Tag Archives: best tennis coaching

Tennis -Building Common Purpose

Posted on October 8, 2024 by in Maximizing Tennis Potential

Frank’s New Release- The Art of Exceeding: Building High Performance Athletes
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The following post is an excerpt from The Art of Exceeding

From Champions to Leader: Building Common Purpose

The spotlight often shined brightly on Jake’s tennis achievements. He was celebrated as a nation singles champion several times. Yet, behind Jake stood a team—a dedicated group of coaches, trainers, mental coaches, and hitting partners. Jake had the ability to build a sense of common purpose among his entourage, which turned out to be his hallmark as a tremendous leader.

  1. The Tennis Ecosystem

High performance is not a solitary pursuit; it’s a complex ecosystem of interconnected roles and responsibilities. While Katie was the central figure, her journey was supported by a network of professionals contributing to her development and success. Katie’s team consisted of:

Technical Coaches: Architects of her biomechanics.

Mental Coaches: The mental aspect of tennis is as critical as the physical. I helped Katie manage stress, organize her customized developmental plan, and develop her keen mindfulness.

Off-Court Trainers: Fitness and conditioning were integral to her performance and off-court trainers ensured she was in peak physical condition.

Hitting Partners: These practice partners simulate tournament conditions, helping Katie refine her tennis identity, competitive mind, and top patterns of play.

Very few succeeds on their own, and you’d be wise to follow Katie’s lead. You’re the team leader on your journey to the top.

2. The Leader’s Role

Katie’s journey from junior champion to international leader begins with recognizing that she wasn’t alone in her pursuit of excellence. Katie wasn’t just a player but a team captain, responsible for uniting her coaches toward a common goal.

3. Defining a Unified Vision

Leadership in sports starts with creating a shared vision. This vision encompasses the collective aspiration of the entire team. Let’s reunite with Jake and see how he managed his team. The following are three of his leadership skills:

Empowering the Team

    Jake understood that team members are experts in their respective domains.  By arriving early and often staying late, Jake inspired his coaches, trainers, and hitting partners.  Jake’s actions alone motivated his team to give the training session their very best.

    Communicating Effectively

    Athletic leaders excel in communication, and Jake was no exception. He listened to feedback from his team, asked questions, and ensured that everyone was aligned with the week’s objectives. After matches, Jake reflected and took improvement notes, and on Sunday night after tournament play, he sent them to his team, which ensured clear and concise communication about the upcoming week’s developmental plan.

    Navigating Challenges

    Every team faces challenges and setbacks. Jake’s father nurtured him to navigate adversity. Jake worked hard on his problem-solving and maintained a positive attitude even in the face of defeat.

    4. The Power of a United Team

    A team with a common purpose is a force to be reckoned with. A united team will provide the support and guidance you need to overcome hidden obstacles. Moreover, it creates an environment where the entire team thrives.

    5 You’ll Get Better Together

    Your best efforts are far more likely to happen when you have a cohesive team and like-minded peers. Research says you become the average of the people you spend time with, so choose your coaches and friends wisely.

    As we delve deeper into the world of Jake and Katie, it becomes evident that true champions are not just those who stand alone with a trophy but those who stand at the helm of a unified team. There’s a power both Jake and Katie share. They knew that tennis was a hidden team sport and that they were the captains of their tennis teams.

    YOUR TAKEAWAY CHALLENGE

    Put together your entourage of coaches- technical coaches, mental coaches, trainers, and sparring partners. This united team should push you out of your comfort zone and assist you with achieving the results you’re capable of achieving.

    Tennis Intelligence

    Posted on June 21, 2023 by in Maximizing Tennis Potential

    The Psychology of Tennis Parenting
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    Modern Intelligence

    High-performance tennis success stems from the ability to pay attention to and respond to match dynamics. The same holds true for intelligence. Smart used to be one’s ability to memorize information. Nowadays, everyone has this covered. Athletes with cell phones have instant access to all the information they desire.

    Modern intelligence now comes in the form of mental and emotional warfare. Does your athlete have the following mental tools developed in their tool belt?

    Solution: Modern intelligence is:

    • Situational Awareness
    • Filtering Information
    • Troubleshooting Ability
    • Clarity of Goals
    • Preset Protocols to Handle Problems
    • Having Multiple Game Plans
    • Ability to Identify Inefficient Training Protocols

    The good news is that modern intelligence is a choice and skill worth developing.

    Tennis Thriving Versus Suffering

    Posted on March 20, 2023 by in The Psychology of Tennis Parenting

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    THE SUFFERING

    “Don’t be upset by the results you didn’t get with the work you didn’t do.”

    Izzy is a tall, quintessential California girl. When she walks into a club, heads turn, looking like the real deal. At age 16, she appears to be a WTA superstar in the making. Her father is sure that she’ll be on tour soon. Her coaches shake their heads because she looks like she could be world-class, but they know, at this rate, she won’t.

    Unfortunately, with her current mindset, she’s spiraling downward. You see, she wants the rankings without the hard work. The rewards and not the struggle. The prestige, not the process. Izzy’s in love with the fan fair, not the fight. To Izzy, suffering is felt as a personal defeat. Having to work hard is something naturally gifted athletes don’t have to do. Sadly, triumph doesn’t work that way.

    Solution: Izzy will have a shot at greatness if she buys into hard work and discipline. A less physically gifted athlete with a better work ethic will outperform a more physically talented athlete with a weaker work ethic. For all athletes, including the physically gifted, properly handling the pain of training determines success. Who you are is defined by how hard you are willing to work.

    Tennis Mind Set Matters 2

    Posted on March 13, 2023 by in The Psychology of Tennis Parenting

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    Decisions Not Situations

    Mark is a very athletic junior from Florida. He has a wicked serve and a pre-stretch, compact forehand reminiscent of Agassi, but he performed poorly in matches. Through video analysis, I determined it was clear that Mark’s match decisions were the cause of his match failures. Here’s what I found charting his match.

    Mark’s mechanics were reasonably solid, but his reckless shot selection caused the lion’s share of his unforced errors. Mark won 68% of the points that he played inside the court. Unfortunately, he played most of the match from 10 feet behind the baseline. From the backcourt, Mark won 36% of those points. His chosen court position wasn’t exposing his strengths.

    In the first set, Mark allowed fear to control his mind during mega points, abandoning his strengths and pushing to be careful. He choked after building a comfortable lead due to his lapses in concentration. After dropping the lead in set one and losing the set, Mark started set two in a destructive mindset, racing through points. His self-doubt and negative self-talk were on full display. While he occasionally played brilliant pro-level tennis, his lack of mental and emotional training was running rapid.

    Mark’s hardware skills were good, but his software skills needed development. His decision-making skills applied between-point and during changeover routines were non-existent. Every choice an athlete makes will either push him toward their goals or pull them away from them. These choices are part of the athlete’s software components.

    Solution: The best way for Mark to improve his results is to shift his focus to new software development. Strategically Mark would be wise to use his strengths more often, especially on big points. Mark hit approximately 50% forehands and 50% backhands. A 75%/25% ratio would be beneficial. Also, from the tactical side, Mark should be attempting 70% of his first serves with his huge kick serve instead of the flat bomb that rarely hits its mark. Emotionally, between points, Mark needs to keep unwanted, contaminating thoughts out of his mind by keeping his mind filled with his performance patterns of play. Mark’s outcome wants trumped his performance needs, as seen in his lack of routines and rituals.

    For Mark, I recommended that he fill his mind with solutions rather than a laundry list of problems. Being solution-oriented is the mindset that matters in competition.

    Tennis Skills Development

    Posted on February 27, 2023 by in The Psychology of Tennis Parenting

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    The Investment

    Andy: “My kids are getting interested in tennis. Why was your daughter so into it?” Did she win all the time?”
    Frank: “While she was top in the National rankings and played the US Open by 15, she lost most weeks.”
    Andy: “So, why did you keep her in it?”
    Frank: “To help me teach a moral compass, positive character, and life skills.”
    Andy: “I hear tennis is an expensive sport?”
    Frank: “Chasing greatness in anything comes with a high price. Being mediocre is easy.”
    Andy: “So what did you and your athlete get out of it?”

    Solution: Parents, you’re not paying for tennis. Let’s be clear; tennis is just a vehicle. You’re paying for opportunities to help you develop life skills. The investment is in their physical, mental, and emotional hyper-growth. These attributes developed through tennis are what college coaches and later employers seek. Participation in sports covertly helps develop world-class leaders. You are spending money placing your athlete into challenging situations, such as when they want to quit but persist. When they don’t want to go to practice at 6:30 am, but they do. When they’re “too scared” to battle but they learn to fight on and preserver.

    Parents investing in raising an elite tennis player are also investing in superior life skills, such as:

    • Building the discipline required to develop the physical, mental, and emotional skills necessary to be abnormally great.
    • Gaining the learned experience of personal goal setting, resiliency, and dedication to a craft.
    • Learning good sportsmanship- to be humble when dealing with victories and be classy in defeat.
    • Instilling a strong work ethic through years and years of hard work on and off the court.

     

    Accomplished athletes will have more success and life experiences in their teens than some people achieve in their entire lives. Developing a world-class person is difficult at best and doesn’t happen overnight, but what is the alternative? Your child can be on the tennis court or sitting on the couch in front of two screens thumbing through social media on their phone, eating cheese puffs while playing the latest video game on their computer.

    Tennis Emotional Regulation

    Posted on February 16, 2023 by in The Psychology of Tennis Parenting

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    Emotional Regulation

    As Jenna Hanson’s match begins, her father, Steve, starts to pace the cage. By the first game, he’s offering illegal advice to Jenna “Jen, toss higher…come on!” Next, he’s offering “advice” to the roaming official, “Ref, my daughter is being cheated on court #5 … let’s go, get out there!” After the referee stays for two games and disappears, Steve begins yelling at Jenna’s opponent. “Do you need to cheat?” In his hijacked state of mind, Steve is asked to leave the facility once again.

    We’ve all had firsthand experience witnessing our youngsters get cheated. We’ve all lost perspective and momentarily felt like Steve.

    Regulating our emotions when our little babies compete isn’t easy. Our self-worth and self-esteem are on the line as a silly junior tennis match feels like the Super bowl. Powerful protective instincts rise as we try desperately to react with just the right amount of emotions not to upset our precious phenom.

    Solution: The very nature of tennis tournaments are mentally and emotionally intense for children and their spectator parents. A tennis match is a helpless experience for parents as we sit and only smile when our child’s crying in anguish. Tennis tournaments have rules and even roaming officials, but a few bad calls inevitably occur in every match.

    Emotional regulation is about controlling our reactions. Staying calm under attack in a Zen-like fashion is a tennis parent strategy. Fake it until you make it is an emotional strategy. Managing one’s mindset, facial expression, and body language is a vital tennis parent job description.

    More Expert Industry Testimonials

    Posted on January 24, 2023 by in The Psychology of Tennis Parenting

    Released on January 28, 2023

    The Psychology of Tennis Parenting

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    EXPERT INDUSTRY TESTIMONIALS

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    In our ever-changing world, raising an exceptional athlete seems to have more and more challenges. Frank paints a beautiful roadmap that navigates the difficult relationships between player, parent, and coach. He gives parents some tremendous ideas on how they can best help their child reach their potential. Frank has done a number of camps with our high-performance juniors and their families, and we receive nothing but rave reviews. I highly recommend this book for all families with young athletes.

    Bob Hochstadter, President USTA Southern California

     

    “Frank is a big asset to the Southern California Tennis Association in the world of player development and The Psychology of Tennis. Our parents, players, and coaches are lucky to have his knowledge, drive and passion front and center. Those that work with his philosophy and understanding of the game; instantaneously become better. I have seen it over and over. There are very few coaches that capture your attention and make the game easier to understand at any level. I wish that I would have had him with me as I pursued my dreams and aspirations. Simple and realistic concepts that will help you, the parent/player, navigate the game successfully. Take advantage of every opportunity you get to hear Frank speak or read his material. You will get better.”

    Trevor Kronemann, Executive Director SCTA/USTA

     

    The Psychology of Tennis Parenting is amazing! Every parent and coach need to read this book repeatedly and apply its lessons with their children and their students. Kudos to Frank for bringing his knowledge and wisdom to the world to help parents and their most prized possessions, their children. I highly recommend this book if you want to improve in all areas of life.

    Jeff Salzenstein, Former Top 100 ATP Singles and Doubles Player, Stanford All-American, USTA High Performance Coach, Performance Coach, And Speaker

     

    “This is a must-read for every tennis parent. Frank cuts right to the chase on navigating the tricky times ahead and creating a game plan as a supportive parent. He not only gives real-world examples but also backs them up with science. This will be my go-to recommendation to anyone looking to step up their role as a tennis parent.”

    Danny Bryan, LSU Mens Head Coach, Louisiana

     

    “For decades it has been abundantly clear that parents can play either a very positive or even a very negative role in the development of tennis playing juniors. Most fall in between but ALL can improve but most need help. Frank has stepped to the plate once again to assist. It is safe to say that any parent who reads and applies even a small part of this book will benefit for a lifetime.”

    Joe Dinoffer, President, On Court Off Court, Texas

    Tennis Training Organization

    Posted on December 19, 2022 by in Maximizing Tennis Potential

    The following post is an excerpt from the Second Edition of The Tennis Parent’s Bible
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    QUESTION: My Son isn’t that serious. Does he still need a plan?

     

    Frank: I still highly recommend organizing a weekly schedule. Regardless of a player’s long-term aspirations, whether it is to play as a professional or simply play as a hobbyist, an organized blueprint will maximize potential at the quickest rate through discipline.

    Completing a weekly planner and being accountable for their time and actions are essential life lessons.  A disciplined player may excel and find a passion greater than initially expected or choose to redirect their passion, either way important life skills are nurtured through the discipline of organization.

     

    For those parents and coaches saying, “What about the child that only wants to be a high school player?” I remind them that I’ve yet to have a parent come to me and state: “My wife and I want you to train our daughter to be a completely average tennis player!”

     

    “An athletes schedule may vary depending on their goals, but their organizational
    skill sets will become permanent assets.”

    Practice Session Dramas- Part 1

    Posted on August 24, 2022 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
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    PRACTICE SESSION DRAMAS

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    Please don’t mistake busy work with progression. If your child seeks athletic royalty status, it’s the parent’s responsibility to be aware who is actually on their child’s practice court training them (head coach vs rookie assistant), what the daily focus is (stroke repetition, movement, mental or emotional training), and how their athlete is being trained (large group setting, semi-private) day-in and day-out.

     

    “The practice court is where dreams are either dreamt or actually developed.”

    QUESTION: Why does our coach inject laughter into training? I’m old school, I want my child working…not laughing.

     

    Frank: Training with laughter maximizes athletic potential and happiness at a faster rate than the old school drill sergeant delivery system. The old school approach was based on conformity. Its outdated system was to place unique humans in a line, depress creativity, disapprove originality and avoid fun. “Do it my way…because I said so” was their battle cry!

    Children are naturally diverse. In previous sections we’ve touched upon personality profiling. The role of the teacher is to facilitate each individual’s unique learning system. A great coach offers structure based on the child’s individual learning preference …with the freedom to laugh and explore.  Coaches are hired by you to support, stimulate and engage your athlete and not to stifle them. If you’re still not convinced, read on.

    “Neurological studies prove that laughter helps relax muscle tension and calm nerves.”

     

    Which student is more likely to engage or disengage? Is it the repressed individual who is afraid to even smile… or the stimulated individual eager to participate?

    The task is to improve. Achieving that task requires acceptance and commitment and most children these days are simply too smart to accept and commit to conforming to that old school culture of education.  Modern coaches that include joyful encouragement into their training regimen awaken optimism and curiosity. Once that spark is lit, maximizing potential takes place.

    Laughter decreases stress hormones and triggers endorphins – the body’s natural feel good chemicals.  Adding humor to stressful events, such as match play, will help the athlete enjoy the process of learning and the tournament battles. Playing in the zone demands a calm and stress free outlook.
    Added Bonus: Laughing is a terrific abdominal work out. Hello six pack!

     

    Be aware, if your athlete has an old school drill sergeant coach or parent. They could actually be the anchor that’s holding your child back from accelerated growth.

    Non-Verbal Communication- Part 2

    Posted on May 6, 2021 by in The Soft Science of Tennis

    The following post is an excerpt from Frank’s newest book, The Soft Science of Tennis.

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    Frank Giampaolo

     

     

    Non-verbal clues to take note of when profiling your athletes

     

     

    Appearance

    When coaching, I make it a point to notice my athlete’s appearance, clothing choice, and organization of equipment. Is Sarah’s hair braided to perfection? Does her Nike skirt match perfectly with her Nike top, Nike socks, Nike shoes, and Nike warm-ups? This indicates to me an SJ (Sensing, Judging) persona.

    Do Sam’s Wilson Blade rackets have different gauge strings, different brand dampeners with non-matching over-grips? Does he carry them in a Head racket bag with a Prince water bottle? This initially indicates to me an NP (Intuitive, Perceiver) personality. I realize that exceptions shadow every rule, so these initial non-verbal clues are observational hunches that begin to shed light on their personality profile.

     

    Posture

    I then assess the athlete’s body posture throughout our session, both during off-court conversations and on-court performance, which helps me to determine their self-esteem and confidence levels. Defensive attitudes are often shown by crossed arms and slumped shoulders. Students lean-in or walk towards the net when they’re interested. In my opinion, confidence or lack thereof is also identified by the athlete’s swagger or timid posture and stance.

     

    Eyes

    Throughout my coaching sessions, I also pay close attention to the athlete’s eyes. The old saying is “The eyes are the gateway to the soul.” Spotting if a student is dialed in and focused on the task at hand or mentally gone can be detected in their eyes. Are they telling the truth or fibbing? Athletes’ emotional state such as being upset, tranquil, content or angry can also be detected in their eyes.

     

    Facial Expressions

    Interpreting an athlete’s facial expression can also help a coach profile their athletes. Obviously, students show emotion through their facial expressions. Squinting eyes and tight lips are signs of anger, tension, and frustration. Smiles are signs of comfort and confidence. I can often tell if an athlete or parent isn’t buying the information I’m providing by interpreting their facial expressions.

     

    Tone of Voice

    Observing their tone of voice is another essential clue I use to profile athletes. The tone of voice doesn’t communicate logic, but it does convey the athlete’s feelings.

     

     

    “An athlete’s tone of voice speaks the truth even when their words don’t.”