The following post is an excerpt from the Second Edition of The Tennis Parent’s Bible
Available through most online retailers!
HOW TO BUILD MENTAL TOUGHNESS
Players who are confident have a mentally tough aura about them. They are extremely intimidating because their confidence is obvious to all. It’s evident in their body language and facial expressions. So, how can your athlete develop radiant confidence?
First of all, your athlete starts by reading about it. Then they earn it on the practice court. Mentally tough competitors earn this impenetrable wall of confidence by preparing properly. Mentally tough players are actually much more than just mentally tough. They are mechanically sound, emotionally unflappable and physically fit enough to thrive in third set warfare. Yes, they’re actually mechanically tough, emotionally tough and physically tough.
Below is a checklist of components that need to be developed by your child’s coaches. Remember, it is your job as the CEO to assist the coaches in raising athletic royalty.
Developing Mental Toughness Checklist:
Stroke Mechanics:
- Develop reliable fundamental (primary) strokes.
- Develop a tool belt of secondary strokes.
Mental:
- Organize & rehearse your child’s top 7 patterns of play. (Generic Strategies)
- Rehearse patterns of play used to pull different styles of opponents out of their game.(Stylistic Strategies)
Emotional:
- Organize their between point rituals & changeover rituals (both internal & external.)
- Pre-set protocols to handle performance anxieties.
Athleticism:
- Build the speed, agility and cardiovascular requirements needed to endure two separate three set matches a day.
- Build the strength and stamina required to close out 6 matches in a 3-5 day (64 player draw) event.
My students have won close to 100 National titles to date. Each one had a parent and an entourage of great coaches who were very involved organizing and implementing their developmental plan. Most often, these champs worked their deliberate, customized organizational plan for 2-3 months before becoming National Champions.
Special Note to Parents: A partially committed parent is simply a hobbyist. That’s fine – tennis is an incredible hobby that teaches many life lessons. However, a hobbyist parent should be satisfied with raising a hobbyist tennis player and not expect champion results. In today’s game, it’s unfair to expect your child to become a champion without parental commitment.
