletic skills include upper and lower body strength, fitness, stamina, speed, core balance, and agility.

4.Tennis Skills

Tennis skills are the particular skill sets that define a high-performance-tennis-specific athlete. Experts in this field possess a complete tool belt of strokes, tactics, strategies, and of course, emotional aptitude to compete at the higher echelons of the game.

 

Coaching Brain Type Performance- Part 8

Posted on July 9, 2021 by in The Soft Science of Tennis

The following post is an excerpt from Frank’s newest book, The Soft Science of Tennis.

Click Here to Order through Amazon

Soft Science of Tennis_3D_Cover_version5

ENFJ: Extrovert Intuitive Feeler Judger

 

Challenge: ENFJ’s are often a bit naive and idealistic. They struggle when the competition gets tense, and confrontation arises. This brain design enjoys the socialization and athleticism of the game but gets disillusioned when unnecessary emotional drama comes into play. They can shut down and disassociate themselves under pressure.

Solution: Since confrontation is at the heart of competition, it’s wise to educate the ENFJ students to get comfortable in uncomfortable situations. Role play formulas to assist your athletes in making peace with nurturing the alpha competitor inside. Practice sessions should include rehearsing protocols against opponents who hook, flip the score, stall or intimidate these athletes.

 

Challenge: Due to their EF traits, ENFJ brain designs are emotional competitors. On the upside, these charismatic leaders are typically witnessed cheering for their friends and teammates. However, in their own competition, ENFJ’s can quickly turn negative.

Solution: This design also needs more than their fair share of encouragement. Coaches in tune with the emotional components of athletes should realize that this squeaky wheel NEEDS the grease. Meaning, it’s often the givers who need the parents and teaching pro’s approval, praise and positive affirmations just as much as the more demanding, pessimistic students.

 

 

Challenge: When coaching FJ’s, it’s important to note that they’re often highly sensitive to disapproval. Being proven wrong in their decisions doesn’t sit lightly for J types.

Solution: To maintain their high level of self-esteem, a trick of the trade is to use reverse psychology in your teaching. For example, if the ENFJ’s still tossing the ball too high on their serve, replace “Geez Joey, I’ve told you 100 times… toss slightly above the peak of your reach!” with “Nice Joey!  You’re starting to get the apex of the toss right above your strike zone. You must have lowered your toss 3 feet!” Of course, Joey didn’t lower his toss yet but guess who’s more likely to improve his toss and whose ego won’t plummet by being proven wrong?

 

Challenge: While this J type is usually keenly organized, under match day stress, they perform primarily within their NF functions. I’ve witnessed countless times that ENFJ’s play from the gut. NF’s who abort their preset script of proactive patterns and choose to go off script usually end up making reckless shot selections.

Solution: Educate the athlete to understand that winning stems from practicing in the manner in which they are expected to perform and then to perform in the manner in which they have been practicing. Remaining on script is critical because it provides them with opportunities to do what they do best at crunch time.

How the Brain Affects Performance- Part 4

Posted on July 6, 2021 by in The Soft Science of Tennis

The following post is an excerpt from Frank’s newest book, The Soft Science of Tennis.

Click Here to Order through Amazon

The Match Chart Collection 2D

Judgers (J) versus Perceivers (P)

Judger Students

  • Prefer planned, orderly structured lessons.
  • Often postpone competing because they’re not 100% ready.
  • Are frequently afraid to make the wrong decision, so they freeze up in competition.
  • Need closure with a task before moving onto the next drill.
  • Enjoy making detailed lists to ensure productivity.
  • Have a strong need to control most aspects of situations.
  • Change is uncomfortable and is typically shunned.
  • Multitasking is avoided, as they prefer to focus on one component at a time.
  • Rules and laws apply to them and everyone else in the academy.
  • Often closed-minded to new information until its proven correct.
  • Often more-fixed-mind-set versus growth-mind-set.
  • Self-regulated and enjoy working their customized developmental plan.

 

Perceiver Students

  • In competition, perceivers are mentally found in the future, not the present.
  • Often struggle with closing out leads in matches.
  • Day-dream and often struggle with remaining on task.
  • Are flexible and spontaneous.
  • Easily adapt to the ever-changing match situations.
  • Open to discussing and applying new, unproven concepts.
  • Often more growth-mind-set versus fixed-mindset.
  • Appear relaxed and loose under stress.
  • Perform in cycles of energy.
  • Typically need goal dates and deadlines to work hard.
  • In matches, focus on outcome scenarios versus performance play.
  • Often postpone training until the last minute.

 

 

“Athletes who make the most significant gains are independent thinkers who are self-aware of their inborn characteristics, strengths, and weaknesses. Understanding your player’s personality profile will enrich your relationships and assist you in helping your students develop excellent technique, athleticism, strategies and handling stress under pressure.”

 

Take a few moments, sit back and digest the above information. I’m sure you will smile as you systematically place specific students, co-workers, friends and family members into their genetic predispositions.

In chapters 8- 11, four customized challenges and their solutions are provided for each of the s

How the Brain Affects Performance- Part 3

Posted on July 1, 2021 by in The Soft Science of Tennis

The following post is an excerpt from Frank’s newest book, The Soft Science of Tennis.

Click Here to Order through Amazon

soft science

Thinkers (T) versus Feelers (F)

Thinker Students

  • Impersonalize tennis matches in a business fashion.
  • Continually analyze the pros and cons of each situation.
  • Thrive in private lessons versus group activities.
  • In discussions, they are frank and often void of tactfulness.
  • Aware of coaching inconsistencies.
  • In competition, they are less influenced by emotions than other brain designs.
  • Prefer logical explanations versus hunches.
  • Relate to technical skills training over mental or emotional skills training.
  • Less concerned about personal interaction and group harmony.
  • Prefer work before play even in practice.
  • Value fairness and good sportsmanship.
  • Often seen as uncaring or indifferent to others.

 

Feeler Students

  • Enjoy group sessions with their peers.
  • Often put others needs ahead of their needs.
  • Strong need for optimism and harmony on-court.
  • Struggle with match play cheating and gamesmanship.
  • Usually outcome-oriented versus process-oriented.
  • Perform with their heart versus their head.
  • Often miss the details and facts in problem-solving.
  • Sometimes too empathetic to struggling opponents.
  • Need frequent process reminders to regain focus.

 

“A gender stereotype myth is that females are feelers and males are thinkers. While the exact percentages vary widely from study to study, it’s clear that brain function doesn’t necessarily correlate with gender. Nature versus nurture falls into play.

Though societal bias may nurture females to be more nurturing and caring and males to be more tough problem-solvers, females can be genetically wired to be thinkers just as males can be wired to be feelers.”

How the Brain Affects Performance- Part 1

Posted on June 26, 2021 by in The Soft Science of Tennis

The following post is an excerpt from Frank’s newest book, The Soft Science of Tennis.

Click Here to Order through Amazon

Soft Science of Tennis_3D_Cover_version5

How the Brain Affects Performance

 

“Athletes who share similar cerebral inner workings also share mental and emotional strengths and weaknesses
in the competitive arena.”

 

This chapter will uncover how brain design affects tennis performances. The following brain design categories can be used as an informal observation as you first profile yourself. However, I suggest going online to the dozens of more in-depth questionnaires. Choose the accuracy and depth of the personality profiling questionnaire that is right for you. After a bit of research, you will recognize learning preferences that best describe your brain design.

Let’s review the basics from earlier in this book. There are 16 configurations of personality profiles found around the world. By completing your chosen questionnaire, you will discover your association – a 4-letter acronym nicknaming your personality profile. Once comfortable with the terminology, you will be able to categorize your athletes into their unique designs. Following is a list of commonalities I’ve uncovered on-court with my high-performance students.

 

Uncovering Your Students Typography

Introverts (I) versus Extroverts (E)

Introvert Students

  • Reserved, reflective thinkers.
  • Prefer concrete advice versus abstract thinking.
  • Need quiet, alone time to recharge their batteries.
  • Prefer to blend into groups versus stand out.
  • Energy conserving, private and quiet individuals.
  • Enjoy the one-on-one settings of private lessons over group lessons.
  • Prefer to retaliate in match play versus instigate action.

 

Extrovert Students

  • Enjoy the energy in group lessons with lots of people.
  • Enjoy the limelight, center court, and center stage.
  • Vocally and physically expressive on court.
  • Easily bored with mundane repetition.
  • Prefer to make things happen in matches versus retrieving.
  • View tournaments as social environments.
  • Work best in short attention span type drills.
  • Strangers are friends they haven’t met yet.
  • Benefit from stretches of silent tennis drilling.

 

“Coaching confusion takes place when an athlete’s body type (size, speed, agility, strength) opposes their hidden inner workings.

For example, the athlete’s body type appears to be designed to instigate action by capturing the net, but they religiously choose to stay back and retaliate instead. Typically brain design overrides body design.”

Coaching Brain Type Performance- Part 7

Posted on June 22, 2021 by in The Soft Science of Tennis

The following post is an excerpt from Frank’s newest book, The Soft Science of Tennis.

Click Here to Order through Amazon

The Match Chart Collection 2D

 

 

INFJ: Introvert Intuitive Feeler Judger

 

Challenge: Unfamiliarity is a sensitive topic for the INFJ’s. Adaptability isn’t their strong suit.

Solution: Entering competition, arrive at the new tournament site early to hit. Allow this athlete a bit more time to get comfortable with the elements, the court speed, club, and other environmental differences. Also, scouting of future opponents is comforting to this cerebral design. While profiling the next opponent, it is wise to discuss their style of play, their “go-to patterns,” their stroke and movement efficiencies and deficiencies, and their shot tolerance.

 

Challenge: INFJ’s prefer quiet, calm training environments with little interruptions. Too much socialization in group scenarios is distracting and illogical to this IJ typography.

Solution: If they believe that the practice environment is unproductive, they begin to feel fragmented and disconnected to their developmental plan. Coaches would be wise to begin sessions with a short preview of the day’s focal points, analyses, and evaluate throughout the session. And then later review with the athletes their thoughts in regards to their success rate accomplishing their daily goals.

 

Challenge: INFJ’s have vivid imaginations, which they use to, pre-set their ideal perfect conditions and solutions. Lawyers call this “speculation.” When reality doesn’t conform to their pre-set version, their imagined perfection is lost, and their will to fight is shattered.

Solution: Ask them a philosophical question: “Is this world perfect? Their obvious answer is no.” Then offer: “If God couldn’t make a perfect world …why do you think you should be perfect?” The competitive game of tennis is messy and imperfect. It’s best to encourage your athletes to shoot for near excellent performances on a consistent basis instead of perfection and let go of their pre-match speculations.

 

Challenge: INFJ tennis players are feelers who can be overly sensitive to criticism. When coaches challenge their logical decision-making, they’re likely to get an aggressive comeback. Rigid IJ’s actively dislike being proven wrong. After a high percentage shot selection tip from the coach, they’ll likely seek the exception to the rule and throw out a “Yeah but …” response.

Solution: Explain winning percentages on the tennis court is merely 2 out of 3. Winning 66% of the points is excellent. No one should be expected to win 100% of the points in any given situation. Also, teaching pros should gently remind athletes that exceptions follow every rule in life. In high-percentage tennis, seek to follow the rules approximately eighty percent of the time, while seeking the exception to the rule approximately twenty percent of the time.