The following post is an excerpt from Frank’s Amazon #1 New Tennis Book Release, Preparing for Pressure.
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Parents, Avoid discussing outcome goals
“On match day, to reach outcome goals, avoid talking about them.”
Many athletes add stress before competition by discussing outcome goals. Such conversations include, “I should beat Zoe 1 & 1, she’s only ranked an 8 UTR”, “I’m going to prove to my coaches and friends that I’m better than Mathew,” “I should easily reach the finals in this tournament!” The focus on these unnecessary outcome goals only adds unwanted stress to a stressful environment.
Similarly, parents are also to blame for destroying the calm mindset athletes seek. Parents often unknowingly add their own outcome-oriented stress as they routinely talk about “you should easily be hitting 2 aces a game with the service lessons I paid for this week!”, “This opponent is a pusher. You should win easy.”, “Once you win this tournament the USTA will have to invite us to the National Campus to train!”
These topics hurt the athlete’s chances of reaching their desired outcome. Instead, leave the speculations at home and choose to focus on the strategic performance goals customized for the upcoming match.
Desired outcomes are found when the entourage manages the performance.
