The following post is an excerpt from the Second Edition of The Tennis Parent’s Bible
Available through most online retailers!
PARENTAL ACCOUNTABILITY
The old story goes, back in the day, if a kid lost to a toad, his folks would setup a meeting with the coach and apologize for the child’s poor performance and together they would organize solutions. Today, if a kid losses to a lesser quality player, the parents set up a meeting with the coach demanding that the coach explain how their little super star could possibly lose to such a crummy player…
It is the role of the parents to teach accountability. Remember, champions are accountable- they’ve learned life lessons through the natural consequences of their behavior.
QUESTION: What is a developmental blueprint?
Frank: Becoming a champion starts with a deliberate, customized developmental blueprint. It consists of developing and rehearsing every physical, mental and emotional tool necessary in elite sports. To maximize potential, it is essential to have an individualized plan.
Step One: Utilize The Tennis Parent’s Bible’s Customized Player Evaluation (Found in Part VII) to assess your athlete’s actual knowledge and ability.
Step Two: Organize and implement a weekly plan to begin strengthening weaknesses.
“Just because they are ‘practicing’ does not mean they are ‘progressing’ …”
Progression takes more than on-court stroke repetition. Achieving elite stature in tennis requires the development of the complete package. To help your child and their coaches understand a developmental blueprint, a NCAA All-American has agreed to share hers. (Below is an actual 8-week developmental blueprint from one of my college students.)
