The following post is an excerpt from my New Zealand Player, Parent and Coach Summit. Thanks for visiting, Frank Giampaolo
Contact: Frank Giampaolo
FGSA@earthlink.net
MaximizingTennisPotential.com
Affiliate
Post Match Parental Job Description
Daily Focus Journal
The following post is an excerpt from The Tennis Parent’s Bible. Thanks for visiting, Frank Giampaolo
What is a Daily Focus Journal?
A daily focus journal is a written schedule or goal. It may include specific achievements, progress and necessary actions needed. The serious contenders I know, who are finding the success they deserve are completing a daily focus journal. Every night they are listing three to five things they did that day to progress their tennis career.
The key words are “Every Night.” Success is not a random act. It comes from a preconceived set of circumstances. It’s planned. If our child needs to gain confidence, help them by tackling their organizational skills.
FUN FACT: Choices Equals Consequences
Examples of daily activities that could be listed in a Daily Focus Journal include:
- Playing a match
- Fixing a stroke
- Stringing their racquets
- Watching tennis on TV
- Working on between point rituals
- Working on how to beat a pusher
- Finding a new doubles partner
- Finding practice matches
- Doing 200 push ups
- Doing sprints
FUN FACT: When real preparation meets opportunity, success will follow.
Contact: Frank Giampaolo
FGSA@earthlink.net
MaximizingTennisPotential.com
Affiliate
Tennis and the Pain Principle
The following post is an excerpt from The Tennis Parent’s Bible. Thanks for visiting, Frank Giampaolo
The Pain Principle
Overlooking the pain principle as it relates to tennis growth is a very common mistake.
Remember the old saying? “If you keep on doing what you’ve always done, you’ll keep on getting what you’ve always got.” Players hit common walls in their development. One of those walls is resisting change.
If your child views change, as more painful than losing, they’ll continue in the same losing path. It’s so painful for some to change a flawed grip, stroke or stance; they’d rather accept the pain of losing than deal with changing.
Great things begin to happen when the pain of losing starts to be more powerful than the pain of changing. Once they accept the fact that a change has to be made, they are on their way to the next level. This is where great parenting comes in.
The cycle of change is a three step process:
- Step one is accepting change.
- Step two is uncomfortable because they have left their old strokes and their new strokes are not fully formed.
- Step three is a 4-6 week developmental cycle. During this phase, their new motor programs become personalized and over-ride the old motor programs.
NOTE: At stage 2, the pain of being uncomfortable often pulls them back to their old strokes.
Placing your youngster into a competitive situation before the three phases are complete may destroy their new motor program and the old strokes will surely return. The result is wasted time, energy and money. As a parent, be sure your player and coach are on the same page with the necessary changes. Thanks for visiting, Frank
Contact: Frank Giampaolo
FGSA@earthlink.net
MaximizingTennisPotential.com
Affiliate
Attaining Tennis Excellence
The following post is an excerpt from The Tennis Parent’s Bible.
Thanks for visiting, Frank Giampaolo
Top Ten Tools Needed to Attain Tennis Excellence
The mental and emotional strength of being a fierce competitor and a respectful human being is a learned behavior. Building mental and emotional muscle takes time and effort.
The way you think and feel effects how you perform. Rafa Nadal is a prime example of player that has built mental and emotional strength through hard work.
If your player truly believes in his or her game as a result of proper training and hard work he or she is bound for greatness.
No one can outperform their self-image. Due to their discipline, athletes like Rafa, have inner strength and inner excellence. They truly believe in themselves and their abilities because they’ve earned the belief.
Top Ten Tools Needed to Attain Tennis Excellence:
- Hit the gym to gain strength.
- Commit to improving with unrelenting determination.
- Develop the mental side of shot selection to master offense, neutral & defensive skills.
- Schedule time to strengthen their speed, stamina, and agility.
- Revise between point rituals to enhance “clear headedness” of shot selection on big points.
- Improve your ability to apply spin.
- Cultivate the competitive attitude. Do this by adding simulated stress with every drill. We call them “stress buster drills”.
- Perfect the ability to live in the moment (producing precisely what the moment calls for) by rehearsing closing out sets.
- Replace the need to win with the love of the battle.
- Reform calmness under stress, by simulating those intense moments.
For more information read The Tennis Parent’s Bible– hundreds of hours of lessons for less than a half hour lesson!
Contact: Frank Giampaolo
FGSA@earthlink.net
MaximizingTennisPotential.com/shop/com
Affiliate
How to Handle Cheaters
The following post is an excerpt from Frank’s New Zealand’s Player/Parent/Coach Summit. Thank you for visiting, Frank Giampaolo
Gently Pushing Your Athlete
The following post is an excerpt of The Tennis Parent’s Bible. Thank you for visiting, Frank Giampaolo
How do you push your child gently?
Frequently, parents get fixated on what our junior “world beater” is doing wrong, what they need to change, need to learn or need to improve! Because we are so focused on our child’s success, we often become preoccupied with only seeing their faults.
Focus on putting a positive spin in your approach as you gently guide your child through the “wars” of junior tennis.
Here are three ways you can apply your positive influence:
- Say 5 Positive comments for every Negative commentThe fact is many youngsters only hear their parent’s negative comments and ignore positive comments. It is important to acknowledge your child’s efforts to improve.
SPECIAL NOTE: Here’s an eye opening or I should say “ear” opening trick. Place a recorder in your pocket. Record a few training sessions and self-chart your positive to negative remarks! - Celebrate the Positive: Reinforce what you want to see more!The following is an example of this rule. Your son’s ball toss is still too high on his serve. Instead of saying “Come on Mike…You are still tossing too high…How many stinking times do I have to tell you!” say “Hey, this is great, your toss is a lot lower. I knew you could make this easy change! Keep working and you will see your consistency really grow!” The positive approach actually gets results as you keep your relationship from getting negative and jaded.
- Teach Gratitude: A more positive attitude will lead to more positive behavior.Assist your child in focusing on the good things about their life. Problems and difficulties will always be present. It is very important for your child to feel grateful about their life opportunities.
FUN FACT: There is a world of difference between “I have to play tennis today” and “I get to play tennis today.”
By showing gratitude, both of you will be calmer, happier and more appreciative of each other and others will want to be around you because of your positive attitudes.
To summarize, replace criticisms with a more positive approach. Hard work doesn’t have to be a painful, drudgery. Yes, tennis is hard. Yes, it is a “dog-eat-dog world”, but it doesn’t have to be negative.
Contact: Frank Giampaolo
FGSA@earthlink.net
www.MaximizingTennisPotential.com
Affiliate
Anger on the Court
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
Understanding Genetic Predispositions
The following post is a link to one of my instructional articles printed in Tennis Industry Magazine- February 2015. The article is about the importance of understanding your athlete’s make-up. Thanks for visiting, Frank Giampaolo
http://www.tennisindustrymag.com/articles/2015/02/10_your_serve_mind_and_body.html
Contact: Frank Giampaolo
FGSA@earthlink.net
www.MaximizingTennisPotential.com
Junior Competitive Tennis Myths
The following post is an excerpt from The Tennis Parent’s Bible. Thanks for visiting, Frank Giampaolo
Mental and Emotional Tennis Myths of Junior Competition
It’s such a crazy world spending everyday with ranked juniors. Deciphering the facts from the myths raises a handful of question. Their attitudes and points of view of the game never cease to amaze me. They tend to be so unevenly developed. On court, they handle more pressure than most adults I know. Off- court, it is often a very different story. I knew a 22 year old top 80 WTA tour player that watched cartoons for hours on end in her down time. Below are some of the “Best Tennis Myths” coming out of the mouths of your kids!
- When I Become a Pro: Then I’ll Train like a Pro
Professionals have to “live the life” for years before they actually win a single match on tour. The formula is 20 hours a week for 10 years to compete on the ATP or WTA level. Begin by challenging your child to train 20 hours a week for a month. - I Need More…More is Better
In matches, most juniors think about too many things. They have a tendency to over-hit; their body is off balance at contact as opposing force vectors fly in all directions; their racquet’s head is rolling through the hitting zone and their running through four segment swings. The key is to simplify. Most often, improving is about “trimming the fat” not adding more. - I Will Just “Wing It”
Later Planning decreases your stress. Often we see players begin to pack their racquet’s, find a new outfit, clean their water bottles, search for their over grips, print out the directions to the site, look up their opponent record, make breakfast, take a shower, brush their teeth all within the last 10 minutes before they are scheduled to leave. Hum…no wonder they’re angry and stressed. - I Played a Set Last Week, I’m Fine
To win major events you must be a good finisher. Building a tract record of closing out matches is the key. Exchange playing a set with playing 2 out of 3 sets and finish the match. The most important stage of any set is the end! If time is short, start each set at 2-2 but close out sets. On practice days, professional’s close out 2-4 sets a day. - I Can’t Control My Anger or My Wandering Mind
Re-programming these dominant thoughts takes about four to six weeks of serious focused attention. It’s often the same program as rebuilding a flawed stroke. Remember discussing this topic in the blunder section? You’ve built up that negative path. Retooling your emotions and thoughts on court is a learned behavior. The only way to break a bad habit is to replace it with a “stronger” good habit. - To be Great, I Have to Play at My Peak Everyday
Peak level and peak efforts are two different elements. It is too taxing to be physically, mentally, spiritually and emotionally ready to battle everyday of their lives. Training in intervals is called periodization. After a tournament you should “unplug”. That’s right, recharge the batteries. In the practice phase strive for peak effort and let go of peak performance. - If you’re Laughing, You’re not Working Hard Enough
When you laugh, dance, smile or even hug someone you get biochemical surges of positive energy. Neuroscience studies clearly show that when you smile and laugh you stay in the correct (right) side of your brain. This is where muscles flow effortlessly and great decisions are made quickly. When you’re mad, judgmental or over analytical the right side of your brain shuts down and you are toast! - Don’t Look Bad, Just be Cool and Play Safe On-Court!
Right around high school children begin to fear what others might think. Their mission shifts into this crazy mode, just make it look close or just don’t embarrass yourself mode. So on-court, they “push the ball” under stress and play “not to look bad” instead of playing to win. If you’re afraid to look bad, you are not going to enjoy peak performance. Champs play to win. Either way, win or lose, winners play to win!
Contact: Frank Giampaolo
FGSA@earthlink.net
www.MaximizingTennisPotential.com
Affiliate
Phone/Skype/Email Private Sessions
-
Preparing For Pressure EBook
$8.99 -
THE SOFT SCIENCE OF TENNIS Paperback
$8.99 -
5 Hour Training Session
$1,000.00
