The following post is an excerpt from the Second Edition of The Tennis Parent’s Bible NOW available through most on-line retailers! Click Here to Order
PETER SMITH MEN’S HEAD COACH UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
USC Men’s Tennis Head Coach and owner of Southern California Tennis Academy.
Peter Smith is the parent of a professional men’s Challenger Champion, National Champions, a National Champion himself and the award winning NCAA men’s tennis coach at USC. Let’s take a glimpse into his words of wisdom.
Frank: What is your take regarding all your tennis related success?
Peter: I approach tennis differently. I view tennis as a vehicle for life improvement. I would like juniors to view the sport as a life enriching opportunity. It would be optimal for juniors to ask themselves, “How can tennis make my life better… as a person.”
I’ve met many professionals who are unhappy and yet the rest of the world deems them a success. Though I’d love to see one of my players win Wimbledon, I’d rather have my players become great people. Tennis is one of the toughest sports because athletes have to do so much on their own, but as a result, tremendous life lessons are learned through the sport.
Frank: What do you feel is the role of the tennis parent in the developmental process?
Peter: It is multifunctional. The tennis parent should be a leader but it’s difficult when they don’t know the path. Being a parent is much harder than being a college coach. Becoming educated about the tennis developmental process is the primary role of a tennis parent. But the key to successful player parent communication are parents with the right amount of patience.
I’ve got 29 years of experience working with parents of top athletes. Interestingly, the parents that I have had minimal contact with are the parents of the best players. Steve Johnson Sr. never called me once… I called him all the time and we had the best conversations.
Frank: What are some of the re-occurring blunders you see parents make?
Peter: The hard part of being a parent is watching their junior fail and allowing them to fail (In the right setting…) Learning through their failures is often the best lesson for the athlete but very tough for a parent.
Frank: Do you prefer a single coach or an entourage of coaches in developing a player?
Peter: It takes a village to raise a champion. I’ve got trusted pros who come in and snap my kids back in line.
Frank: Do you prefer athletes attend home school/independent study or regular school?
Peter: Isolation is just not good. Patrick Rafter is making all the Tennis Australia players go to school. Look who’s successful right now Querrey, Johnson, Isner, Sox. They all went to high school. Life starts at 18…so preparing for life is important.
Frank: What’s your recommendation to coaches regarding the synergy with players and parent?
Peter: It’s a tough one… Coaches have to make a living and their good decisions aren’t often popular. It’s a dance sometimes between doing what the parent wants versus doing what the athlete wants. Here’s a fact: What wins in the 12’s isn’t going to necessarily win in the 18’s… What wins in college won’t necessarily win in the pros…
I believe in teaching every kid the full tool box of strokes. Some kids are naturally passive and like/need to be pushed. Some are natural dare devils. Each player parent relationship is unique and dependent on the player’s goals.
Frank: How will high performance tennis help with their college placement?
Peter: High performance tennis can absolutely open doors for players. Tennis gives athletes access to great universities. None of this year’s USC men team would have been accepted into such a prestigious school without tennis. Scholarships are a bonus.
Frank: Do you agree that it’s often better to get a partial or no scholarship at a school with a high IQ coach versus a full ride with a lesser coach?
Peter: Here’s what I tell my USC players, treat the tennis experience as a 3 hour a day class minimum. We’ve all had a teacher who made the class fun. The college coach is the most important part of the decision. It’s a marriage.
Frank: Do you have any special advice for incoming freshmen?
Peter: Ninety percent of the freshman who don’t play as a freshman… never get the opportunity to play. So it’s important to research the right school.
Frank: Should the athlete play US Nationals or ITF (International Tennis Federation) events?
Peter: I believe in playing both US and ITF tournaments, but first and foremost, every athlete should focus on their current stage of development. They should look to be successful in their city tournaments, then sectional, then regional, then nationals etc. – a stepping stones approach to development. Of course, there are exceptions to the rule.
Frank: Organizing a junior’s weekly schedule is part of the tennis parent job description. Can you share with the readers your USC weekly schedule?
Peter: At the start of the season, players wake up early for a 7:00 am off-court tennis specific training session, followed by a private lesson, 2 classes, lunch, then a full team practice, dinner, night class or study hall. The goal is to be done by 9:00 p.m. We try to make it enjoyable
Frank: When do you suggest juniors begin to develop their secondary strokes and their mental or even emotional components of the game?
Peter: As early as possible. Young children are able to absorb a lot of information. They need private lessons. I taught my children to volley first, knowing that they’ll be pounding a million ground strokes later. It’s challenging to teach a late teenager how to volley. The best players I have coached at USC came in their freshman year with a complete game.
Peter Smith- Southern California Tennis Academy Website: sctennisacademy.com
