The following post is an excerpt from The Tennis Parent’s Bible. Thanks for visiting, Frank Giampaolo
Another Holiday Spent on the Tennis Court?
How many times have you had to defend not being at a holiday celebration because of a tennis tournament?
Many non –high performance family members and/or friends do not get it? And that is okay, but when parents put regular social life events first, their child’s tennis progress can be delayed. It is very important for the family to decide on their comfortable level of commitment to tennis.
It is not fair to expect the child to perform at peak performance if the parents are not making a 100% commitment. For example: sending your child to the Spring Nationals the week after returning from a family vacation, away from homework, tennis and work, and expecting success.
High level tennis requires proper preparation. There is a time and place for tennis breaks. It should be joint decision. Preparing for a tennis tournament is twofold.
- First, your child should consistently train properly a month or so before a big event.
- Secondly, they should have a pre-game set of rituals to assist them in their match preparation.
Hours before a match, Nadal morphs into a different personality. Chris Evert said she wouldn’t even call a friend before a match in fear that it may break her concentration. Before each concert, Tom Petty sits quietly alone with his acoustic guitar visualizing and preparing for that night’s concert. Michael Phelps even swam on Christmas Day-practice always came first.
Preparing mind, body and soul before a match is a learned behavior. Allowing your son to go wrestle in the grass with the other kids before a big match isn’t in his best interest. Allowing your daughter to text 39 friends then fight with her boyfriend hours before a big match isn’t in her best interest.
Knowing how and when to turn on the competitor within is critical. Assist your child in finding their own unique game day rituals. After the match is complete, your child can leave it all behind with no regrets.
SPECIAL NOTE: Attending tennis tournaments can be very memorable. I would always make a special effort to travel and visit local tourist sites or plan special dinners when my daughter was on the tennis trail. To this day, my family has very fond memories of our tennis travels. Many of our tennis memories will outlast another holiday sit down dinner. Enjoy the journey!
Contact: Frank Giampaolo
FGSA@earthlink.net
Maximizingtennispotential.com
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