I did interviews with 4 Head Pros in their respective academies. I'm posting some parts of the interviews here because I believe by reading you will learn more about what drives some coaches, their thoughts, and what their views are about parents and young players. Read and enjoy.
What is your name?
Andrew Richardson
How old were you when you started playing tennis?
9 years old
Who was your influence to start playing tennis?
My father and John Mcenroe
Which coach do you remember in the most positive light and why?
The coaches I think had the biggest influence on my tennis career were John Hicks who I worked with from the ages of 14-18,he instilled some good disipline into his players,he was very positive and enthusiastic,he encouraged me a lot and I always enjoyed my time on court with him.The other coach who helped me a lot was David Sammel,he started working with me at a difficult time in my career,I was 22 and not really improving with a ranking in the 400's,he helped develop my game,got me to think differently about the way I approached my tennis and my gamestyle,with him I reached my career high singles ranking of 133ATP.
The best moment of your tennis career?
My proudest moment was representing Great Britain in Davis Cup in which I had my best career win,a five set victory over Byron Black(Zim).
The worst moment of your tennis career?
Wimbledon 1998 against Hitchim Arazi(Morocco),I wasn't enjoying my tennis at the time,if Im honest I didn't do the opportunity justice and played a poor match in the biggest tournament,I decided to stop playing after this match.
Advice for young players?
Try not to make the same mistake twice, top players learn lessons very quickly and move on.
Advice for tennis parents?
Try to behave as neutrally as possible, don't get carried away by the wins and negative about the losses, be supportive, positive and encouraging always!
Advice for new coaches?
Keep it simple, don't try to teach a player too many things at once, set goals with your player and assess them regularly
Thank You Andrew !----------------------------------------------------------------------
What is your name?
Ben Haran
How did you start tennis?
I began by annoying the hell out of my parents by hitting on the wall until the early hours of the morning, after numerous smashed windows and my continued passion, at the age of 7 they decided to take me down to the local sports centre for squads. I played short tennis for a year, and then moved onto real balls where I was integrated into county/regional tennis squads. I remained at home until the summer of 1988 where I was spotted by David Lloyd and invited to trials for the Slater Squad. I was offered a tennis scholarship in the September of that year and I began my journey to become a tennis professional.
Who was your influence to start playing tennis?
My Father was instrumental in my passion for sport as a whole. He came from a sporting background and he made me aware that sport was a fantastic thing and that it would give me many opportunities in life. It wasn’t until watching Boris Becker at Wimbledon 1985 at the age of 7 that I realised the sport I wanted to pursue most of all was tennis.
Which coach do you remember in the most positive light and why?
I had many good coaches that I had huge respect for growing up, the first being Tony Lloyd who coached me from 10-16. I would have to say the coach sticks out most of all for me would be Sean Cole. Unfortunately I only really spent time with Sean towards the end of my career around the age of 20. I was struggling at this stage but Sean was always there to listen and offer positive advice. I remember Sean always making you feel that there was more to life than winning or losing tennis matches and regardless of the outcome there were always things to look forward to. To me Sean was more than just a coach as he dealt with off court issues just the same as on court.
What’s the best moment of your playing career?
I would have to say there are two defining moments. The first one was stepping out onto court 3 at Wimbledon for the Semi of the Junior Doubles. The second I wasn’t really aware of the meaning at the time, but I received a WC into the Nottingham Open ATP event in 2001 and played probably the greatest player we will ever see Roger Federer losing 6-2 6-1. Very one sided but I did manage to break serve!!!
What was the worst moment of your playing career?
After a bad couple of years where my love for the game was still there but the improvement wasn’t, the hardest thing was the realisation that I was not going to achieve my ambition and the time had come to stop competing. To go from having the feeling of chasing a dream from the age of 9-22 then realising for whatever reason you were not good enough was hard and the worst moment for me.
What would be your advice to young players?
Look to develop a consistent work habit every day. Does not matter how talented you are without the right work you will not progress. What you’re capable of achieving is determined by your talent. What you attempt to do is determined by your motivation, but how well you do is determined by your attitude. Always try to take responsibility for your own tennis and never look to blame others; no one can control your attitude but you. Also you must learn to be patient and understand that development is a long process, making a tennis player is a long journey with many ups and downs along the way.
What would be your advice to tennis parents?
The role of a tennis parent in my opinion is vital. You, more than anyone have the most influence on your child’s tennis. If you look at almost any successful player on men’s or women’s circuit there is one parent heavily involved. If you can build a good honest team around a player where the feedback from the coach is being backed up by the parents this is pivotal in a player’s progress.Again be patient and be ready for many ups and downs this is part of any sport in the pursuit of excellence.
What would be your advice to young coaches?
The coach must set the standards that he expects from his players. You can’t expect a player to have excellent attitude and commitment if you’re not prepared to do the same. Pay attention to detail and always be planning ahead. Be aware of the standards outside of your daily training environment, look to challenge the players and see how they handle it.Be patient, a tennis player is not built over night; it’s a long old road!
Thank You Ben !------------------------------------------------------------------------
What is your name?
Toby Smith
How old you were when you started playing tennis?
10 years old
Who was your influence to start playing?
Was inspired by Ivan Lendl initially then major influence was Agassi due to personality and his individuality.
Which coach do you remember in the most positive light and why?
Colin Handbidge as he stuck by me when I was having my tough times.
The best moment of your playing career and why?
Playing at the Estoril Junior Open as it was my first taste of international tennis and made me realise why I was training so hard and why I love the game and continue to do so as a coach now to help players reach their potential too and gain rich experiences....
the worst moment ?No comment ( I SAY -HA HA HA)
Advice for players?
Trust in yourself, your fellow academy players, your coaching team and (of course) your parents!!!
Advice for tennis parents ?
Patience....there is no quick fix and it takes time.
Advice for new coaches ?
Never stop believing that excellence at world level will happen....and patience to make this possible!!
Thank You Toby !-----------------------------------------------------------------------
What is your name?S
imon Harston
How old you were when you started playing tennis?
18 months old
Who was your influence to start playing?
My dad
Which coach do you remember in the most positive light and why?
John Whiteford- invested a huge amount of time and effort in to my tennis over many years. Honourable mention to Phil Lochrie who made the brave decision to change me from a double to a single handed backhand at the age of 15.
The best moment of your playing career and why?
Winning my one and only Futures semi final against Jamie Baker from a set and a break down.
The worst moment?
Realising that my shoulder injury was serious enough to stop me from competing.
Advice for young players?
Take responsibility for your own game and push yourself 100% all the time. And if you stop enjoying the game, then stop playing.
Advice for tennis parents?
Give your child as much responsibility as possible for their tennis.
Advice for new coaches?
Don’t ever think that you know it all.
Thank You Harston !
Showing posts with label General Discussion. Show all posts
Showing posts with label General Discussion. Show all posts
Saturday, February 7, 2009
To coach or not to coach?
I'm wondering if anyone can shed some light on a question:Is it beneficial for young players for the coach or parent to sit on the side on- court and help players when they have a break. The same as in Davis and Fed Cups?What are the pros and what are the cons in your opinion?From a parents' point of view what do you think about this? What do coaches think about that and do they think that this will be beneficial more to the player, coach or parent? I'm going to do my little survey and will come back with my findings.
Tennis Champions, Are They Born or Made?
John Newcombe, former world tennis No 1 and former Australian Davis Cup captain, once said that the top Australian players of his era believed that it was their destiny to become tennis champions. Boris Becker told me that two weeks before achieving his first Wimbledon title (in 1985 when seventeen years old), he felt as if it were predetermined. As a seventeen year old, Ivan Lendl, who, prior to Pete Sampras, held the No 1 spot longer than any other player in history, was convinced that he would turn himself into the best player in the world. He would even tell you so. When asked by the media about his chances of winning his first US Open title (in 1975), Jimmy Connors' response was: "There are 127 losers in the draw -- and me!" Jimmy won. What these former greats had in common was an unshakeable certainty that they would win. It is a trait that is shared by all top sports people. But a question that has always fascinated me is: Are such champions born, or are they made? Were Newcombe, Becker, Lendl and Connors born to rule the tennis world? Or did they become champions because of the choices they made? Was their success predetermined, as suggested by Newcombe and Becker? Or was it a result of a single-minded dedication to making themselves the very best, as implied by Lendl and Connors? Are champions a product of "nature", or of "nurture"? To be a true champion at tennis or any other sport requires very special qualities. These qualities or attributes can be divided into two categories -- the physical and the mental. It is my contention that physical attributes are predominantly a product of chance. They are determined genetically. For instance, some people are born with a body structure conducive to speed, others to strength, and so on. In this sense, a very large proportion of the population are excluded, from birth, from ever winning an Olympic gold medal as a sprinter or a weightlifter. It is the same with tennis. The physical attributes that are required to become a champion player are such things as good hand-eye coordination, quick reflexes, and leg-speed. Without question, these attributes can be developed to their fullest potential with hard work and effective training methods. But most people are excluded from becoming the best tennis player in the world, no matter how much time they spend attempting to reach their physical ceiling of potential. Does this mean, then, that champions are born? Were Newcombe, Becker, Lendl and Connors so physically superior to everyone else that becoming the best was just a mere formality? Certainly not. All four were exceptionally gifted physically, but in my view, there were other players of the same eras who were more gifted than they were. What separated them from everyone else were their mental attributes . . . their will to win, their determination, their perseverance, their ability to remain calm under pressure, their ability to bounce back from disappointments, and the belief that they deserved to win . . . . . . all attributes that not one of us is born with, but that each one of us has the power to develop. The only choice is whether we want to. It is in this sense that, given the necessary or essential physical attributes as a starting point, all champions are not only made -- they are self-made.
Review by Chris Lewis, 1983 Wimbledon finalist and owner of Tennis Experts, the online tennis equipment specialists. http://www.expert-tennis-tips.com/
Review by Chris Lewis, 1983 Wimbledon finalist and owner of Tennis Experts, the online tennis equipment specialists. http://www.expert-tennis-tips.com/
Nightmare tennis parents who don't play ball
Judy Murray tells Mark Hodgkinson about adult faults in junior sport
Never mind the kids; have you seen the parents? On Britain's junior tennis scene, it's not uncommon to see destructive and dysfunctional behaviour.Often it's not the aspiring Wimbledon champions of the future, but their sour-faced parents looking on from the side of the court, who are more deserving of being slapped down with an Asbo.The acting world's notorious "stage mums" often have nothing on "nightmare tennis parents". Every local club or junior tournament will have its "bad dad" or "mad mum": parents who are so hell-bent on their offspring growing up to become tennis stars that they will stop at nothing.Good sense and manners are squelched underfoot, and the ambitious parents usually don't realise what effect they are having on their children. Intimidating their child's opponents during matches; illegally coaching their son or daughter and screaming abuse at them if they lose: it all goes on, and ultimately it's the children who suffer."I have seen parents verbally and physically abuse their own children," Andy Murray's mother, Judy, says. "Probably the worst I ever saw was a father with his 12-year-old daughter outside the hall of an indoor tournament. He had his hand around her throat."She had just lost a match, and the father was clearly not happy about it. He was intimidating and scaring his daughter. I've seen lots of parents screaming or shouting at their kids, or ignoring them, after they've lost a match."That can put huge pressure on kids to win at a stage when the emphasis should be on fun. Most tennis parents are normal, but some lose a sense of perspective."Judy, whose oldest son, Jamie, is the defending Wimbledon mixed doubles champion, said that one of the worst things that parents do at junior level is "trying to intimidate or distract their children's opponents"."It happens quite a lot in the younger age groups, and it's quite sad to see," she says. "You see kids playing in under-10 tournaments, and there will be parents deliberately applauding when their kid's opponent makes a mistake. They call balls out from the sidelines and clap loudly if any shots land close to the lines so the opponent is afraid to call them out."Most junior matches are not umpired so when there is a disputed call, some parents try to influence the outcome, instead of letting the kids sort it out."I remember one parent trying to intimidate Andy in an under-12 boys' doubles match. The dad was applauding Andy's double-faults and shouting loudly. Andy ended up hitting a ball towards him, as if to say, 'Will you just shut up?' I've never got into arguments with other parents. It's not worth it."Judy says that parents must avoid the temptation to illegally coach their children."Some parents send on bottles of water with notes saying things like, 'Hit it to the backhand'," she says. "I've seen parents reading newspapers from behind the court during matches, with instructions written in big bold letters on the back pages. "There are parents who have devised coded signals, so if they scratch their right ear that means serve to the forehand, and if they scratch their left ear that means serving to the backhand."For nightmare tennis parents, the absolute gold standard is still Damir Dokic, a bearded former wrestler and truck driver from Serbia. Jelena Dokic's father was thrown out of a pre-Wimbledon tournament in Birmingham in 1999 after calling members of the tennis club "Nazis who supported the bombing of Yugoslavia". On the same day he was arrested after lying down in a busy road. Here is a man whose temper is beyond volcanic: he shows all the cool and calm of a man who has been gargling magma.His misdemeanours include being forcibly ejected from the US Open after arguing over the price of salmon in the players' restaurant, smashing a journalist's mobile telephone at Wimbledon and claiming that the draw at the Australian Open had been rigged against his daughter.Unsurprisingly, Jelena, who once reached the Wimbledon semi-finals, eventually decided she wanted no more to do with him. She later switched nationality, playing under the Australian flag. Damir threatened to retaliate by dropping a nuclear warhead on Australia.Mary Pierce, a grand slam champion, ended up taking out a restraining order against her father, Jim. He famously called out from the stands during one of her matches: "Go on, Mary, kill the bitch."One great danger that Judy speaks about is parents pushing their children into playing competitive tennis."It's important to know why the child is playing, as it has to be because they love tennis," she says. "Sadly, you do get instances of parents who are living their dreams through their children. The parents didn't get as far as they wanted when they were playing, so they will try to get their kids to win the tournaments for them. At the end of the day, it should all be about the kids."I'm always getting asked if I was a pushy parent. I'll admit I often had to push to make things happen but I never had to push my kids because they always wanted to play."
Read Judy Murray at www.britishtennisparents.com
Are you pushing too hard?
Do you press your nose up against the back-netting of a tennis court, and attempt to intimidate your child's opponent by loudly applauding their mistakes?
Have you devised a secret code to enable you to illegally coach your child during matches?
Do you regularly become involved in disputes over line-calls during your child's matches?
Have you ever chosen to lie about whether a ball has landed in or out?
Does your child look terrified about your reaction after they have lost a match?
Do you feel that you have more riding on your child's results than they do?
Never mind the kids; have you seen the parents? On Britain's junior tennis scene, it's not uncommon to see destructive and dysfunctional behaviour.Often it's not the aspiring Wimbledon champions of the future, but their sour-faced parents looking on from the side of the court, who are more deserving of being slapped down with an Asbo.The acting world's notorious "stage mums" often have nothing on "nightmare tennis parents". Every local club or junior tournament will have its "bad dad" or "mad mum": parents who are so hell-bent on their offspring growing up to become tennis stars that they will stop at nothing.Good sense and manners are squelched underfoot, and the ambitious parents usually don't realise what effect they are having on their children. Intimidating their child's opponents during matches; illegally coaching their son or daughter and screaming abuse at them if they lose: it all goes on, and ultimately it's the children who suffer."I have seen parents verbally and physically abuse their own children," Andy Murray's mother, Judy, says. "Probably the worst I ever saw was a father with his 12-year-old daughter outside the hall of an indoor tournament. He had his hand around her throat."She had just lost a match, and the father was clearly not happy about it. He was intimidating and scaring his daughter. I've seen lots of parents screaming or shouting at their kids, or ignoring them, after they've lost a match."That can put huge pressure on kids to win at a stage when the emphasis should be on fun. Most tennis parents are normal, but some lose a sense of perspective."Judy, whose oldest son, Jamie, is the defending Wimbledon mixed doubles champion, said that one of the worst things that parents do at junior level is "trying to intimidate or distract their children's opponents"."It happens quite a lot in the younger age groups, and it's quite sad to see," she says. "You see kids playing in under-10 tournaments, and there will be parents deliberately applauding when their kid's opponent makes a mistake. They call balls out from the sidelines and clap loudly if any shots land close to the lines so the opponent is afraid to call them out."Most junior matches are not umpired so when there is a disputed call, some parents try to influence the outcome, instead of letting the kids sort it out."I remember one parent trying to intimidate Andy in an under-12 boys' doubles match. The dad was applauding Andy's double-faults and shouting loudly. Andy ended up hitting a ball towards him, as if to say, 'Will you just shut up?' I've never got into arguments with other parents. It's not worth it."Judy says that parents must avoid the temptation to illegally coach their children."Some parents send on bottles of water with notes saying things like, 'Hit it to the backhand'," she says. "I've seen parents reading newspapers from behind the court during matches, with instructions written in big bold letters on the back pages. "There are parents who have devised coded signals, so if they scratch their right ear that means serve to the forehand, and if they scratch their left ear that means serving to the backhand."For nightmare tennis parents, the absolute gold standard is still Damir Dokic, a bearded former wrestler and truck driver from Serbia. Jelena Dokic's father was thrown out of a pre-Wimbledon tournament in Birmingham in 1999 after calling members of the tennis club "Nazis who supported the bombing of Yugoslavia". On the same day he was arrested after lying down in a busy road. Here is a man whose temper is beyond volcanic: he shows all the cool and calm of a man who has been gargling magma.His misdemeanours include being forcibly ejected from the US Open after arguing over the price of salmon in the players' restaurant, smashing a journalist's mobile telephone at Wimbledon and claiming that the draw at the Australian Open had been rigged against his daughter.Unsurprisingly, Jelena, who once reached the Wimbledon semi-finals, eventually decided she wanted no more to do with him. She later switched nationality, playing under the Australian flag. Damir threatened to retaliate by dropping a nuclear warhead on Australia.Mary Pierce, a grand slam champion, ended up taking out a restraining order against her father, Jim. He famously called out from the stands during one of her matches: "Go on, Mary, kill the bitch."One great danger that Judy speaks about is parents pushing their children into playing competitive tennis."It's important to know why the child is playing, as it has to be because they love tennis," she says. "Sadly, you do get instances of parents who are living their dreams through their children. The parents didn't get as far as they wanted when they were playing, so they will try to get their kids to win the tournaments for them. At the end of the day, it should all be about the kids."I'm always getting asked if I was a pushy parent. I'll admit I often had to push to make things happen but I never had to push my kids because they always wanted to play."
Read Judy Murray at www.britishtennisparents.com
Are you pushing too hard?
Do you press your nose up against the back-netting of a tennis court, and attempt to intimidate your child's opponent by loudly applauding their mistakes?
Have you devised a secret code to enable you to illegally coach your child during matches?
Do you regularly become involved in disputes over line-calls during your child's matches?
Have you ever chosen to lie about whether a ball has landed in or out?
Does your child look terrified about your reaction after they have lost a match?
Do you feel that you have more riding on your child's results than they do?
Thursday, November 6, 2008
Local coaches, Local Clubs, Established Coaches, Academies, Federations?
So you have got a talented child. Everyone is telling you he or she can make it to become a pro. And you must make a decision about what to do next. Everyone will tell you it all depends on how much money you have got. How dedicate you are. Are you wiling to take risk?
Should not be that way. Tennis is not ( anymore ) sport for upper class white boys and girls . I agree majority of old stile Couches and some Tennis politicians are still thinking “ If he won’t his child to play Tennis he mast have many “ Nothing can be fare from thru then this statement . From database of yang players that I got 85 % come from ordinary background or even worse. So way is still so difficult and expensive to bring up young players?
Major problem actually lies in difficulty that coaches, managers and academies face of forcing parents of players to honour the contract. The majority of tennis players start their tennis journey very young. So they need help from age 5, 6, or 7 years old. If for example parents of those children sign any kind of contract with a coach, manager or academy when the time comes to pick the fruit of the hard work parents can simply rip up the contract without any sort of consequences. So the academy, coach, or manager invest a huge amount of work and money in the player from age 6 to 16 years old thinking that they will have their money back by taking a percentage from endorsements and sponsorships that the player will have once they become a professional or earlier. That coach, manager or academy can not protect themselves from being dropped before the 16th birthday by the player and his or her parents without receiving any money back whatsoever. Kornicova did this to IMG, sister Williams’ to Ricki Macci, Henman to David Lloyd and many more. Because of that to the time that the law changes it’s going to be wary difficult to mace couches, academies or menageries to trust parents of young players. We should really follow rules of football clubs and there academy contracts.
So until that time comes we should learn how to survive the upbringing of young tennis players.
Local Coaches
Very important part of grass- roots tennis and making tennis more accessible to the masses. But there is a limit to where the local coach can take your child. If your child is one of these characters who like to change things that they want to be in life and their emigrating from the football player, to basketball player, to handball player, to a singer, back to being tennis player the local coach is the best thing for your child. And you never know maybe one day they will stick with tennis and you can then take step 2.
Local Clubs
The 2nd step of tennis life; Your child will be exposed to natural selection without protection. Local Clubs don’t have money or manpower to make a bespoke program to suit your child. Their main concern is to cater for every member of the club. To participate in locally organised tournaments, usually organised by the Federation. They need to make the federation happy and “show them numbers” because the Federation is where they get their main finance from. They don’t need one Nadal only in their club; they need 100 little players on their books. It’s a very important part for you and your child there. You will learn what “Tennis Parent” means. Start living with your first frustrations; learn that your child is not the best in the world and that really the Head Coach of the club does not have “all the time in the world” just for your child. The reality of tennis has now arrived in your life.
Established Coaches
Oh come on! Do you really think that famous and established coaches will dedicate themselves to a boy or girl of 7 or 8 years old? If you consider that the price per hour for a famous coach is 300 euros or more do you really think that they will drop that because of the dream that one day your child will be a Grand Slam winner? Don’t be fooled by some posts in U Tube and personal websites where you can see a young child playing with a famous coach that, that is an everyday equation. The parents of those children paid a lot of money for that day with that top coach. That will actually damage sponsorship possibilities for your child and make you look really… I will talk about this in more detail in future articles.
Academies
If you are careful in choosing the right academy for your child you and your child can not lose out by joining the academy. With tennis programs all good academies will give you an academic program. It’s much easier to achieve sponsorship if your child is a full member of a recognised academy. Don’t forget sponsors or people who make decisions for the sponsors are usually businessmen/ women or marketing and PR people. Their backgrounds come from usually Colleges and Universities and they understand Institutions. So they would much rather give money to an academy then to private people like parents. The most important point is that sponsors don’t want to be seen sponsoring very young children, (they will be eaten alive by the media for exploitation) so if they like certain young players they can always make a deal with the academy or manager of the player that sponsorship will be received by the child and their parents indirectly through the academy or manager. It’s a very complex system that I will try to simplify further in future articles.
Federations
Very important part of your tennis life. Not many federations can boast that they produced many very successful players through their system. But do not forget they are people with money and power. Always try to have a good relationship with the federation of your child but don’t go to deep. Take what you can and stay away from their day to day suggestions of “how to” raise and coach a young player. They are politicians at the end of the day and they gain and lose power quickly. So don’t tie yourselves with any of them because you never know how long they will stay in their positions.
Should not be that way. Tennis is not ( anymore ) sport for upper class white boys and girls . I agree majority of old stile Couches and some Tennis politicians are still thinking “ If he won’t his child to play Tennis he mast have many “ Nothing can be fare from thru then this statement . From database of yang players that I got 85 % come from ordinary background or even worse. So way is still so difficult and expensive to bring up young players?
Major problem actually lies in difficulty that coaches, managers and academies face of forcing parents of players to honour the contract. The majority of tennis players start their tennis journey very young. So they need help from age 5, 6, or 7 years old. If for example parents of those children sign any kind of contract with a coach, manager or academy when the time comes to pick the fruit of the hard work parents can simply rip up the contract without any sort of consequences. So the academy, coach, or manager invest a huge amount of work and money in the player from age 6 to 16 years old thinking that they will have their money back by taking a percentage from endorsements and sponsorships that the player will have once they become a professional or earlier. That coach, manager or academy can not protect themselves from being dropped before the 16th birthday by the player and his or her parents without receiving any money back whatsoever. Kornicova did this to IMG, sister Williams’ to Ricki Macci, Henman to David Lloyd and many more. Because of that to the time that the law changes it’s going to be wary difficult to mace couches, academies or menageries to trust parents of young players. We should really follow rules of football clubs and there academy contracts.
So until that time comes we should learn how to survive the upbringing of young tennis players.
Local Coaches
Very important part of grass- roots tennis and making tennis more accessible to the masses. But there is a limit to where the local coach can take your child. If your child is one of these characters who like to change things that they want to be in life and their emigrating from the football player, to basketball player, to handball player, to a singer, back to being tennis player the local coach is the best thing for your child. And you never know maybe one day they will stick with tennis and you can then take step 2.
Local Clubs
The 2nd step of tennis life; Your child will be exposed to natural selection without protection. Local Clubs don’t have money or manpower to make a bespoke program to suit your child. Their main concern is to cater for every member of the club. To participate in locally organised tournaments, usually organised by the Federation. They need to make the federation happy and “show them numbers” because the Federation is where they get their main finance from. They don’t need one Nadal only in their club; they need 100 little players on their books. It’s a very important part for you and your child there. You will learn what “Tennis Parent” means. Start living with your first frustrations; learn that your child is not the best in the world and that really the Head Coach of the club does not have “all the time in the world” just for your child. The reality of tennis has now arrived in your life.
Established Coaches
Oh come on! Do you really think that famous and established coaches will dedicate themselves to a boy or girl of 7 or 8 years old? If you consider that the price per hour for a famous coach is 300 euros or more do you really think that they will drop that because of the dream that one day your child will be a Grand Slam winner? Don’t be fooled by some posts in U Tube and personal websites where you can see a young child playing with a famous coach that, that is an everyday equation. The parents of those children paid a lot of money for that day with that top coach. That will actually damage sponsorship possibilities for your child and make you look really… I will talk about this in more detail in future articles.
Academies
If you are careful in choosing the right academy for your child you and your child can not lose out by joining the academy. With tennis programs all good academies will give you an academic program. It’s much easier to achieve sponsorship if your child is a full member of a recognised academy. Don’t forget sponsors or people who make decisions for the sponsors are usually businessmen/ women or marketing and PR people. Their backgrounds come from usually Colleges and Universities and they understand Institutions. So they would much rather give money to an academy then to private people like parents. The most important point is that sponsors don’t want to be seen sponsoring very young children, (they will be eaten alive by the media for exploitation) so if they like certain young players they can always make a deal with the academy or manager of the player that sponsorship will be received by the child and their parents indirectly through the academy or manager. It’s a very complex system that I will try to simplify further in future articles.
Federations
Very important part of your tennis life. Not many federations can boast that they produced many very successful players through their system. But do not forget they are people with money and power. Always try to have a good relationship with the federation of your child but don’t go to deep. Take what you can and stay away from their day to day suggestions of “how to” raise and coach a young player. They are politicians at the end of the day and they gain and lose power quickly. So don’t tie yourselves with any of them because you never know how long they will stay in their positions.
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