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Molding Their Inner Voice

Posted on October 17, 2019 by 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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Molding Their Inner Voice

 

“Parents beware: Your thoughts and words become your child’s beliefs, and their beliefs become their actions.”

Leading into competition, great parental dialog from a non-tennis playing parent includes de-stressing and confidence-building banter. High IQ tennis parents can review software solutions. These performance reminders are both mental and emotional. Mental triggers to discuss may include the athlete’s “A” game plans, contingency plans, their script of essential patterns, and opponent profiling.

Emotional triggers to discuss before matches may include solutions to performance anxieties, how to handle “creative line callers,” how to stop self-destructive performances, and how to close out a lead. Optimistic self-coaching in match play stems from molding the athlete’s inner voice. It is the counterforce needed to reverse the habitual pessimistic internal dialog that sabotages peak performance.

 

Taming the critic that lives inside the athlete’s parents is essential in preparing the athlete for pressure. This parental metamorphose doesn’t happen overnight.

Is The Parent a Source of External Pressure?

Posted on October 13, 2019 by 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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Is The Parent a Source of External Pressure?

 

“It’s no secret that a large portion of pressure comes unknowingly from tennis parents.”

The tennis parent is the second most important entity in the athlete’s entourage (The athlete being the most important.)

The parents are the CEO, the manager of the entourage of coaches, and the facilitator of the player’s customized developmental plan. With responsibility comes pressure. This is especially true when the parent is bankrolling the journey. All too often, tennis parents become overbearing yet don’t see themselves as the leading source of frustration.

Communicating with an adolescent competitive athlete isn’t easy. A relaxed demeanor versus a stressed appearance matters deeply. In fact, current studies show that approximately 7% of communication is verbal, while 93% is made up of tone of voice, facial expressions, and body language.

While it’s natural for parents to be on high alert for any possible signs of danger, it’s essential to understand that the athlete needs a calming influence.

 

Parental pressure can be both real and imagined. In the end, it’s the perception of the athlete that matters.

Ten Questions Parents Should Ask Their Athletes

Posted on October 10, 2019 by 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:

  1. How was your preparation?
  2. How do you feel about your performance?
  3. What worked well?
  4. What can you improve?
  5. What did you learn?
  6. How else would you have handled that?
  7. What would you do differently next time?
  8. Are you satisfied with your level of play?
  9. How was your composure under pressure?
  10. 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.”

Discuss Conflict Resolution and Fear of Confrontation

Posted on September 29, 2019 by 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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Discuss Conflict Resolution and Fear of Confrontation

 

“Solving problems begins by confronting problems.”

When athletes are expected to be the competitor, the score-keeper, the linesman, and the umpire conflicts will exist. “Being judged” can bring out the best and worst in all of us. Often opponents who believe that they don’t have the physical tools to win employ gamesmanship to sabotage their opponent’s level of play. There are many gamesmanship situations that athletes need to be aware of, and it is the job description of the coaching staff to address these scenarios. It is also important to teach them to look systematically beyond the incident.

Often, it is not the specific opponent’s gamesmanship tactic but your player’s response to the drama that causes the emotional break the opponent seeks. Preparing for pressure includes how an athlete responds to confrontational situations and whether or not they can remain focused on their performance goals and avoid unraveling.

Covert gamesmanship in tournament play is also applied when the crafty opponent spots the nonverbal clues found in our athletes’ fear of confrontation. If your athletes have a fear of confrontation, address why standing up for themselves versus enabling the “bully” is in their best interest. Nurturing timid athletes to stand up for themselves improves their confidence as they learn to solve problems.

In the intermediate levels, emotionally weak competitors assume that confrontation is bad. If they disagree, the opponent won’t like them and therefore not want to play with them in the future. This is a false assumption. In tennis, the opposite holds true. Opponents that can easily bully and beat your athlete don’t return their calls. Athletes that stand up to gamesmanship and triumph, not only earn respect, they also benefit by getting to choose their future practice match opponents and doubles partners.

 

Confidence is earned by standing up to conflicts.

Instruct How to Avoid Counterproductive Behaviors

Posted on September 27, 2019 by 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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Instruct How to Avoid Counterproductive Behaviors

 

“Your Academy’s culture is determined by how much counterproductive behavior the coaching staff
is willing to tolerate.”

Counterproductive thoughts and actions are behaviors that go against the interests of the athlete’s progress. Successfully preparing for pressure demands re-routing poor choices. Athletes and parents are often loyal to their counterproductive behaviors simply because they’ve been doing them for so long.

Basic counterproductive behaviors include tardiness, lack of effort, lack of a developmental plan, indifference, pessimistic dialog, anger outbursts, blaming, and accusing.

I’ve found that athletes who possess these unproductive traits are often facing difficulties away from tennis. In these situations, the dysfunctional behaviors should be referred to medical professionals.

 

Red flags are seen when an athlete’s words don’t match their actions.

Pursue Excellence Versus Perfection

Posted on September 25, 2019 by in Maximizing Tennis Potential, Preparing for Pressure, 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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Pursue Excellence Versus Perfection

 

“Excellence invigorates…Perfectionism demoralizes.”

Perfectionists are motivated over-achievers pushing themselves to the highest standards. They believe their extra attention to detail and long hours of hard work will produce the perfect athlete who can replicate perfection in every performance. These standards are impossible to meet, so these individuals often get caught in a toxic spiral of failure. Loyal to that nurtured perfectionistic view, they suffer needlessly.

To prepare for pressure, it is in these athletes’ best interest to allow a little wiggle room and shift their impossible goal of consistent perfection to consistent excellence. Excellent performance is attained when an athlete plays close to their current peak performance level throughout tournament play.

Striving for tennis perfection has many drawbacks, such as slow cognitive processing speed which leads to hesitation and tight muscle contractions.  This emotional state produces slow racket head speed and poor risk management due to the fear of failure.

 

Top ATP Professionals such as Federer and Nadal routinely win about 53% of the points they play annually. They make mistakes in each match. They don’t need to be perfect, and neither does your athlete.

 

SAMPLE Weekly/Daily Planners -Part 2

Posted on September 23, 2019 by 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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WEEKLY DEVELOPMENTAL PLAN

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WEEKLY DEVELOPMENTAL PLAN
(Hours Per Week)

  

Yours

  

Theirs
1. Off-Court Gym (Core/Upper body) 3
2. Off-Court Cardio (Speed/Stamina) 3
3. Primary Stroke Production 2
4. Secondary Stroke Development 2
5. Pattern Development 2
6. Complete Practice Matches 4
7. Video Analysis 1
8. Audio Tape Visualization (Neuro Priming) 1.5
9. Serving Basket 2
10. Tournament Play 4
                            TOTAL Hours Per Week

 

23.5

The Importance of Proper Breathing Techniques

Posted on September 20, 2019 by 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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The Importance of Proper Breathing Techniques

 

“Proper breathing boosts performance.”

Josh, a witty student of mine said, “Come on Frank! It sounds a bit silly that you are reminding me to breathe.  What next? Reminding me to blink? Look, coach, no offense, but I’ve been breathing my whole life effortlessly!”

Without oxygen freely flowing to the muscles, lungs, and brains of our athlete’s, catastrophe is likely to strike. The following scenarios result when deep breathing routines and rituals are not implemented:

  • Fluid strokes stiffen
  • Athlete’s body tightens up and often cramps
  • Fatigue sets in prematurely
  • Core stability lessens
  • Anxiety levels increase
  • Concentration levels diminish
  • Problem-solving skills decrease

In match play, there are two phases of correct breathing techniques.

 

During Points Phase: Educate the athlete that inhaling begins while tracking the incoming ball and during the coiling phase of the stroke. This energizes the uncoiling links into impact. Exhaling at impact relaxes and loosens their “swoosh” swing, as it grounds the athlete and stabilizes their strike zone.

 

During the Between Points & Changeovers Phase: Educate the athlete to switch their focus on the benefits of applying calming, deep breathing techniques. By slowly breathing through their nose, the athlete will lower their heart rate as they take in greater amounts of oxygen into the bloodstream.

This, of course, provides physical, mental, and emotional benefits such as increased energy, sharper memory recall, relaxed muscle exertions, reduced anxieties, calmer nerves, improved judgment, and decision-making ability.

Breathing properly during match play has emotional benefits as well. Athletes focused on their breathing techniques ward off contaminating anxiety that can creep into an empty mind. Correct breathing significantly improves performance under pressure.

 

Ask your athletes to play a few practice sets while focusing their attention on their breathing techniques. By simply paying attention to correct breathing, they are sure to boosts performance under pressure.

Organize Customized Developmental Plans

Posted on September 18, 2019 by 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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Organize Customized Developmental Plans

 

 “A goal without a deliberate, customized plan …
is just a dream.”

Effective developmental plans are based on the athlete’s competency levels, efficiencies, and deficiencies, as well as long-term career goals.  Self-assessment is often inaccurate, so I recommend enlisting an experienced coach to provide feedback.

Athletes attending school routinely rotate from math to science to English – the school methodology. This structure produces well-rounded adults. Tennis training components are similar to school classes. Preparing for pressure requires the development of each component. Tennis instruction should consist of tennis-specific off-court/athleticism, primary & secondary stroke development, pattern repetition, sets, mental/emotional classroom sessions, match play video analysis, and tournament competition.

 

When a plan is in writing, you have the ability to track and measure the progress and hold the athlete and their entourage accountable for execution. Each plan should include goal dates to measure progress. Plan on revising the athlete’s development plan every 3-6 months.

MENTAL REHEARSALS TO ENHANCE PERFORMANCE

Posted on September 16, 2019 by 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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MENTAL REHEARSALS TO ENHANCE PERFORMANCE

 

 “Desensitize anxieties by applying mental rehearsals.”

One way athletes learn to respond with solutions is through visualization. The use of imagery recreates the positive experiences athletes need when seeking confidence. Overcoming the onslaught of stressors is much easier if the athlete is desensitized to the situation.

Successfully dealing with uncomfortable scenarios in a relaxed environment helps to prepare the warrior for the battle ahead. In the studies of performance psychology, mental rehearsals are proven to facilitate real-time match performance. Neuro Priming for Peak Performance is a dedicated workbook I wrote to assist athletes as they apply customized mental rehearsal scripts. These scripts are then recorded into the athlete’s cell phones and listened to nightly and before competition.

Prepare for pressure by visualizing clean stroke mechanics, millisecond decision making, shot sequencing patterns, and between point rituals, to name a few.

Pre-match visualization desensitizes anxieties and improves performance.