Recently I wrote a post on this site titled 'Tennis Season' and it was all about having a bit of a light hearted dig at the Industry we call 'Tennis Coaching'.
It is an industry where some rather humorous stories emerge, time after time, season after season.
You see it's all about the ego as self importance in a sport such as tennis is apparently a necessity for success. It has to be as hourly price tags to learn a sport as 'elite' as tennis are now in line with car mechanics, fridge and freezer repairmen and plumbers.
Not sure about you but I would like a guarantee from all of the above mentioned that my house hold goods plus my car will in fact be repaired for that sort of price.
As they say however, each to their own, many believe they are worth it, many believe they are entitled to that sort of money per hour but get a grip, so to speak, it's only tennis you are 'teaching'.
Ego has been around since day 1, some of my tennis heroes owned egos bigger than most yet I loved those guys all the same, they inspired me to play.
Jimmy Connors and Andre Agassi to name two.
Now these guys as we know didn't really get along too well however I always felt that Andre's description of Jimmy in his book titled 'Open' was in fact a little harsh.
'Egotist'.
That's what Andre thought of Jimmy which I felt was a bit like the terminology 'the pot calling the kettle black' as Andre once starred in a Nike commercial stating 'Image is everything'.
You have to own an ego to agree to that, no risk whatsoever.
As far as 'Jimbo' was concerned, well maybe he was an 'egotist' though if I was to rate all of my past tennis heroes I will put him in my top 5, he was brilliant. I just have trouble dealing with fellow tennis pros saying that others are, even if they are one themselves, if you get my drift.
Roger Federer was asked once about his own mortality and he came back with an answer something along the lines of 'I still believe I have these young guys under control'. Egotistical ? Absolutely.
I suppose we see these type of players talk and we read their books where we learn that their self importance tag is of epic proportions so if we are that way inclined we may just absorb a bit of their confidence.
I suppose there is nothing wrong with that but as I have stated, it's tennis guys, not boxing, it's a sport that for some players requires a wipe with a towel after EVERY point.
Get a grip.
I see and read things through the tennis coaching industry that makes me laugh so hard that I have to sit down yet it's all through ego, not who they really are as some are actually nice people.
The rest ? Well they are just egotists.
I once read that a 'Zen Master' was so 'busy' that they had a long, long waiting list for lessons so 'join the queue please, we will get to you as soon as we can'. ( Sort of like when you call Telstra regarding a fault with your phone ).
I was rather inquisitive regarding their 'busy ness' so I made a call.
'Gday I am chasing a tennis lesson, any spots available' ?
Sure what time and day ?
'How's today and tomorrow sound, can you give me some times please that you are available ' ?
So the 'Zen Master rattled off many, many times that were available in their rather 'busy program' that apparently had a waiting list as long as the local main street.
Interesting isn't it ?
Was it factual that they had a busy program or was it just the ego that believed they should be that busy and the public should be rather 'privileged' to in fact be on that 'waiting list'.
Sort of like the old chestnut 'Hurry, limited spots available'.
Bullshit, you just love the attention and the 'dollar meter' running at a pace that Usain Bolt would be proud of.
Tennis season is not even half way through and I have read some rippers already, there's plenty more to come.
Spare a thought for the boxer who gets beaten from one side of the boxing ring to the other yet can only wipe his sweat and blood off after each round when the bell goes.
A tennis player can get aced and still ask for the towel. Funny stuff.
Tennis, ego and self importance, there may just be a common link......
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