The following post is an excerpt from Frank’s updated release: How to Attract a College Athletic Scholarship.
College standout Steve Johnson provides his view on college tennis. Special Amazon e-Book price is $1.99
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Eliminating Internal Judgment- Part 4
The following post is an excerpt from Frank’s newest book, The Soft Science of Tennis. Click Here to Order through Amazon
Eliminating Internal Judgment
How to Strengthen Self Coaching Solution #4:
Identifying Internal Obstacles
Looking deeper into competitive success brings us to a fourth method, which is assisting athletes by identifying their internal obstacles. Although losing to a more experienced player stings a bit, losing to a toad because you have self-destructed is much more harrowing. The secret to conquering one’s inner demons stems from understanding the importance of self-coaching. It is essential to master self-coaching with positive inner dialog by exchanging judgmental tirades with calming routines and rituals.
“Overcoming internal obstacles is more satisfying at a deeper level than beating a top seed.”
Athletes perform best when they are not excessively judged or overly concerned about the outcome ramifications. Having outcome goals is fine, as long as their focus is on the process. To continually stay process-minded is the backbone of successful inner dialog. What influences athletes most in their toughest moments is their mental commentary. A healthy mindset orchestrates a positive attitude, belief, and effort. So, what is competitive success? Competitive success is performing at one’s peak performance level set after set; the optimum victory for any athlete.
Eliminating Internal Judgment- Part 1
The following post is an excerpt from Frank’s newest book, The Soft Science of Tennis. Click Here to Order through Amazon
Eliminating Internal Judgment
My neighbor, Pete, owns Pete’s Home Repair Specialist. He’s a super friendly independent contractor. Due to his excellent soft science personal skills, Pete’s always in high demand. His decades of experience have taught him that detailed preparation prevents poor performance. Pete’s truck is like an encyclopedia of tools organized by alphabet and ready for action. Though Pete doesn’t need all of his tools at every job, he brings every tool, just in case he needs it.
This analogy is very similar to a high-performance tennis player’s tool belt. In matches, they may not need to employ every skill set developed in their tool belt, but they do need to have primary and secondary strokes ready for competition, as well as multiple patterns and plays developed and prepared to be accessed if needed. Life skills, such as preparation improve the athlete’s confidence, inner dialogue, and of course, solution-based self-coaching skills.
“In the heat of battle, the voice inside each athlete is their driving force.”
In match play, an athlete’s internal dialog is their self-coaching. Internal dialog is the conversation their ego is having with themselves. Athletes have a habitual way they choose to navigate their matches. When they see competition in a negative light, their internal dialog is dark. Conversely, when they “see pressure as a privilege,” to quote Billy Jean King, their self-coaching is more positive, uplifting, and optimistic. The question is: Where did the athlete learn their internal dialog mantras?
An athlete’s negative, problem-oriented inner dialog sabotages their performance by interfering with their quiet mind. To some athletes, negative inner dialog spirals them into a self-defeating, under-arousal state. To others, it pushes them into a panicked, over-arousal state. Both are detrimental to performance. As I mentioned earlier, an athlete’s non-stop inner dialogue is either helping or hurting their performance. Intermediate athletes are known to sabotage their play by criticizing themselves, worrying about losing, and inventing post-match catastrophic conclusions during competition.
Building Coachable Athletes- Part 2
The following post is an excerpt from Frank’s newest book, The Soft Science of Tennis. Click Here to Order through Amazon
Is Your Athlete Un-Coachable?
A gifted but un-coachable athlete is every coach’s nightmare. The un-coachable athlete displays the following symptoms: showing up late for practice and lacking personal commitment, passion, and real effort. These athletes routinely play the blame game, roll their eyes at constructive feedback, and are close-minded to improvement. Un-coachable athletes spend the majority of their training sessions defending their poor choices and creating drama.
“Some athletes cling desperately to bad form because they have spent years developing it.”
Being committed to one’s emotional development isn’t a genetic predisposition, it is a learned behavior nurtured by intelligent parents and coaches. Changing a talented yet un-coachable athlete into a coachable athlete takes great emotional aptitude from both the parents and coach.
Improving an athlete’s software (coach-ability) is often a prerequisite for real learning, quicker growth, and maximizing potential. I believe great coaches and parents have to facilitate coach-ability. They have to convince the athlete that change is good, which is key because learning begins with change and change begins with learning.
Emotional modification begins with the athlete being open and honest enough to develop a humble and respectful attitude, competitive drive, and willingness to learn. It includes gratefulness that a coach cares enough and is willing to tackle the un-pleasantries of the task. Teaching discipline, accountability, and responsibility is a very different job description than teaching a topspin backhand.
Let’s Look at the Characteristics of the Coachable Athlete:
- Willingness to Accept the Coach’s Philosophy
- Acceptance of the Necessity for Improvement
- Desire to be Accountable
- Optimism and Growth Minded
- Respectfulness
- Acceptance of Responsibility
- Letting Go of Excuses
- Non-Combative Attitude
- Open-Minded too Constructive Criticism
- Eager to Receive Feedback
- Respectful of the Coach’s Knowledge
- Selflessness
- Integrity
- Courageous
It’s astounding how many young athletes self-sabotage their potential by choosing to ignore the above positive characteristics. Coachable athletes are taught life skills development and religiously held accountable for their morals and ethical conduct by their parents and coaches. Parents and athletes, please look for the above positive characteristics of the coachable athlete in your entourage of coaches as well. You can be sure that quality coaches will be looking for the same positive characteristics in their students and their parents.
In the 1st Edition of The Tennis Parents Bible (published in 2010), I wrote about the importance of positive coaching and parenting. A vital take away was the use of the 5-1 compliment to critique rule (verbal and non-verbal). If athletes are to fire their optimistic responses we have to provide the ammunition. I recommend exposing these qualities in timely condensed sessions. Coaches, the above 14 coachable software skills should be discussed in a creative, interactive information exchange that feels like a chat versus a moral lesson.
Building Coachable Athletes- Part 1
The following post is an excerpt from Frank’s book, The Soft Science of Tennis. Click Here to Order through Amazon
Building Coachable Athletes
During a seminar, I conducted at The Wingate Sports Institute in Tel Aviv, Israel an attending woman’s volleyball coach raised her hand and asked me a great question: How does one discover their true potential? I responded, whether you’re coaching, parenting, or playing your chosen sport, realize that you’re only one decision away from going up a level. The choice to avoid risk is what holds most of us back. Even before we attempt an endeavor, fear of the unknown forces most of us to retreat our efforts.
In psychology, it’s called the Spotlight Effect. The brain hesitates when it perceives there’s going to be a problem. We are hardwired to avoid pain and hardship whether it be physical, mental, or emotional. It’s easy to slide back and continue the same old comfortable routines, but “easy” only produces average results. Tennis coaches and players habitually choose to groove another basket of balls versus shifting their focus to the actual needs of the player (cause of losses). Why? It’s far less painful.
What’s holding us back is changing our decisions to taking risks versus routinely avoiding risks. Unpredictability and uncertainty should be seen as positive gatekeepers. I recommend moving towards those feelings versus running away from them. We all have an affinity for our habits. All too often we stay too long with those habits not because they’re productive but because we’re loyal to them.
A new relationship to anything may appear risky, but truth be told, it’s often riskier to remain in an ineffective environment. The real danger lies in stagnation. We instinctively know that around the world, opponents are training smarter, faster, and more efficiently. Remaining in our comfort zone will only leave us behind the competition. To our detriment, our brains will try to sabotage any and all attempts at doing anything uncomfortable. I recommend shifting focus from the negative attitude of “what could go wrong” to the positive attitude of “what could go right.”
Whose responsibility is it to teach coach-ability? The typical response from a parent is, “I assume my child’s coaches are teaching life skills…right?” Ask a coach and the response is, “Teaching life skills are the responsibility of the parents. They’re paying me to teach their child strokes.” Ideally, these core values are the result of everyone involved in the athlete’s development, with the parents playing the decisive role. Providing children with the opportunity to take responsibility and instill accountability at an early age is not only an essential skill set for coach-ability but a vital life skill. Communication and independent problem-solving skills are the foundations of coach-ability.
“Two core software skills champions need most are millisecond decision making and problem-solving skills. Both of which, are not commonly found in standardized drilling.”
MATCH DAY VIDEO ANALYSIS- PART 3
The following post is an excerpt from the Second Edition of The Tennis Parent’s Bible NOW available through most online retailers! Click Here to Order
Matchday analysis is a staple for NCAA college athletes and professional tennis players and their entourages. Evaluating performance is essential for growth. I recommend two important steps prior to beginning the process of matchday video analysis:
1) Purchase a High-Speed Video Camera. It is often essential to utilize slow-motion playback to actually catch the hundreds of issues not seen by the human eye. Parents reading this may ask “Isn’t it expensive to purchase high-speed cameras and playback equipment?” The answer is …no if you have a smartphone, it’s as easy as purchasing the “Coaches Eye” App. It costs under $10.00 in most countries. It is a great product.
2) Hire a Well-Trained Teacher. A high tennis IQ coach is essential to quantified data. A well-trained eye can spot dozens of issues that simply pass right by 95% of the parents and players watching the exact same film.
Most coaches do practice court “static” stroke mechanic’s video analysis. Coaches, please take it one step further and begin to apply match play video analysis. It often dispels the confusion over what players believe they are doing and the reality of their performances. It will assist the entourage in discovering a whole new world of improvement opportunities.
MATCHDAY VIDEO ANALYSIS- PART 1
The following post is an excerpt from the Second Edition of The Tennis Parent’s Bible NOW available through most online retailers! Click Here to Order
MATCHDAY VIDEO ANALYSIS
Experts agree that visual learning is the most common learning style. Professional athletes in every field get a leg up on their competition by analyzing their performance through video replay. Matchday video analysis quantifies performance and reinforces future quality instruction.
More often than not, tournament champions have developed skills that go far beyond good strokes. Often it is the underdeveloped, hidden components that separate the early losers from the champions. Video analysis of matchday performances can provide proof of actual tennis performance versus perceived tennis performance.
Often, parents and coaches see the same re-occurring performance nightmares match after match but guess who’s never actually seen the event from a clear perspective? The Athlete.
During the heat of battle, over analyzing the performance is not advisable. It is highly recommended to persuade players, along with their coaches, to self-diagnose matchday issues via video after the event. Parents if you are not providing your child’s coaches with match day videos, you’re not doing your job.
“After each tournament, hire an experienced coach to analyze match day performance alongside your child. This is a non-hitting classroom session.”
Parents, keep in mind that it is often meaningful to video the pre-match routines and rituals, the actual match, and the post-match routines and rituals. Flaws in any of the three phases may lead to poor performances and a serious lack of results.
Note: Below are twenty-five essential issues that often separate the early-round losers from the champions. It may be beneficial to break out the video camera for proof and/or clarity. Hire a trained eye to assist in spotting those hidden match day flaws and give your child a real chance at performing at peak potential. (Video recording can be done with a smartphone or with a mounted video camera.)
Frank Giampaolo’s Mental and Emotional Tennis
The following post is an excerpt from Frank’s book, The Soft Science of Tennis. Click Here to Order through Amazon
During the past three decades, the business of tennis coaching has become much more scientific. Biomechanics, technique, and technology have changed the hardware (strokes and athleticism) for the better, yet, the software (mental and emotional) has been routinely ignored.
I was fortunate to begin my career at The Vic Braden Tennis College as a tennis instructor. Back in the 1980’s stroke production was the focal point. As I opened and directed tennis colleges throughout the country, I had the opportunity to work with top nationally-ranked athletes and touring pros. It was then that I realized that although stroke production was fundamental to the game of tennis, it was by no means the whole story. I found that the athletes with sound hardware (strokes and athleticism) and under-developed software (mental and emotional components) struggled in competition. So, for the past 20 years, I’ve immersed myself in the study of the athlete’s competitive software.
When Sergey Brin and Larry Page founded Google in 1998, they believed that only techies understood technology, so they set the companies hiring algorithms to employ computer science students from elite Universities. Fifteen years later Google began Project Oxygen to test their hiring methods. The conclusion of the research project shocked everyone. Among the seven most valued qualities of Google’s top employees, technical expertise came in dead last. Interestingly, what proved more important to their corporate culture were SOFT SKILLS.
The following are the seven essential personality traits Google prioritizes in their hiring process:
- Effective Coaching Skills
- Effective Communication and Listening Skills
- Empathy and Support for Others
- Effective Critical Thinking Skills
- Effective Problem Solving Skills
- Ability to Connect Across Complex Ideas
- Technical Expertise
Since exposing these findings, Google takes soft skills very, very seriously.
Like Google’s search engine business, most of the tennis-teaching industry assumes that hard skills (biomechanics and tennis technical knowledge) are most important. This book intends to share insights as to why soft skills matter and their significance may be more important than we were led to believe. The beliefs of athletes are directly influenced by their interactions with coaches and parents. After all, great coaching requires great collaborating, which is at the heart of The Soft Science of Tennis.
This book is designed to improve our tennis-specific soft skills that are the behaviors that enable us to connect more efficiently. Soft science characteristics are learned behaviors, and when properly nurtured lead to the more effective and harmonious development of our athletes.
In the two years, it took me to research and write this book, the one reoccurring theme throughout this journey was “invest in the person, not just the player.” Whatever industry your athletes choose, whichever position they desire, they’ll take their soft skills with them for the rest of their life.
DOES YOUR CHILD NEED MENTAL/EMOTIONAL TRAINING? – PART 2
The following post is an excerpt from the Second Edition of The Tennis Parent’s Bible NOW available through most online retailers! Click Here to Order
DOES YOUR CHILD NEED MENTAL/EMOTIONAL TRAINING?
Is a lack of Mental/Emotional training holding your child back from getting the results they deserve?
TAKE THE QUIZ
The following questions can be used to determine whether your child is in need of mental/emotional training. Good Luck!
- My child plays incredibly on the practice court but often falls apart in matches. Yes/No
- My child avoids playing full practice matches most weeks. Yes/No
- In matches, my child’s focus is only on winning versus actual performance goals. Yes/No
- My child doesn’t apply proper change over and between point rituals in matches. Yes/No
- My child is unorganized in planning their weekly training schedules. Yes/No
- My child has not yet developed his/her secondary strokes. Yes/No
- My child has super high expectations and expects to perform perfectly every match. Yes/No
- We haven’t yet put together our entourage of hitters, teachers, and trainers. Yes/No
- My child hasn’t developed plans or patterns to beat moonball/pushers. Yes/No
- My child hasn’t developed plans or patterns to beat hard-hitting baseliners. Yes/No
DOES YOUR CHILD NEED MENTAL/EMOTIONAL TRAINING? – PART 1
The following post is an excerpt from the Second Edition of The Tennis Parent’s Bible NOW available through most online retailers! Click Here to Order
DOES YOUR CHILD NEED MENTAL/EMOTIONAL TRAINING?
Understand mental/emotional training is the practical application of finding solutions to common pitfalls. We often hear, “My child has trouble closing out a 5-2 lead”, “My child plays terrific in practice but horribly in matches”, “My son can’t beat a moonball, pusher”, “My daughter can’t handle cheaters!”, “My son has trouble focusing for the whole match!”
Essentially, the mental component consists of the X’s and O’ of strategy. The emotional component refers to the athlete’s ability to navigate through performance anxieties that many athletes see as challenges. Often, these two-component are intertwined.
Parents are often hesitant and a bit unclear about the role of mental or emotional training. This type of instruction involves more than simple fundamental stroke production. Developing the “hidden” skill set within your child’s game is crucial for peak performance. It is a myth that only children with abnormal behavioral problems need mental or emotional guidance.
Do we have to change primary coaches to begin working on these issues?
No, not at all! A mental training coach can assist your primary coach and become a part of the team. In fact, the most intelligent coaches will encourage their players to seek out such training. It’s a win-win situation for both the client and the professional.
Is a lack of Mental/Emotional training holding your child back from getting the results they deserve?
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