Tag Archives: accountability

Responsibility and Accountability

Posted on June 8, 2018 by in Emotional Aptitude in Sports

The following post is an excerpt from Emotional Aptitude In Sports NOW available through most online retailers!  Click Here to Order

 

 Responsibility and Accountabilityea-in-sports4a_final

 

 

In athletic competition, accountability is twofold.
It’s not only what we choose to do but what we choose not to do.

 

Coaching an athlete isn’t only about teaching the techniques of the sport. It also involves motivating athletes to drop their “conditions.”  These are their creative excuses for not training the way they should be training. It’s their escape mechanism. Competitors of all ages use the excuse of injury, time restraints or simple arrogance for not training properly. It’s their way of liberating themselves from responsibilities.

In our continuing observational study, I asked Evan and Jarrod about some of the creative excuses they’ve used for not training properly. Here’s what they came up with:

  • “I would go for my run today but it’s raining outside.”
  • “I would train but my friends are coming over tonight.”
  • “I can’t work out before school because there’s no time.”

Another common creative excuse is blaming others. Here’s what the twins have to say about the blame game:

  • “My teacher gave me too much homework this week and so I can’t train today.”
  • “It’s not my fault I can’t train, my trainer worked me too hard and now I’m injured.”
  • “I can’t play points again today after practice because I’m hanging out with my friends.”

 

SOLUTION #10: Stop Defending Old Bad Habits

When athletes stop avoiding the work and begin to rise to the occasion an emotional breakthrough takes place and confidence is born. Daily accountability separates the dreamers from the doors. I’ve found that some athletes have to be trained to stop defending their old comfortable bad habits. If they’re still defending them, they have no motivation to quit them. It takes honesty and courage to walk away from self-destructive, unproductive behavior. What is stopping most of us from incredible success is the unwillingness to drop the old, bad habits.

Maximize Performance with Accountability

Posted on January 28, 2015 by in Maximizing Tennis Potential, Raising Athletic Royalty, The Tennis Parent's Bible

The following post is an excerpt from The Tennis Parent’s Bible  Thank you for visiting, Frank

 

 

 

TENNIS TIME MANAGEMENT STARTS WITH ACCOUNTABILITY

Chances are you are wasting time and money if you are not being accountable. Whether your child’s goal is a professional tennis career, college tennis scholarship, or even high school or recreation tennis, it is critical you have a plan. Everyone gets the same 24 hours a day. It is what you do with it the counts. What’s your plan?

To begin, let’s look at an accountability question. But first, review a schedule breakdown of the hours in a week of a typical top 200 nationally ranked junior player:

  • There are 168 hours in a week.
  • Sleeping takes up roughly 56 hrs,
  • School/homework takes up roughly 60,
  • High performance tennis training takes up 15 hours,
  • Add on travel and meals and the average player is still left with approximately 25 hours unaccounted for?
  • That is an extra 100 hours a month!

Another side of accountability is based on the fact that National tournaments are often held over holiday breaks. Do you choose Thanksgiving at home with your family & friends or are you ok with spending Thanksgiving in a hotel out of state? Or remaining home so your child can prepare properly for the winter nationals or would you rather go skiing the week before the event?

The accountability factor I’m talking about here is yours- The Parents!

If you truly wish to witness your child’s success you need to be accountable. Your actions will teach meaningful time management and accountability lessons to your children.

On the first day upon arriving at our workshops I ask each student a few questions. Not only am I looking for their answers, but their knowledge of the game, their concerns, their communication skills, their tournament frustrations and how they are wired.

The conversation with a typical top 200 national player sounds like this:

  1. How long have you been playing? “4-5 years”
  2. What does your weekly training schedule look like? “I…ummm”
  3. Ok, what has been your developmental focus? ” I don’t know…strokes I guess “
  4. Primary and secondary strokes? “What’s that?”
  5. What’s your style of play? “I like hitting hard”
  6. Have you developed your B & C game plans? “My what?”
  7. What type of players do you hate playing the most? “Moonballers, for sure pushers!!”
  8. All right, what patterns have you developed to beat those retrievers? “Patterns?”
  9. Ok, last question, what are your goals in the upcoming year ? “To win and be #1!”

Tennis is full of inevitable trials especially without a plan. This is a wake-up call.  For more information, buy The Tennis Parent’s Bible.  Thanks for visiting, Frank Giampaolo

Contact:Frank Giampaolo
FGSA@earthlink.net
MaximizingTennisPotential.com