Frank Giampaolo | Frank Giampaolo's Maximizing Tennis Potential

Tennis- Rethinking Stress- Part 1

Posted on May 13, 2020 by Frank Giampaolo 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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Rethinking Stress

A very common view within the athletic community is that stress is the enemy in competition- the more stress felt, the worse the performance. Essentially believing that nothing good comes from stress. But this belief couldn’t be further from the truth. Stress is actually very beneficial to the competitive athlete. Athletes who accept that stress is part of competition, are actually healthier competitors and much more likely to succeed. How one views competition, ultimately determines the effects that stress has on their performance. In fact, on the playing fields, chasing excellence is better for your well-being than trying to avoid the stress (pain) of competition.

Let’s join up with Evan and Jarrod one last time. This time to discuss their take on the stress of competition.

Question: How does stress in competition affect performance?

Evan: When I feel stressed, my heart beats faster, raising my adrenaline levels and pumping more oxygen throughout my body. I see stress as a plus- preparing me for the battle. Stress tells me it’s “GO TIME” and I focus better. Without the stress, there wouldn’t be extra hormones running through my body giving me an extra boost.

Jarrod: In the past, when I’m freaking out … My stomach hurt and I became irritable, overwhelmed, and angry. All I would think about is the outcome and I panicked and choked. I guess I chose to go that route. I used to be an idiot …

Frank’s Tip: Stress isn’t the culprit. It’s how individuals choose to view stress. If you’re a bit like Jarrod, it is time to apply stress management solutions to help you flip your attitude and learn to use stress to improve your performance.

Final thoughts on Evan and Jarrod: I had a feeling that Evan would help provide young athletes with an optimistic, solution-based voice coming from their peer group. Honestly, I was very worried about Jarrod at the beginning of this process. I speculated wrongly that his narcissistic views couldn’t be swayed. As we dug deeper into the benefits of emotional aptitude, Jarrod slowly but surely changed his rigid stance and began to accept this developmental process. I couldn’t be more pleased that Jarrod is now on board.

SOLUTION #17: Basic Stress Management Strategies

Apply physical activity to burn off excess stress hormones- go for a short-run before checking in to the event.
Apply relaxation techniques, such as deep breathing, yoga, or meditation.
Flip the negative frame of mind with a more positive frame of mind.
Set aside time for non-competitive hobbies, such as playing a musical instrument or reading a motivational book.
Get plenty of sleep and eat a healthy, balanced diet.
Understand that viewing stress as a positive builds confidence.

Keys to Accelerating Learning

Posted on December 18, 2019 by Frank Giampaolo in Maximizing Tennis Potential, 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 online retailers! Click Here to Order

KEYS TO ACCELERATING LEARNING

How do you take a kid with potential and develop them into a proven champion? What predetermines their success? How do you convince them that they’re special? What factors build passion? How do a parent and coach develop a consistent winner?

Let’s use my stepdaughter Sarah Fansler as a quantifiable example of gauging the development of a kid’s potential. Most would agree that Sarah had a flair for the game. She was ranked top in the nation. Sarah won multiple gold, silver and bronze balls. She won a total of 10 U.S. National titles. She’s played the junior U.S. Open twice and the adult U.S. Open once before the age of 16. She was honored as the NCAA College Freshman of the year while at USC.

Now, let’s uncover her underlying story and take a deeper look at Sarah’s training regimen. As a junior player, Sarah had spent six years training full time. That’s about 20 hours a week or a thousand hours a year practicing in the manner in which she was expected to perform. Sarah only followed a deliberate, customized developmental plan.

Sarah did a private lesson with me from 6:30 am -7:30 am before getting ready for school. Sarah’s after-school regimen included playing full matches against paid college players and/or off-court training at a specialized gym called “Get Fit”, a Vert system off-court training center. After dinner, Sarah and I drilled for an additional hour and a half. On weekends, Sarah played tournaments.

Sarah followed my Customized Player Evaluation (Found in section VII) – a formula for deep accelerated learning. Her training regimen was more intense than the typical training program of an average high-performance player. The hidden factor to her tennis success was her hard work on and off the court each week. The accelerated learning process catapulted Sarah above her rivals.

“You can’t simply place your athlete in with the group… if you actually want them to get ahead of the group!”

So, was Sarah’s success due to her natural gifts or was it earned through a planned process? My answer is that approximately 20 percent of Sarah’s junior success was due to her natural talents, 80 percent was due to her learned behaviors. The development of life lessons was a major factor.

So talent is actually measured by the preparation before the performance. Often professionals say “I didn’t just win this event today…I won it through the last three months of customized preparation.”

So, my question to the parents and coaches is: What’s your deliberate, customized developmental plan for your athlete?

“Everyone says, ‘JUST PLAY YOUR GAME,’ but I don’t know what my game is?”

Posted on November 12, 2019 by Frank Giampaolo in Maximizing Tennis Potential, Preparing for Pressure

The following post is an excerpt from Frank’s NEW Amazon #1 New Tennis Book Release, Preparing for Pressure.
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“Everyone says, ‘JUST PLAY YOUR GAME,’ but I don’t know what my game is?”

“Top contenders have defined their global style & most proficient patterns of play.”

Upon arrival at a coaching gig in Spain, I noticed the coaches on all the red clay courts running the same drill. Player A hits a high & heavy ball deep to player B’s backhand. Player B retreats, contacting the ball above his/her shoulders and produces a short reply. Player A moves into no-man’s land and screeches “AHH …HEEE” and drives a winner into the open court. I asked the famous director, “What’s the drill they’re all working on?” He laughed and said, we call it, “How to beat the Americans.”

Athletes should start each match with their global style of play. Whether they’re in Miami or Moscow, in the first round or finals, on hard or clay courts, starting matches by doing what they do best is an intelligent formula. Their global system is their most proficient style of play (not necessarily their favorite style). Styles include hard-hitting baseliners, counterpunchers, retrievers, and net rushers.

The athlete’s global system also includes their repeatable strategic plan – which is their most proficient patterns of play. These patterns need to be designed and developed. They include: serving and return patterns, rally patterns (like the above Spanish group), short ball options, and net rushing plays.

In competition, each athlete has to know what they do best and must routinely apply their global plan and hitting the same old, boring winners over and over.

Every player should know and have had rehearsed their strongest, repeatable patterns of play. Then, choose to play those patterns in matches.

THE Parental VISION

Posted on October 28, 2019 by Frank Giampaolo in Preparing for Pressure

The following post is an excerpt from Frank’s NEW Amazon #1 New Tennis Book Release, Preparing for Pressure.
Click Here to Order

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THE Parental VISION

The Parental Vision was written to assist parents in shaping their athlete’s future. What parents think, say, and do matters. In my experience, a parent obsessed with character trait development and positive brainwashing trumps the parent obsessed with pointing-out their athlete’s failures.

Issues arise when the parental influence is misaligned, which confuses the athlete and derails the process. It is important that the athlete, parents, and coaches are all on the same page with the singular goal of maximizing the athlete’s potential.

Parents who shape their athlete’s future make the journey a family priority. This section includes samples of goal setting and advanced scheduling.

“A goal without a plan is just a dream.”

The parent is the team leader who’s responsible for shaping the athlete’s future. Parents only interested in being passively involved should only expect average results from their children.

Parents, children model the behavior they witness daily. It’s not only what you say … it’s what you do that matters most.

Parents, DO YOU HAVE A PLAN?

Posted on October 26, 2019 by Frank Giampaolo in Preparing for Pressure

The following post is an excerpt from Frank’s NEW Amazon #1 New Tennis Book Release, Preparing for Pressure.
Click Here to Order

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Parents, DO YOU HAVE A PLAN?

“Your Weekly Initiative Separates Your Athlete From Their Peers?”

All throughout the history of tennis, we have seen ordinary men and women come from humble backgrounds with nothing but a dream. Most of these athletes weren’t especially gifted or financially wealthy. Yet they were able to become top ATP and WTA professionals. What separates us from them is their family commitment to push beyond mediocrity. It doesn’t take much effort to be average. Follow the crowd, and you’ll reach that level.

Most athletes dream of playing professional or NCAA ball but only a few are destined for greatness. It’s estimated that only 5% of High school varsity tennis players move on to play high-level college tennis. It’s not their lack of athleticism, it’s their lack of a deliberate, customized developmental plan.

The tennis success you seek requires a high tennis IQ, well developed emotional aptitude, and the acceptance of serious weekly growth.

Confidence Stems From Culture

Posted on October 22, 2019 by Frank Giampaolo in Preparing for Pressure

The following post is an excerpt from Frank’s NEW Amazon #1 New Tennis Book Release, Preparing for Pressure.
Click Here to Order

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Confidence Stems From Culture

“Parents, your thoughts and emotions are highly contagious.”

The parents are the athlete’s most consistent sphere of influence. Parents can help prepare athletes for pressure by priming confidence through solution-based optimistic dialog. They should also model positive life skills daily.

Parents would be wise to nurture their athlete’s software (mental and emotional skills) as much as they expect a hired coach to develop their child’s hardware (strokes and athleticism).

Let’s look at a typical week. We all get 24 hours a day, seven days a week. That’s 168 accountable hours. If a high-performance athlete is training their hardware with their coaches for approximately 20 hours a week, how many hours are left for parents to assist in the software development? The remaining 148 hours a week offer wonderful opportunities for mental and emotional growth.

Being clutch at crunch time is a learned skill. Understanding how to thrive versus wilt under pressure is developed by master coaches and master tennis parents. Another great question parents should ask themselves:

Is someone routinely mentoring the mental & emotional protocols needed to handle pressure in competition? If not, consistent disappointment is sure to shadow most upcoming tournament competitions.

Parents, if you’re not developing incredible character traits, a moral compass, and essential life skills, who is? Preparing for pressure requires the development of the athlete’s software skills.

Parents are the athlete’s most consistent sphere of influence.

Ten Questions Parents Should Ask Their Athletes

Posted on October 10, 2019 by Frank Giampaolo in Maximizing Tennis Potential, Preparing for Pressure

The following post is an excerpt from Frank’s NEW Amazon #1 New Tennis Book Release, Preparing for Pressure.
Click Here to Order

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Ten Questions Parents Should Ask Their Athletes

“Ask…don’t tell.”

Let’s begin with identifying the number one question parents should NOT ask, “Did you win?” This question pulls the athlete into an outcome-oriented mindset, instead of being growth-minded. The art of communication with athletes includes promoting accountability and problem-solving. Commanding your child what to think is a sure-fire way to encourage disconnection. It’s our job to show them where to look, but not to tell them what they see. Teach your athlete to analyze their performance and to research solutions which promotes growth and retention.

Questions Parents Should Ask:

How was your preparation?
How do you feel about your performance?
What worked well?
What can you improve?
What did you learn?
How else would you have handled that?
What would you do differently next time?
Are you satisfied with your level of play?
How was your composure under pressure?
Did you thank your coaches?

Competitive tennis is incredibly emotional. Parents, it’s within your job description to share your calmness versus partaking in their chaos. Your child needs to hear, “I want to hear your opinion. I believe in you. I’ll always be here to help you.”

The Art & Science of Preparation

Posted on August 22, 2019 by Frank Giampaolo in Maximizing Tennis Potential, Preparing for Pressure

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The Art & Science of Preparation

“Confidence under pressure stems from the individual’s proper preparation.”

Learning how to prepare for competition can be a challenge because it’s so individualized. Before tournament play, it is important to provide athletes with the physical, mental, and emotional skills needed to manage their performance. The depth of their game-day warm-up routine depends greatly on the quality of preparation leading up into the event. Catastrophe strikes when the athlete’s pre-event preparation is less than optimal, and their warm-up is minimal.

Sadly, I hear the following parental statement all too often, “My Jenny takes a half-hour private every 2-weeks, and I drive her all the way to the high school to hit in the hour-long clinic every Tuesday and Thursday. If she gets in the upcoming National, I think she should win the title!”

Of course, high-performance athletes train differently than Jenny. I’ll say it again, preparing for pressure includes: incorporating the perfect storm of strokes, court speed, endurance, proficient strategic patterns, tactics to oppose the various styles of opponents, and performance anxiety busters.

Readiness requires the continuous refining of each skill essential to competing under pressure.

Tennis Great Johan Kriek

Posted on June 6, 2019 by Frank Giampaolo in Maximizing Tennis Potential, Tennis Professional Interviews, 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 online retailers! Click Here to Order

The following post is the foreword to The Tennis Parent’s Bible by Tennis Great Johan Kriek.

By 2 Time ATP Grand Slam Champion: Johan Kriek

Many may hear the name Johan Kriek and recognize me as a top-ranking tennis professional. What they may not realize is the hard work and dedication achieving ATP Tour level status required. I earned an ATP ranking of top 7 and won 2 Grand Slam titles during my approximately twenty-five years of competing in high-level professional tennis, amongst the likes of Connors, Borg, and McEnroe, but my incredible career came with great sacrifice and heartache. Firsthand knowledge of the benefits of supportive tennis parents makes me a perfect fit to foreword Frank Giampaolo’s second edition of The Tennis Parent’s Bible.
As a kid growing up in a rural community in South Africa, my mom, Ria, drove me to all my junior tournaments, while my dad and siblings stayed home on the farm. My parent’s played recreational tennis and understood a little about the game but never in their wildest dreams could they have known what was to come. My mom was always positive and constantly reinforcing belief. She did a lot of things right without even knowing it …But looking back that was not enough.
I have been in the junior tennis development business for a number of years now, and I have pretty much seen it all. Parenting is difficult enough in this modern age but parenting AND having a budding tennis star is altogether a tougher challenge. Frank is spot on with bringing to light the extreme importance of the parent’s role in the tennis journey. More often than I would like to admit, parents uneducated about the developmental process unknowingly cause “train wrecks” in their budding tennis players.

Parental education with respect to junior tennis development is a vital component to future success, whether it be college education or shooting for the pros. It is a tough journey with many more “downs than ups” as losing is a huge part of the development of a tennis junior. It is vitally important, in my humble opinion; that parents “arm” themselves with the knowledge found in “The Tennis Parent’s Bible” to better facilitate the growth and happiness of their children. Parent education is quite possibly one of, if not the most neglected part of junior athletic development.
Mastering the game of tennis is a process that demands technical, mental, and emotional skills throughout a child’s development. The parents need to understand that competency requires in-depth knowledge. The highly competitive individuals that are not trained the appropriate mental and emotional IQ face incredible anguish for which they have no way of dealing.
Many parents hope (pretty much what my mom did) that their children will eventually “grow up and mature.” But this is not the right way to go about it. I was, and because I was a type A Plus personality, I flew off the handle a lot. This poor behavior came to bite me hard during my career. Suffice to say I succeeded despite myself. If I had better training as a youngster on how to deal with my emotions in a better way, I would have been a much better and happier competitor.
Frank Giampaolo is a rare guy to have addressed these issues by writing a number of books on developing athletes. I highly recommend this second edition of The Tennis Parent’s Bible to any tennis coach or parent. Believe me, even if you think you are an “expert” tennis coach or parent, you need to read this book.