I heard recently that a top junior was doing everything possible to get their standard to the 'REQUIRED,' to make it count. Quite incredible the lengths some people go to and the money that changes hands to try to get to the 'standard required'. I hear it regularly now days that parents pay kids to hit with their's, so why has it got to this ? What's wrong with a weekly Round Robin singles comp at the local club or are parents just being too choosy as to who is good enough to hit with their 'prodigy'? As a 14 and 15 year old I would grab a mate and play best of 5 sets , we didn't care who won , i remember winning once 6-1, 6-1, 6-1 , so what ? we played 21 games , that's still a lot of tennis , why doesn't it happen now days ? I don't remember the last time i spoke to a parent or child that gave me the answer i really want to hear 'Hey Glenn i played best of 3 sets two days ago , it was great , it taught me that there is more to the game than you feeding me tennis balls'! Silly isn't it ? The fact that i would prefer a kid to go and 'nut the game out' than rely on a bloke with a hat and a qualification to hit them balls and say 'great shot buddy , you are on the move , keep it up'. Is it as i have eluded to many times , the sign of the times ? 'This guy is charging $70 per hour' (or in some cases , more ), 'he must be good'. Sad but a reality , litigation kicked in quite some time ago , and just as Mechanics regularly try to justify their existence, it's what the public is simply 'used to now days'. My mechanic is a guy who works part time , i trust him , so does my car , it hasn't missed a beat , he charges me $50 an hour , he is one of the most experienced mechanics in town , do i think less of him for charging less ? I respect him more , he knows he does a great job , he knows that i know , his flow of customers is constant , smart man . Do i have a point ?
Use your initiative as a consumer , a Tennis Coach only does so much , if he or she is any good he will give you some good advice , this is what i say 'I can give you 4 lessons a week if you like but it isn't going to make you a great tennis player , think outside the square. I will give you a technique lesson once a week , i will also give you a drills session but what i really want you to do is PLAY THE GAME , as best that you can for another two days of the week . The other days i want you to both rest and also do some sprinting up hills , get the legs strong , but find a day or two for a mate , live a little , after all you are playing a game that has a strike rate of success of 1 in a million' . If you are unsure of your child's potential , have a look at a kid by the name of Yovan Lambros play on You Tube , he is 12 , he is simply brilliant , he must have a fantastic program .
The problem with being this good at this age is pretty straight forward . He devotes all his time to a sport that is quite frankly pretty tough to master , it's not like a team sport where the work load is shared . While Yovan's mates are having a bit of a blast at the training centre for basketball or footy , he is trying to beat the only other kid within 60 feet of him into a pulp . Personally, I teach the game to 'fulfill a pupil's potential' , other's teach it to drag the process on as long as they possibly can to drain their student's parent's bank account. It's a tough sport Tennis , but you don't have to pay your friend's kids to hit and play sets with your child to try to get them up to speed , you just simply have to use your initiative. There are no guarantees in the game of Tennis , let your kid develop , if they have the talent it will show , help them grab a mate , play 5 sets , nut the game out. I recently watched my son's inter school running carnival , fair dinkum some of those kids could run , the talent was amazing , how many will become the next Usain Bolt ? You do the sums .......
Let them fulfill their potential ,after that anything can happen , don't push it , most importantly though, let them live a little......
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