Tag Archives: athletic development

Handling Adversity- Part Two

Posted on May 20, 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

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Champions view handling adversity in a different light. They understand that winners have taken the time to develop their emotional muscles. They’ve been through the fires and have come out stronger. Hardships must not be avoided but embraced.  Please realize that athletes who seek greatness need bitter rivals, demanding coaches, bad referees, and even those cheating opponents because they all require the athlete to push beyond their comfort zones. These experiences help them later perform at a higher level under intense pressure.

With distance comes clarity. After a difficult experience, athletes discover that their seemingly horrific experience actually motivated them to improve by training and preparing more efficiently. Handling hardships stoke the competitive fire. That is why this section is important in regards to emotional aptitude.

 

Becoming comfortable handling conflict is emotional aptitude.

 

So I sat down again with my students, Evan and Jarrod. We discussed unfair hardships and here’s what they had to say.

 

Question: Why do athletes need rivals?

Evan: Rivals are actually secret partners in a different uniform. They’re the motivational force every athlete needs. My rival’s improvements push me towards my own improvement.

Jarrod: That’s stupid! Dude, I’d have so many trophies, if it weren’t for you. Besides, I think life would be easier if all my opponents were horrible.

Question: Why do athletes need demanding coaches?

Evan: Demanding coaches push you further than you think you can go. They have a vision of who you can be. They teach respect … respect for yourself, the equipment and others. Demanding coaches can be positive, fun loving … BTW- A screaming, abusive coach does not motivate me!

Jarrod: Hum… I’ve got no respect for those old fashion, drill sergeant negatrons. My old coach only pointed out the problems. Every training session was him telling me why I stink. I don’t remember him offering solutions… Only pointing out mistakes and why I’m a loser.

Customizing a Developmental Plan

Posted on November 11, 2017 by in Raising Athletic Royalty

The following post is an excerpt from Raising Athletic Royalty NOW available through most online retailers!
Click Here to Order Frank Giampaolo

 

ASSESSMENT

Customizing a Developmental Plan

When I accept a new client, I begin their session with a collection of detailed information as part of my Customized Evaluation Package. Upon completion of the evaluation, each component of the athlete’s game is systematically graded by three separate entities: the player, the parent and I. Most often, three different opinions result.  Typically, the players think they are great in all categories regardless of their actual skill level, the typical Type A personality parents believe their children are underachieving in most categories and I represent an unbiased professional opinion (usually somewhere in the middle). My role is to find a synergy of energy to bridge the gap between parent and child so a harmonious organizational plan can be activated to maximize potential.

I begin by gaining an understanding of the child’s personality profile, their athleticism, their athletic history, as well as their family’s athletic history. We don’t stop there. Discussions cover their general sports IQ (intelligence quotient), their current weekly developmental schedule, their academic schedule, their social calendars and their sport-specific schedules. We then dive into their sport-specific IQ, their current technical skills, their opinions regarding the demands of physical fitness, mental tenacity, and their emotional skill sets. All assets and liabilities are assessed before a customized developmental plan is put into effect.

This organizational process of designing an athletic blue-print should be the parent’s primary responsibility but is most often left to chance. Parents who take the time to develop a customized plan put their child in a position to maximize their potential at a faster rate. Note that for each stage of adolescence (early/mid/late), there are several common developmental protocols that most coaches follow. I challenge you to go deeper.

 

“Assessing your child’s abilities and developing a customized game plan begins with understanding their inborn strengths and weaknesses. Their brain type and body type play the most important role in understanding their developmental pathway.”

Unity

Posted on October 7, 2017 by in Raising Athletic Royalty

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Parent Player Coach UNITY

Raising Athletic Royalty

 

“TOGETHER THROUGH SPORTS, SHARE THE JOURNEY OF MAKING MEMORIES.”

 

“Routinely Unite Your Entourage To Keep Everyone Focused On Prioritizing The Challenges.”

“PARENTS, WHEN UNITING THE ENTOURAGE, ENGAGE WITH QUESTIONS AND NOT YOUR OPINION.”

“Team unity starts with everyone sharing the same moral compass.”

“INVOLVE THE ATHLETE IN THE DECISION MAKING. OWNERSHIP COMES FROM THE CHILD BEING SELF-RELIANT.”

“Unite the team with a purpose bigger than your athlete. Inspire and challenge your child’s coaches and trainers. By raising their bar, you’ll improve the sport. ”

“PARENTING YOUNG ATHLETES WITHOUT A CUSTOMIZED NAVIGATIONAL SYSTEM IS A LOT LIKE TRAVELING THE GLOBE WITHOUT A MAP.”

 

“Parents, your legacy will be based on how well you inspired your children.”

Sacrifice

Posted on October 4, 2017 by in Raising Athletic Royalty

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SACRIFICE

 

“YOU CAN’T BE A NORMAL TEEN AND A CHAMPION. CHAMPIONS ARE BORN OF GREAT SACRIFICE.”

 

“Parents, plan on missing summer activities and most traditional holidays. That’s when most nationals take place.”

 

“SERIOUS ATHLETES PUT THEIR SPORT AHEAD OF THEIR SOCIAL LIFE.”

 

“Selfish parents who aren’t willing to sacrifice shouldn’t expect championship results in their children.”

 

“YOU MUST BE WILLING TO SACRIFICE SOMETHING GOOD TO GET SOMETHING GREAT.”

GOAL Setting

Posted on August 28, 2017 by in Maximizing Tennis Potential, Raising Athletic Royalty

The following post is an excerpt from Raising Athletic Royalty NOW available through most online retailers!

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 Frank Giampaolo

GOAL SETTING

 

“Achieving goals requires flexibility and compromise.”

 

“GOALS SHOULD BE BEYOND YOUR CURRENT REACH YET REALISTIC AND UNDER A TIMELINE.”

 

“Goals should be put in writing to serve as an organizational blue print and as a daily reminder of the group’s mission.”

 

“DO SOMETHING EVERY DAY THAT PUSHES YOU CLOSER TO YOUR GOALS.”

 

“Sadly, many great physical athletes believe they don’t need a developmental plan because they’re more gifted than their neighbors down the street.”

 

“DON’T LET SHORT TERM JUNIOR GOALS CLOUD YOUR PLAYER’S LONG TERM DEVELOPMENT.”

 

“Parents, remember that goals and dreams come with mistakes, setbacks, hardships and tears. It is part of the ride.”

 

“TO ATTAIN LONG TERM GOALS, ONE MUST LOSE A FEW BATTLES IN ORDER TO WIN THE WAR.”

 

Responsibility and Accountability

Posted on January 14, 2017 by in Emotional Aptitude in Sports

The following post is an excerpt from Emotional Aptitude in Sports NOW available through most on-line retailers!  Click Here to Order

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Responsibility and Accountability

 

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 break through takes place and confidence is born. Daily accountability separates the dreamers from the doers. 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.

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Athletic Life Lessons

Posted on June 4, 2016 by in The Second Edition of The Tennis Parent's Bible

The following post is an excerpt from the Second Edition of The Tennis Parent’s Bible NOW available through most on-line retailers!  Click Here to Order

 

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With summer around the corner, many parents and players will be spending more time together traveling to tournaments and continuing to develop tennis skills.  This is a perfect time to review the below life lessons that you as a parent and/or coach are also teaching throughout your player’s tennis journey. Thanks, Frank

 

CULTIVATING LIFE LESSONS THROUGH TENNIS

Choosing to embark on this journey has lifelong benefits. It is widely known that the participation in the game of tennis cultivates life lessons. Tennis is an individual, elite sport that breed leaders.

“Congratulations for developing leadership qualities in your child.”

Communicating the important life lessons gained through tennis is a critical part of the tennis parent’s job description.

The Game of Tennis Inspires the Following Leadership Skills:

  1. Time management
  2. Adaptability and flexibility skills
  3. Ability to handle adversity
  4. Ability to handle stress
  5. Courage
  6. Positive work ethic
  7. Perseverance
  8. Setting priorities
  9. Goal setting
  10. Sticking to commitments
  11. Determination
  12. Problem solving skills
  13. Spotting patterns and tendencies
  14. Discipline
  15. Understanding of fair play and sportsmanship
  16. Development of focus
  17. Persistence
  18. Preparation skills
  19. Dedication and self-control
  20. Positive self-image

Without these important character skills, success on and off the court, simply won’t happen.  You see, achieving results requires thousands of hours of deliberate customized practice.  Without the above life skills, a deliberate developmental plan doesn’t happen.

Life skills lead to Process lead to Results

My favorite life lesson of the top 20 is persistence. As a coach, to see a talented player without persistence or the willingness to sacrifice and work hard is my worst nightmare! That is why at the junior levels it is often the slightly less talented who are willing to pay the price with smart work that earn all the trophies.

“Nothing is more common than unsuccessful tennis players with tons of physical talent.”

Finding a way through a tough opponent even though you’re having a bad day is persistence. Staying in the correct side of your brain even when things are clearly not going well is persistence. Staying engaged until the very last point is persistence. Now you know my favorite life lesson. What’s yours?

 

CONTACT:
Frank Gimapaolo
FGSA@earthlink.net

Overlooking Goal Setting

Posted on May 17, 2015 by in Customized Organizational Plan, Match Charting and Video

The following post is an excerpt from Blunders and Cures.  Thanks for visiting, Frank Giampaolo

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BLUNDER: Overlooking Goal Setting

Goal setting and organizational plans should be used as soon as you enter into the competitive phase. After an event, plan on setting some goals as you schedule your upcoming lessons. Sit down with your entourage to review your performance at an appropriate time. This analysis will provide your “Blue Print” for the upcoming weeks’ worth of lessons and clinics.

There are four basic sides to your game that need to be developed religiously. Examples include:

  1. Technical: (Example: Slice backhand)
  2. Tactical: (Example: How to beat a moonball/pusher)
  3. Movement/Fitness: (Example: Develop core strength and stability)
  4. Emotional/Focus: (Example: Practicing closing out 5-2 leads)

At all levels of competition, matches should be viewed as an information gathering session. The overall objective is to maximize your potential at the quickest rate. Winning comes from experience and experience comes from both winning and losing.

CURE: Identify an area in your game that can be improved upon in each of the four sides of development.

  1. Technical:
  2. Tactical:
  3. Movement/Fitness:
  4. Emotional/Focus:

Define a plan of attack for each of the 4 skills identified. Evaluate the plan after its implementation and determine if the plan is working? Adjust as necessary but continue to train on the skills you need most.

Ask Yourself?

Did you find one flaw per category you wish to improve? Di you set aside time to review your list with your coach and devise a plan on working to improve your identified weaknesses? Do you have a style of opponent that you hate to play? Have you ever taken a month and focused on developing the tools to actually beat that particular style of opponent? Or do you do the same drills week after week and hope for different results?

 

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