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Are you a Helicopter Parent?

Posted on May 12, 2015 by in Parent Player Communication

Are you a Helicopter Parent? Frank Giampaolo
By Frank Giampaolo

While in the trenches coaching on the ITF tennis circuit, I sadly witnessed over-protective parents stunting the growth of their junior players. These types of parents have been lovingly nicknamed “Helicopter Parents.”

By insulating their athlete, the helicopter parent is developing the exact opposite skill sets needed to advance the critical mental/emotional components of a winner.  Controlling helicopter parents often unknowingly promote insecurity and dependency in their young adults.  Children need to experience both positive and negative life situations to become confident and independent thinkers.  Growth stems from mistakes and lessons learned.

Characteristics of Helicopter Parenting:

  • Shielding the child from every possible disappointment and any real or imaginary conceivable hardship.
  • Choosing to enforce their version of the solution without even considering the child’s opinion.
  • Failing to promote an open and supportive atmosphere that would encourages the child to volunteer their opinion.
  • Seeking to control everyone and everything in an attempt to give their child the upper hand.

Helicopter Tennis Parent Warning Signs:

  1.    Coddling and Pampering your Athlete

This parent treats their athlete like a toddler –incapable of doing anything for themselves.  “You rest honey, Mommy will pick up your balls, carry your bag & water cooler, refill your ice, order your lunch, cut up your salad …etc.”

  1. Being Overly Defensive of your Athlete’s Performance

This parent makes excuses for any and everything their athlete does wrong, making it impossible for their athlete to be accountable. “My gifted child is the best out there. After all, she comes from our phenomenal gene pool. Losses are never her fault.”

  1. Nurturing Dependency of your Athlete:

This parent convinces their athlete that their success is dependent on them and without their help they are incapable of success. – “I’m the only one she can trust. I’ve always solved her problems and always will because … I’m her mother.”

Suppose the helicopter parent actually allowed the junior athlete to think, act, talk, fail and/or succeed on their own?

The benefits are startling. The athlete becomes more responsible, independent, self-reliance and confident. And with these skills, the athlete is able to develop their problem solving/conflict resolution skills.  At the higher levels of competitive tennis, resolving issues and overcoming hardships is the essential mental and emotional tennis developmental skill that separates winners from losers. Winners overcome on-court crisis and persevere because they are nurtured to solve their own problems.

Let’s look deeper at the cause and effect of parenting styles and on an athlete’s mindset:

Scenario 1: The parent is a perfectionist and does most everything for their child correctly. The athlete experiences no mental/emotional skills growth because the issue is solved for the child by the parent.

Scenario 2: The parent attempts to do everything for the athlete but fails. The athlete experiences no mental/emotional skills growth because there’s zero player accountability. Failure wasn’t the athletes fault, it was the parents fault.

Scenario 3: The parent encourages the athlete to do it themselves and the child actually succeeds. The athlete develops self-reliance, confidence, responsibility, self-esteem, personal belief, and time management skills.

Scenario 4: The parent encourages the athlete to do it themselves and the child temporarily fails. The athlete is taught recovery skills, accountability, problem solving skills, perseverance, and organizational skills.

Scenario 5: The polar opposite of a helicopter parent is the unaccountable parent.  This parent refuses to assist the athlete at all- believing the child’s sport is their “thing.”  Elite athletics demands a supportive team. Without parental support, the athlete is limited in their athletic success.

Parents, your role in managing your athlete’s developmental pathway is essential.  But please remember that winning tennis requires your athlete to have the capability to take an “emotional hit” and recover.  This is a learned developmental skill. The inability to problem solve for themselves is the missing link that separates good from great.

If you know a helicopter parent suffering from this dreaded disease please forward this article. Thanks, Frank

Contact: Frank Giampaolo
FGSA@earthlink.net
MaximizingTennisPotential.com
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Neurology and Athleticism

Posted on May 11, 2015 by in Maximizing Tennis Potential, Raising Athletic Royalty

Thanks for visiting, Frank Giampaolo

Maximizing Tennis Potential with Frank Giampaolo

Neurology & Past Belief Systems in Sports

You may be asking yourself, what does neurology (central nervous system) have to do with athletic performance? The answer is everything.  Thinking, seeing, breathing, moving, sleeping…everything the human body does is reliant on their central nervous system. It is the system of the body that receives and processes all information from all parts of the body. It is arguably the most important system of the body.  The following collection of questions addresses common athletic development challenges.

Q: Why is it hard for some athletes to try new things & new ways of thinking?

A: A person’s upbringing forms their belief systems. Humans naturally protect their existing beliefs. When confronted by different ideas or opinions a chemical reaction in the brain takes place. The new idea is then viewed as a threat, because it hasn’t been analyzed yet, so minimizing and avoiding it is often normal.

When new techniques are presented they are often uncomfortable simply because they’re different. The new method clashes with the old comfortable method so the new method is disregarded as wrong. Sometimes the new way is actually the right way…but it feels wrong to the athlete.

 

Q: After a loss, why do smart coaches ask their athletes to go back to the event/site to watch other athletes still in the event?

A: The brain mirrors events it recognizes.  Viewing the final rounds creates a mental and emotional picture for the athlete to absorb and become comfortable with…

It is very common for up and coming athletes to experience complete performance meltdowns in the final rounds of their first big tournaments. Why? The finals are an unknown entity.  Unfortunately, most athletes choose to leave the site after a loss and not stay to watch the final rounds.

The more the athlete physically, mentally or emotionally gets dialed into a situation, the less uncomfortable the situation becomes and the more comfortable the athlete becomes performing in the manner in which they have trained- regardless of the round.

 

Q: Why do smart coaches inject humor while training for upcoming athletic events, which is often perceived as a very stressful situation?

A: Neurological studies prove that laughter helps relax and calm nerves.  Laughter decreases stress hormones and triggers endorphins – the body’s natural feel good chemicals.  Adding humor to stressful events will help the athlete enjoy the battle! Playing in the zone demands a calm and stress free preparation phase. Laughing is also a terrific ab workout. Hello six pack!

 

Q: Why is repetition so important in developing athletic royalty?

A: Physical repetition is essentially motor programming. Developing a motor program begins with a thought, which is messaged through the nervous system, down the spinal cord and into the muscular system. The more we pre-set the protocols (pre-set plans)… the easier it is to execute the proper protocol during match play.

Cognitive processing skills and emotional responses are neurological programs that also need to be organized, developed and constantly nurtured.  It doesn’t matter if you’re doing it, imagining it or observing it, you are developing a pathway. Neurological-connections are strengthened by repetition.

 

Q: How can a coach assist a perfectionist who is his/her worst enemy?

A: First, I suggest the coach share with the player his/her personality profile.  This should provide the player, parent and coach with a better understanding of the player’s preferred learning style.  Understanding that neurology studies show that the human brain undergoes tremendous pruning of the neurons and myelination (which translates to growth) throughout adolescence. Scientists agree that the human brain doesn’t reach full maturity until the early 20’s. Performing perfect 100% of the time is an illusion.

Second, in my opinion, the age old motto of trying 110% in competition is dead wrong. Athletes who constantly attempt to force perfection over press and play sloppy. Protectionist should simply be asked to aim for an A- grade versus an A+ grade. The athlete should try 90% instead of 110% and learn to accept a few minor errors along the way to victory.

Third, ask the player to “Shoot for an excellent performance versus a perfect performance.” Perfectionists are so worried and stressed about being perfect that it often stunts the actual growth they seek, and leads to misery for everyone around them.

The coach should encourage their athlete to seek the courage to let go of unrealistic and damaging beliefs like athletic perfectionism and enjoy the journey. Visualize Kobe Bryant smiling …enjoying his performance as he dominates the NBA.

Contact: Frank Giampaolo
FGSA@earthlink.net
MaximizingTennisPotential.com
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Positive Reinforcement

Posted on May 10, 2015 by in Parent Player Communication, The Tennis Parent's Bible

The following post is an excerpt from The Tennis Parent’s Bible.  Thanks for visiting, Frank Giampaolo

Frank Giampaolo

Avoid Outcome Oriented Questions and Negative Remarks

Asking your child “Did you win?” after each practice match or tournament match is the worst thing you could ask. Champions are performance oriented, not outcome oriented. How can we ask them to focus on simple performance goals, if you are focused only on the outcome?

 

Focus on saying 5 positive comments for every negative remark. Kids pick up every negative word, condescending tone of voice, upset facial expressions and defensive body language. Try to replace “Did you win?” with “Did you hit your performance goals today?”

 

Contact: Frank Giampaolo
FGSA@earthlink.net
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Negative Out-Bursts

Posted on May 9, 2015 by in Emotional Tennis, The Tennis Parent's Bible

The following post is an excerpt from Blunders and Cures.  Thanks for visiting, Frank GiampaoloBlunders & Cures_final

 

BLUNDER: Displaying Negative Character Traits

Guess who was an angry emotional train wreck as a junior competitor? If you said Andre Agassi, Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, then you’re right! Moral excellence is a maturing process. Everyone can compete in a relaxed, happy state, but not everyone wants to.

Negative behavior is often motor-programmed into a player’s routine. It is a comfortable, dirty, old habit. The development of character lies is the ability to first learn to be uncomfortable competing without the negative act. It’s like a stand-up comedian without his props to hide behind. The old props (anger outbursts) are comfortable.

CURE: The solution lies in the understanding that you have a character choice. Somewhere in their teens, Federer and Nadal were taught a wiser code of conduct and chose to apply it. Displaying anger outburst on court drains you of exact energy needed to win the tournament.

Anger is actually a show of fear or lack of confidence- often shown when skills are is question. Showing out of control anger outbursts is an immature behavior that is unacceptable in all arenas of life- disrespecting yourself and others. If you work as hard as you can developing your game, on-court and off-court, your anger will be replaced with confidence. It is not to say you will win every match, but you will understand that showing negative out-of-control energy is unproductive and damaging behavior Learning to accept and improve upon weaknesses will develop moral excellence- a valuable life skill.

To progress comfortably through the junior tennis wars, both game skills and life skills are essential. Begin early building your own positive navigational tools on and off the court. Start to build relationships with players, families, stringers and tournament directors.

Ask Yourself?

In my last tournament, did I show respect to myself, my opponent, fans and the tournament staff? In my next tournament, can I make a point to say Hi to the tournament staff? When was the last time you thanked your parents, coaches or even stringer? Have I ever thought about why you display anger outbursts? Here is why most players show anger- they are trying to send the message that they are normally not “this” bad- this is just an exceptionally bad day.  Does this sound familiar? The problem is that this behavior hurts you and does nothing to improve your performance.

Contact: Frank Giampaolo
FGSA@earthlink.net
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Anticipatory Speed

Posted on May 8, 2015 by in Maximizing Tennis Potential, The Tennis Parent's Bible

The following post is an excerpt from The Mental Emotional Work Book: Blunders and Cures.  Thanks for visiting, Frank Giampaolo

Blunders & Cures_final

BLUNDER: Assuming that Tennis Speed is Only Foot Speed

Tennis specific speed training requires a combination of foot speed and anticipatory speed.

And while you can’t improve your genetic predisposition, you can nurture both your foot speed and anticipatory speed. The initial path to better court coverage lies in avoiding hesitation and anticipating situations.

Anticipatory speed is greatly increased by understanding and rehearsing the art of vision control.  Here’s a myth, “Keep your eye on the ball.” Instead, shift your focus from narrow vision (watching an incoming ball) to broad vision. Broad vision is picking up visual clues as the ball travels toward the opponent. You don’t have to be the fastest runner on the court if you develop your anticipatory skills. Just ask one of my all- time favorites, former #1 Lindsey Davenport.

CURE: Broad vision clues are spotting the landing zone of your outgoing ball, noticing the opponent’s court position, incoming strike zone, monitoring the opponent’s swing speed and swing length will help you improve your court speed by increasing your anticipatory skills.

Ask Yourself:

If you can spot an opponent shifting into a defensive situation would it be wise to counter the attack and slip into your offensive mode? After offering up a short ball, do you systemically slide your grip and court position to anticipate an intelligent attack into your weakness? Have you ever simply sat and watched a match at your club while focusing on broad vision clues?

Write down your Personal Action Plan:

Contact: Frank Giampaolo
FGSA@earthlink.net
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The Customized Peak Performance Cycle

Posted on May 7, 2015 by in Tennis Parent Education, Tennis Specific Training, The Tennis Parent's Bible

The following post is an excerpt from The Tennis Parent’s Bible.  Thanks for visiting, Frank Giampaolo

International Player Evaluation by Frank Giampaolo

The Customized Peak Performance Cycle Versus The Old School Obsolete Cycle

In high level tennis, there is often a very fine line between competitive success and failure. A poor start, an initial lack of focus, or a bout of wavering confidence can cause a seemingly winnable match to quickly slip away. The will to properly prepare for competition usually makes the difference. For players to achieve consistent positive match results, their preparation must include ritualistic, inflexible routines. Success in tournaments is directly related to the quality of preparation. Champions become champions because they’re the few who are actually willing to put in the grueling hours of pre-match preparation. Spectacular achievements are preceded by spectacular preparation. Remember the old saying “Failing to prepare is preparing to fail.”? Make today be the last day that you go into an event unprepared. Below are two different match preparation cycles.

The Customized Peak Performance Cycle:

  • Rest
  • Review Match Logs/Match Video Analysis
  • Retool: Stroke Components
  • Movement Components
  • Tactical Components
  • Emotional/Focus Components
  • Pattern Repetition
  • Practice Sets/ Tie-Breakers
  • Tournament
  • Take Home another Trophy

Versus

The Old School Obsolete Cycle

  • Rest
  • Refuse To Do Match Analysis
  • Ignore Your Issues
  • Take Privates (While the coach feeds right to you)
  • Pay Good Money to Boom Back & Forth in Academies
  • Play King of the Hill
  • Play Points (Winners move up, losers drop down)
  • Tournament
  • Lose Early

 

Which one of these cycles best represents your (or your player’s) cycle? It’s easy to see that The Customized Peak Performance Cycle is what will produce the results you want to see. Need help getting started? Pick up your copy of my International Player Evaluation or email fgsa@earthlink.net for a custom evaluation package.

Contact: Frank Giampaolo
FGSA@earthlink.net
MaximizingTennisPotential.com
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Confronting Gamesmanship

Posted on May 6, 2015 by in Maximizing Tennis Potential

 

The following post is an excerpt from The Tennis Parent’s Bible.  Thanks for visiting, Frank Giampaolo

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Confronting Gamesmanship

Q: How do we begin to educate our daughter about cheaters?

A: Communicating about possible/probable scenarios and pre-setting your child’s correct response (protocols) is a great start.  Rehearse the solutions by setting up actual practice sets whereby the opponent is allowed to apply gamesmanship and your child has to rehearse their response sequence. Many parents and players are unaware that counter gamesmanship tactics are a learned behavior.

Q: My son wants harmony on the court, so he won’t do anything to stop a cheater.  What can we do?

A: Explain to your son that harmony is seldom found in a competitive environment.  Help your son to develop protocols- these are preset solutions to dealing with gamesmanship. Developing protocols to handle cheaters is similar to an actor memorizing a script. Remind him that when he is being bullied, manipulated or cheated out of a match that is rightfully his, there is no harmony. The best way for your child to make friends in the tennis world is by beating their brains out first.  Then guess what?…They all want to be his friend.

Q: What should my daughter do if her opponent is hooking?

A:If the opponent brings unfair play into the match your child must deal with it swiftly and professionally. I recommend confronting every bad call. At the higher levels, cheaters hook in the first few games simply to see if your child is tough enough to confront them or not. If your child does nothing, they are guaranteeing that the opponent will hook later in the match at the most important times. Explain to your daughter that the hook in that second set tiebreaker could have been avoided had the protocols been followed earlier in the match. Remind her that by confronting the gamesmanship head on, she is essentially saying “No, not today, hooking will not be tolerated.”

Q: My son allows opponents to hook him time after time and then proceeds to get angry and play worse.  How do we explain to him that his fear of confrontation is the reason he is getting so angry?

A:You are right, by allowing opponents to hook, your son is manifesting internal anger. This anger stops the positive and confident attitude essential to playing at the peak performance level.  The brain cannot solve two complicated tasks simultaneously. This is called channel capacity. Not only is your son losing the points that are being stolen from him, he is donating additional points due to channel capacity- his negative self-condemnation overtakes his performance goals.  Explain to him confronting gamesmanship is part of the competitive arena and that he must have pre-set protocols to deal with it. (Dealing with confrontation is a life issue- it is likely present in all areas of his life- not just tennis.)

Q: My child is scared to call an umpire onto the court. How can we help?

A: I know I sound like a broken record, but pre-setting match protocols is as important as developing motor programs for mechanical strokes.  The solution to dealing with an on-court controversy (calling an umpire to the court) should already be pre-wired before the match begins.  Be sure your child is clear about the actual rules and regulations of competitive play. This requires reading the rules and regulations of the game.  Once your child is aware of the official protocol of calling an umpire to her court, she will be more confident in her proactive action.  Remind her that she works too hard to allow cheaters to cheat.  Calling an umpire onto the court is demanding fair play.

Q: When should we begin to develop counter-gamesmanship skills?

A:  As early as possible. Pre-set protocols are like preventative medicine.  Deciding when to set aside time for mental and emotional development depends on your child’s growth development schedule.  Some children are mature enough to understand and implement counter-gamesmanship tactics at age 7, while others are still not mature enough at age 17. However, most players will lose many emotional matches to cheaters, before they are ready to learn counter-gamesmanship.

Q: What can we do if my son doesn’t call out balls out? He is essentially cheating himself out of matches.

A: Discuss the ramifications of the fear of confrontation. Why is avoiding confrontation such a problem at the competitive levels? Juniors who cheat themselves severely complicate games, sets, matches and of course tournaments. Explain to your son that elongating and complicating early round matches drains your son’s physical, mental and emotional batteries- leaving nothing left for the tougher, later rounds.  It is in his best interest to learn to call out balls out, especially because, strong competitors will see your son as being inexperienced and weak- thus fueling their confidence. (Remind your son that by not calling out balls out, he is helps his opponent in two ways- giving them free points and building their confidence.)

True Story:My daughter, Sarah, was playing a phenom in a G14 designated tournament. She was beating the phenom 6-0, 2-0…Sarah began to feel sorry for opponent because she was crying hysterically…  So Sarah decided to give her a few points and started to call out ball good … As soon as this phenom saw Sarah GIVING her points…she turned on her gamesmanship tactics -of which she was known for… She started stealing points from Sarah.  What should have been a routine win, became dramatic  2nd set grudge match- the phenom began cheating like crazy(Score changing, line calls, intimation, the works…)  Sarah learned her lesson and never felt sorry for an opponent again- out balls were out!

Q: My daughter is easily intimidated out of competing. Is this fair?

A: Yes, intimidation is fair. At the higher levels, tennis is a game of intimidation. Top opponents who recognize that stroke for stroke they haven’t got the game to beat your daughter will seek out any weakness in your daughter’s game- it is their job.  If your daughter has terrific strokes but is an inexperienced emotional competitor, it is your responsibility to assist them in developing a “thick skin.”

Dealing with gamesmanship should be part of your child’s basic training. The first step in handling gamesmanship is devising customized solutions (protocols) for each form of gamesmanship.  The second step is rehearsing those solutions on the practice court to gain confidence in applying pre-set counter gamesmanship solutions in a real match.

To progress into the higher levels of the game, mental and emotional skill set development is crucial.

Parents, if you’re not taking an active role in helping to develop these critical components in your child, please don’t blame your child when tournament after tournament they lose as a result of gamesmanship.

Thanks, Frank

Contact: Frank Giampaolo
FGSA@earthlink.net
MaximizingTennisPotential.com
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Controlling the Controllable

Posted on May 5, 2015 by in Maximizing Tennis Potential

Thanks for visiting, Frank Giampaolo

Raising Athletic Royalty

Maximizing your player’s chances to perform in a calm, relaxed peak performance level, demands that the athlete and entourage control their controllables. While letting go of the uncontrollable variables. Junior tennis players and well intending parents often sabotage any real chance of success by cluttering their mind with irrelevant thoughts. Match day focus is a learned behavior that should be developed and practiced with pre-set protocols.

“Practice in the manner in which you’re expected to perform” and then… Perform in the manner in which you’ve practiced.”

A pre-match warm up and/or match time performance can be sabotaged by focusing on non-controllable external variables While it is important to give these outside influences a nod, dwelling on them will surely ruin any chance of peak performance.

List 5 elements a player cannot control:
1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

 

List 5 elements a player can control:

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

 “A player’s thoughts will either push them towards their performance goals or pulls them away from their performance goals.”

Attitude controls the mind and the mind controls the emotions and the body’s fluid movement. An optimistic attitude “frees the player up” to play at peak performance. I teach twin brothers, Jarred and Evan.  Jarred has a positive can do attitude- he optimistically performs his pre-match rituals before each event and chooses to see the positive in every situation. While, Evan has a pessimistic attitude before each event and choose to obsess about everything that he believes is wrong or could go wrong.

Evan’s pre-match conversations includes: I am really, really tired, I think I’m getting sick, it is going to be too hot or too windy or too cold, my start time is too early or too late, the drive to event is too long, my draw horrible, the courts are terrible, my racquets are strung incorrectly, they made my breakfast wrong, I have too much homework to focus on tennis…etc.

A negative attitude can destroy your player’s ability to perform to their best ability. The pre-requisite for peak performance is maintaining a positive attitude and proper pre-match preparation. Players, parents and coaches need to focus on being positive and proactive.

Example of Non Controllable Elements:

  • Opponent antics
  • Referees availability
  • Weather
  • Court surface
  • Draw
  • Outcomes
  • Rankings
  • Start times
  • Site distractions
  • Example of Controllable Elements:
  • Wandering mind
  • Emotions
  • Footwork
  • Opponent profiling
  • Effort
  • Attitude
  • Game plans
  • Proper pre-match preparation
  • Pre-match and match day protocols

“Taking control of what can be controlled will keep you on script, increase self-confidence and assist you in getting the results you are cable of getting. “

Thank you, Frank

 

Contact: Frank Giampaolo
FGSA@earthlink.net
MaximizingTennisPotential.com
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Mental versus Emotional Toughness

Posted on May 4, 2015 by in Maximizing Tennis Potential

What is The difference Between Mental Toughness And Emotional Toughness in Sports?

Mental Toughness is:

  • Mental Components Relate to Analytical match Decisions
  • Three Tiers of Match Strategy
  • Assembling Game Plans
  • Strategies to Play against the 4 Main Patterns of Play
  • Customizing the Top Seven Patterns
  • Positioning to Maximize Success
  • Opponent Awareness (Style of Play, Strengths and Weaknesses, Top Seven Patterns and Frustration Tolerance Levels)
  • Shot Selection (Hitting the shot the moment demands.)

 

Emotional Toughness is:

  • Emotional Components Relate to Athletes Ability to Handle Competitive Anxiety
  • Controlling Anger/ Fear/Nervousness
  • Staying Unflappable Under Adversity
  • Closing Out a Set/Match/Tournament
  • Concentrating for the Duration
  • Playing at Peak Performance vs Weaker Players
  • Overcoming Choking or Panicking
  • Successfully Handling Hardship (Injuries, the elements, bad luck, gamesmanship, or an aggravated opposing playing style)

 

Diagnosing the correct cure begins with discovering the actual stressor.

Thanks, Frank

 

Contact: Frank Giampaolo
FGSA@earthlink.net
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Causes of lack of mental toughness

Posted on May 3, 2015 by in Maximizing Tennis Potential

The following post is an excerpt from The Tennis Parent’s Bible.  Thanks for visiting, Frank Giampaolo

 

If I had a dime for every phone call I received like this…

“Hello”

“Hi my name is Mrs. Johansson. My child lost again to a no-body!  I hear that you can help.”  Her voice cracks as she chokes back her emotions, “Chloe is so good but chokes and loses to seemingly less talented player? “

“Why do you think I ask? “

“Chloe’s just not mentally tough! “she adds.

As we dig deeper, we uncover that Chloe’s issues aren’t mental at all.  What makes the mental toughness component so mysterious and confusing is actually quite simple. The answers lie in the true cause of the breakdown versus the actual visible signs of distress.  The signs of on-court distress manifest in emotional breakdowns.

  • On-court breakdowns may include:
  • Hyperventilating,
  • Throwing the racquet,
  • Screaming,
  • Crying ,
  • Fast and mindless  play

The actual cause of the distress includes the four causes of error’s which include:

  1. Mechanical Flaws,
  2. Inappropriate Shot Selection
  3. Poor movement and Spacing
  4. Weak Focus/Emotional issues

Listed below are 3 examples of common match play scenarios where by the on-court outbursts are incorrectly labeled as mental issues.

Examples of Mislabeled Breakdowns

  1. Joey is out of shape. By the third match, his lack of fitness manifests in anger on court. Parents and coaches don’t recognize the lack of fitness issues; instead they say “Joey has mental issues- he is just not mentally tough.”
  2. Sarah has emotional control issues. When hooked by a creative line caller, her emotions pull her focus toward the drama of the hook and away from her actual “mental” performance goals needed to close out the match. Parents and coaches don’t see the emotional disconnect and say “Sarah has mental issues- she is just not mentally tough.”
  3. Mikey has a flawed forehand grip on his two handed backhand. This flaw leads to a rolling racket face through the strike zone. Under stress, Mikey’s muscles tighten and inhibit the smooth relaxed motion needed for him to roll the racket face within the millisecond window through the strike zone. As a result, his backhand deserts him when he needs it the most. This “mechanical flaw” leads Mikey to panic and play faster and faster without any between point rituals. Parents and coaches don’t see the mechanical breakdown and cry “Mikey chokes under pressure. He is just not mentally tough.”

As illustrated above, an on–court outburst has an underlying cause that is very different than the visual actions of distress displayed.  Identifying the underlying problem and proper training to improve the flaw is the only way to become a more mentally tough competitor.

The most efficient training method uses the “school methodology”- systematically shifting through all aspects of training- stroke production, pattern play, fitness, etc.( Just as a school child is shifted from subject to subject daily- such as from math to science to history to language etc.)

All too often, tennis coaches focus only on fundamental stroke production or a singular component hour after hour, week after week, and year after year, while expecting the player to develop a COMPLETE GAME through osmosis.  It just does not work that way. The player’s game becomes unevenly developed and a lack of confidence ensues.

Thanks Frank!

 

Contact: Frank Giampaolo
FGSA@earthlink.net
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