Tag Archives: Coach Frank Giampaolo

Tennis Player Accountibility- Tennis Roadblocks Part 1

Posted on October 7, 2022 by in Maximizing Tennis Potential

The following post is an excerpt from the Second Edition of The Tennis Parent’s Bible
Available through most online retailers!

 Click Here to Order

PLAYER ACCOUNTABILITY

Player accountability stems from a champion’s mindset- which includes a positive moral compass, core values, and a high standard of behavior. Teach your children that even though the hardest path is often the road less traveled- it is also the quickest way to the top!

 

QUESTION: What are some of the hidden roadblocks and myths found in high-performance tennis?

 

Frank: It fascinates me how some junior athletes will hold on to crazy beliefs. They would rather live in their “altered state of reality” and continue to get poor results than simply be accountable to their deliberate customized developmental plan. Below I have compiled some of the most common myths coming out of your kids’ mouths!

 

When I Become a Pro …Then I’ll Train like a Pro 

Professionals must “live the life” for years before winning a single match on tour. The typical formula is approximately 20 hours a week for 10 years of customized training to compete on the ATP or WTA level. Quality of training always trumps quantity of court time. Begin by challenging your child to train about 20 hours a week for a month.

I Need More …More is Better

In matches, most juniors think about too many things. Their body is off balance at contact as opposing force vectors fly in all directions; their racquet head is rolling through the hitting zone, and their running through four segment swings. The key is to simplify. Most often, improving is about “trimming the fat,” not adding more.

I Will Just “Wing It” Later

Planning reduces stress. Often we see players begin to pack their racquets, find a new outfit, clean their water bottles, search for their over grips, print out the directions to the site, look up their opponent record, make breakfast, take a shower, brush their teeth all within the last 10 minutes before they are scheduled to leave. Hum…no wonder they’re angry and stressed.

I Played a Set Last Week …I’m Fine

To win major events, you must be a good finisher. Building a track record of closing out matches is the key. Exchange playing a set with playing 2 out of 3 sets and finish the match. The most important stage of any set is the end! If time is short, start each set at 2-2 but close out sets. Professionals routinely close out 2-4 sets a day on practice days.

I Can’t Control My Anger or my Drifting Mind

Re-programming these dominant thoughts takes about four to six weeks of serious, focused attention. It’s often the same program as rebuilding a flawed stroke. Re-tooling your emotions and thoughts, on-court are learned behaviors.

To be Great, I Have to Play at My Peak Everyday

Peak level and peak efforts are two different elements. It is too taxing to be physically, mentally, spiritually, and emotionally ready to battle every day of their lives. After a tournament, you should “unplug.” That’s right, recharge the batteries. In the practice phase, strive for peak effort and let go of peak performance.

If You’re Laughing, You’re Not Working Hard Enough

You get biochemical surges of positive energy when you laugh, dance, smile, or even hug someone. Neuroscience studies clearly show that when you smile and laugh, you stay on your brain’s correct (right) side. This is where muscles flow effortlessly, and great decisions are made quickly. When you’re mad, judgmental, or analytical, the right side of your brain shuts down, and you are toast!

Believing If You’re a Better Athlete, Then You’ll Win

Being a better physical athlete is only one-third of the battle. If your child is weaker mentally or emotionally, they will struggle. Another way to look at this issue is if an opponent looks physically superior to the rest of the field, there is most likely something missing or broken in their mental or emotional components. They wouldn’t be in a local junior draw if they were superior in all three.

 

 

Tennis Player Accountibility – Skill Sets of Champions

Posted on October 5, 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
Available through most online retailers!

 Click Here to Order

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PLAYER ACCOUNTABILITY

Player accountability stems from a champion’s mindset- which includes a positive moral compass, core values, and a high standard of behavior. Teach your children that even though the hardest path is often the road less traveled- it is also the quickest way to the top!

 

QUESTION: What are the hidden skill sets of champions?

 

Frank: Evan Wilson has the Babolat Pure Drive, strung with natural gut on the crosses and polly on the mains… just like the pros. He sports the latest “Nadal” Nike shirts, shorts, and shoes. His 12-pack racquet bag even says “TOUR TEAM” on it. Man, he even goes to an $ 80,000-a-year tennis academy. At first glance, he looks like a sure bet for the pros.

Now let’s look at Evan’s regiment a little deeper as it pertains to player accountability.  Evan loses early almost every event in an implosion of negative behavior. There is nothing more common than young, talented athletes that are weak competitors. This is a prime-time example of player accountability. After reading the below Ten Essential Hidden Skills of a Champion, ask yourself, are there any similarities between Evan and your little tennis phenom?

 

Ten Essential Hidden Skills of a Champion

 

1) Champions face their fears versus avoiding them.

If you ask Evan to play a practice set against a younger retriever, he has 100 excuses why he can’t and won’t play.

 

2) Champions have swagger, which is truly different than fake and empty confidence.

Evan willingly practices his primary stroke production and then routinely SKIPS his weekly regime of off-court training sessions, rehearsing closing out sets, match play video analysis and his required mental/emotional classroom sessions. His empty confidence shatters under the slightest bit of pressure.

 

3) Champions are strong competitors, not just good athletes.

Set up a great sparring session for Evan, and he’ll tell you, “No thanks…I’m good! …I already rallied with Kenny today.”

 

4) Champions do everything to prepare properly.

Evan often stays out late the night before a big event, leaves no time in the morning for a real breakfast, neglects to organize his tournament bag, hits for 10 minutes before the match, and actually believes he is ready to compete.

 

5) Champions know that they will lose more than they will win.

Evan and his parents believe that he should win every match he plays.

 

6) Champions develop problem-solving skills, confidence, perseverance, determination and work ethic.

Evan chooses to focus on stationary strokes, week in and week out.

 

7) Champions have self-belief and a positive outlook.

Evan wears his ball cap backward and twirls his racquet confidently at the start of each tournament until the umpire yells, “2-minutes, gentlemen.” Then like clockwork, he loses focus and morphs into an “Emotional Basket Case” every weekend. Evan only has one game style- hard-hitting baseliner.

8) Champions develop several game plans, emotional solutions to common problems, agility, and brain speed.

Evan is brainwashed into believing that he will go pro if he perfects his primary strokes every day.

 

9) Champions understand that controlling their adrenaline and concentration wins matches.

Evan believes that he is the one and only gifted, athlete out there, and that should be enough to skyrocket him to success. When his opponents begin to challenge his game, he folds emotionally.

 

10) Champions spot tendencies and control the energy of the match.

Evan simply hits the shots that feel good to him versus hitting the shots that feel uncomfortable to the opponent.

 

In conclusion, it’s important to understand that there is nothing more common than extremely athletic individuals with weak competitive skills. This is why, to the untrained eye, it appears that the better “looking” athlete should win. As you all know, it is often not the case.

Although it is essential to develop solid fundamentals, once fundamentals are developed, the art of winning stems from developing these hidden skill sets.

 

Nurturing Character Tennis Blunders Part 2

Posted on September 30, 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
Available through most online retailers!

 Click Here to Order

TENNIS BLUNDERS

Parents Don’t Need Guidance

Would you expect a talented beginner athlete to be a world champion without proper coaching? Not likely. As a parent, plan on seeking out assistance and guidance through this journey.  In today’s world, coaching has moved past the athletic playing fields and into every aspect of life. One of the best-kept secrets of the successful junior tennis champion is a primary tennis parent that is knowledgeable about the tennis developmental process. Parental coaching can be done in person, by phone, in groups, or in private, customized settings. Wonderful skills can be developed through attending seminars, Googling topics of interest on YouTube, accompanying your youngster to college or professional matches, or purchasing instructional DVDs and books.

Serena Williams said her parents learned how to coach her by watching Vic Braden’s instructional videos. Seek out those who can help you make clearer decisions for your child and your family. Education about the process can accelerate your child’s success.

 

Being an Unaccountable Parent

Parental accountability is based on the fact that national tournaments are often held over holiday breaks.  Parents, do you choose to spend Thanksgiving and Easter breaks at home with your extended family and friends, or are you okay spending that time in a hotel out of state? Do you choose to remain home so your child can prepare properly for the winter nationals, or do you choose to go skiing the week before the event? Are your summers spent on the beach or on the tournament trail? While breaks are healthy, a hobbyist parent should only expect hobbyist results.

 

Underestimating the Success Formula

It’s old hat by now. It’s called the 10,000-hour rule.  For approximately ten years, your child should be spending approximately 20 hours per week in tennis-related activities to become a world-class player. Deliberate customization is essential. However, quality is more important than quantity.  On a personal note, my daughter went from a 10-year-old beginner to playing the U.S. Open in 5 years.

Interesting NOTE: The 10,000-hour rule was first applied as far back as 1899. It is applied to all forms of excellence, not just athletics.

 

Ignoring Off-Court Training, Proper Nutrition and Hydration

When your athlete gets fatigued, their movement gets sloppy, their stroke spacing is off, and unforced errors begin to fly off their racket.  Poor decision-making and negative emotions set in.  Often, the actual cause of a child’s emotional breakdown is a lack of fitness. Unfit players do not perform their rituals, they do not spot tendencies and they do not manage their mistakes.  Poor physical fitness manifests in mental and emotional breakdowns. For instance, most juniors go for low percentage shots due to the fact that they are too tired to grind out the point. So is off-court training linked to the mental side?  Absolutely!

Proper hydration and nutrition are also critical in every tennis competitor’s physical, mental, and emotional links. As parents, we have to insist that our players fuel up before battle. Dehydration triggers fatigue, dizziness, headaches, and nausea. Lack of adequate nutrition affects the blood sugar levels in the brain. Improper nutrition and hydration guarantee poor decision-making skills at crunch time.

TENNIS BLUNDERS: Ignoring Your Child’s Personality and Body Type

Posted on September 26, 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
Available through most online retailers!

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NURTURING CHARACTER BLUNDERS

Parents, please be more concerned about your child’s character than their rankings because junior success is temporary… character is lifelong.

 

Ignoring Your Child’s Personality and Body Type

I mentioned this blunder several times in this book. Your child has a genetic predisposition to excel at a particular style of tennis. A common parental mistake is assuming that your child is wired like you… It is highly likely they have a different brain type, and they see the world and approach tasks differently than you or their coaches.

I’ve found that by understanding each player’s brain type, body type, and personality traits, similar obstacles, skills- efficiencies and deficiencies, frustration tolerance levels, styles of play, and decision-making abilities are evident.

However, a child’s preferred learning style is a product of both their genetic (nature) and environmental (nurture) make-up. So just as a player’s upbringing plays a role in shaping their future, so too do their desires, actions, and results.

 

Often, my students win their first national title and skyrocket their rankings after determining their personality profile and training them accordingly. Their training was systematically customized to their unique brain and body design, and their rankings greatly improved.

Coming Soon THE PSYCHOLOGY OF TENNIS PARENTING

Posted on September 26, 2022 by in The Psychology of Tennis Parenting

COMING THIS FALL!

THE PSYCHOLOGY OF TENNIS PARENTING

In Frank Giampaolo’s series of bestselling tennis books, he uses his 40 years of high-performance coaching experience to write about how parents can help create a positive, fun environment for athletes to maximize their potential at a quicker rate. The Psychology of Tennis Parenting could be his best work yet. This book is filled with real-world insights and application at its finest. Geared towards parents but applicable to coaches and athletes.

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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
Available through most online retailers!

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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.

IMPROVING CONFIDENCE AND LOW SELF ESTEEM- PART 2

Posted on August 17, 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
Available through most online retailers!

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The Match Collection

Let’s first look deeper into common stepping stones that will help rekindle an athlete’s confidence:

 

Re-Commit to Getting Fit

Start with being the best athlete they can be. Hit the gym and hit the track – gain strength and improve your stamina, speed, agility.

Clear the Mind: Re-Focus on Tennis

Teens can get derailed by numerous factors including: school, parties, peer pressure, other sports, hobbies, shopping, etc. Re-organize your weekly planner.

Customize the Instruction

Practice in the manner in which you are expected to perform. Build a game plan around exposing strengths while hiding weaknesses. Customize the athlete’s style to their brain and body type. Develop and rehearse the critical Top 7 Patterns of play.

Promote and Educate Independence

Independent problem solving promotes confidence on and off the court. Even though some parents think they are helping, it may be wise to slowly stop doing everything for your little Phenom. (See: “Are You a Helicopter Parent”- found in Section IV Common Questions and Solutions: Parental Accountability)

Surround Them with Supportive People

Positive coaches, trainers and friends with good character are key. Is his new girlfriend pulling his focus in a new direction? Do her new friends at school want to party and shop all the time? Is her coach pessimistic?

Help Others

Ask your athlete to teach the under privileged kids for free at the park and rec or assist the local food bank once a month and feed the homeless. Seeing the positive attitude of someone less fortunate reminds them how fortunate they truly are…

Avoid Negative Comments

Derogatory comments, a negative tone of voice, offensive, threatening body language or even facial expressions can tear down a sensitive player’s confidence. Cut out the negative influences in their life. Pessimism is contagious and very toxic.

Perfectionists Set the Bar Too High

Unrealistic expectations kill confidence. Parents, just because your son won last week’s tournament, don’t expect him to win every one from now on. Players, a sure fire way to disable your confidence is to expect perfection. Even if you’re in the zone for a while, it’s a borrowed experience. No one owns the zone. No one stays in the zone and lives there year around.

 

“Parents and coaches, it’s important to communicate to your athlete that they can’t go back and rewrite a better past…but they can start today and write a better future.”

 

PERFORMANCE ANXIETY SYMPTOMS AND CAUSES – Part 2

Posted on July 23, 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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Solutions and Cures

 

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Individual personalities come with unique frustration tolerance levels. So it’s safe to say that symptoms and cures are often remarkably different. Listed below are the anxiety reducing strategies that I teach my students to handle pressure. Set aside time to discuss the below 6 performance anxiety busters with your team.

1) Pre-match preparation is essential. Prepare all strokes, patterns, one’s physical body and one’s state of mind properly before each match. Top professional have a specific routine before and after every match.

2) Keep your self-destruction notes handy. The mental section provided you with a list of ten “Self-Destruction Solutions.”

3) To avoid choking and panicking requires understanding the under arousal, ideal performance and the over arousal state of minds.

4) Emotional toughness is being bigger than the moment. This state of mind requires three months of practicing in the manner in which you are expected to perform versus simply hitting tons of balls back and forth.

5) Remember the acronym for WIN- W: What’s; I: Important; N: Now. Dummy up and only focus on what’s important now, from pre-match rituals, through each point of the match, to post-match rituals.

6) Be prepared in every possible way- technical, physical, emotional and mental.

  • Technical Preparation: The “tool belt” of primary & secondary strokes are all pre-developed and wired for tournament play.
  • Physical Preparation: Aerobic and anaerobic capacities are ready to handle the long standing suffering of winning six matches in a row.
  • Emotional/Focus Preparation: Pre-set protocols/solutions have been discussed and developed to handle any crisis.
  • Mental/Strategy and Tactics: Pre-set patterns to successfully pull all four different styles of opponents out of their comfortable system of play.

 

“The very best way to destroy performance anxiety is through growth.”

 

Confidence Is Nurtured by Positive Self Talk

Encourage your athlete to think positively, such as, I deserve my success, I have trained for it, I am a problem solver, I am resilient, I will do my best and/or I can.  A positive attitude is a critical first step when tackling performance anxiety issues. Sadly, I’ve found that many athletes are actually nurtured pessimism. This happens when players are raised by parents or trained by coaches that see the negatives in every situation- which is actually programing pessimism unknowingly to their children. Ironically, the very same parents and coaches often report, “My kids are so negative!”

If the family environment is becoming a bit too negative, a fun game to play for the entire family is an old psychology exercise called the “Flip It” game. Trust me, it could change your lives.

 

Hold a family meeting and introduce a one week exercise. Everyone is encouraged to say “Flip It” whenever they witness another family member saying something pessimistic or acting negative. Athlete example, “I don’t want to eat this healthy stuff.”- FLIP IT, “I hate this drill”-FLIP IT, “It’s too early…I don’t want to go for a run before school.” FLIP IT! Parental example “Yea, he won 6-2, 6-4 but he should of won 0-0”, -FLIP IT!  This exercise spotlights the negative behavior. It makes the negatron aware of his/her reoccurring pessimism and encourages optimism in a light hearted, non-threatening way.

 

“Learning to spot and flip pessimism and replace it with optimism is presenting the moral code needed to champion tennis and life.”

 

Control the Controllables

Another anxiety reducing emotional protocol is to encourage your athlete to focus on simply controlling that which is truly under their control and to ignore everything that is out of their control.  Understand that champions trim the fat and focus only on what they have control over versus outcome issues out of their control. Most performance anxieties stem from focusing on contaminating issues that have no place inside the head of an athlete during competition.

 

“The player’s performance anxieties lessen greatly when parents stop obsessing about the outcome and rankings and encourage belief, effort and improvement.”

 

Ask your child to forget about the outcome of matches for a while. Instead, ask them to focus on being better than they were yesterday.  A long term goal to strive for is to be twice as good this year as you were last year.

 

PERFORMANCE ANXIETY SYMPTOMS AND CAUSES – Part 1

Posted on July 21, 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
Available through most online retailers!

 Click Here to Order

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PERFORMANCE ANXIETY SYMPTOMS AND CAUSES

 

Performance anxieties appear in a broad spectrum. Some athletes seem to fear nothing…some fear everything. Most have their personal anxiety triggers that should be discovered and examined. If you suspect that your child is experiencing excessive performance anxiety, it’s time to look at the common signs. If your athlete’s lack of personal belief is over-riding their actual ability then they’re battling performance anxiety which is part of the emotional development of the game.

 

“Emotional Development is just as important as stroke development.”

 

Below, I’ve listed four categories of common performance anxiety symptoms.  If you suspect that your child’s fear of competition, confrontation or adversity is affecting their performance, it may be time to gather the coaches for an emotional training session. Ask your child to check any below symptoms that they feel describes them on match day. Design a new action plan to overcome each issue.

 

Match Day Symptoms

Physical Symptoms:

  • Shallow, fast breathing
  • Increased muscle tension throughout the body
  • Increased perspiration
  • Feeling dizzy and weak in the knees
  • Feeling that your body is on the court but your mind is somewhere else

 

Mental Symptoms:

  • Inability to focus one point at a time
  • Over thinking (choking)
  • Under thinking (panicking)
  • Reoccurring thoughts of failure
  • Worrying about others opinions of their performance
  • Obsessing about others rankings & successes

 

Emotional Symptoms:

  • Self-doubt in strokes as seen in “pushing”
  • Self-doubt in stamina & strength as seen in reckless shot selection (to end points prematurely)
  • Nervousness, hesitation & fearful performance
  • Stressing about uncontrollable variables
  • Not taking the time to enjoy the moment

 

Behavioral Symptoms:

  • Not performing match day routines & rituals
  • Hurrying & fast pace walking
  • Having mini tantrums, racket cracking or mindless fast walking/play
  • Forgetting the basic ball striking functions
  • Allowing the opponent or situation to control your playing speeds

 

Solutions and Cures

Individual personalities come with unique frustration tolerance levels. So it’s safe to say that symptoms and cures are often remarkably different. Listed below are the anxiety reducing strategies that I teach my students to handle pressure. Set aside time to discuss the below 6 performance anxiety b

 

The Art of Consistency -Part 2

Posted on July 4, 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
Available through most online retailers!

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Common Inconsistency Situations

Below are six “oh-yeah” stumbling blocks that require your athlete’s attention. Remember, they can’t fix a problem if they’re not even aware it exists. Please ask your athlete’s coach to discuss the below “everyday blunders.”

Common Match Play Stumbling Blocks

1) After hitting a great winner, players commonly give the next point away by committing an unfocused-unforced error.

2) After missing a sitter, players don’t re-group and commit another unforced error.

3) Players commonly lose their own serve right after breaking the opponent’s serve.

4) Players often double fault after hitting an ace.

5) After winning a tight first set, players commonly play loose and find themselves down at the start of the second set.

6) In tournament play, players scoring an upset victory over a higher ranked player often lose to a lesser player the very next round.

 

“If you are persistent, you’ve got a great shot at being consistent.”