Christian Harrison must be proud

[JLyon]

Glad to see the future of American tennis is following in Roddick's fit throwing footsteps at the young age of 14.
http://sports.yahoo.com/ten/news;_ylt=AkdYYwroI.gVxmx85zJ_yLI4v7YF?slug=ap-usopen-sucharacket&prov=ap&type=lgns

Then there was Chris Harrison.

He slung so many rackets during a first-round loss that a tennis official was dispatched to Harrison’s court with a message: Stop! You’re damaging the signs of the corporate sponsors!


Oh, by the way—Harrison is 14, and was playing in the junior event.


Not a good way to make a name for yourself.

[Fred]

Did you read this part?

"They certainly didn’t show the decorum of Roger Federer—funny thing, he flashed quite a temper as a teen and was known for tossing rackets.

Lots of them."

It looks like Harrison is following in Federer's footsteps as well. In fact, he's following in the footsteps of a lot of players. Like it or not, it's common. Fortunately, most players mature and do it less when they become pros. Funny how that works, huh? He's 14; give him a break.

[BradBaughman]

my son was playing a tournament dropped his racket. didn't throw, didn't slam it "dropped" his racket in disgust after losing a rally ,he was winning the match and a few points later missed and overhead and shrugged his shoulders in and "i dont care attitude" and was removed from the match.

NO we don't give them a break at 14!! we show them a removal from the court and teach them to respect the court and all in attendance , its to bad these parents are more worried about a win verses their child's character!!

[Fred]

Frankly I think it's ridiculous that your son was disqualified for that. However, a parent certainly should correct inappropriate behavior, and hopefully someone talks to Christian about that. But to start a thread criticizing the kid for it is a bit much. I also don't agree with the impication that how he conducts himself now is a reliable indicator of he's going to conduct himself as an adult. Just look at Federer. Even the TV commentators mentioned how Federer was known for having quite a temper as a junior. While I'll agree that his parents and coaches should try to nip it in the bud now, chances are he'll mature significantly between now and when he's an adult even without much intervention. Additionally, it should be acknowledged that this happens all the time, especially in junior tennis. It's not exactly noteworthy that Christian Harrison did it.

[BradBaughman]

Frankly I think it's ridiculous that your son was disqualified for that. However, a parent certainly should correct inappropriate behavior, and hopefully someone talks to Christian about that. But to start a thread criticizing the kid for it is a bit much. I also don't agree with the impication that how he conducts himself now is a reliable indicator of he's going to conduct himself as an adult. Just look at Federer. Even the TV commentators mentioned how Federer was known for having quite a temper as a junior. While I'll agree that his parents and coaches should try to nip it in the bud now, chances are he'll mature significantly between now and when he's an adult even without much intervention. Additionally, it should be acknowledged that this happens all the time, especially in junior tennis. It's not exactly noteworthy that Christian Harrison did it.

My wife was the one who pulled him out of the match not and umpire we would be happy if the ref's were that on it !!

we watch these kids play a sport that has had it's history rooted in "etiquette" and were watching a generation of kids destroy it because their parents don't have the backbone to stand for what's right!

are son is very competitive and would have broken a 100 rackets by now ,, we just love him to much to allow him to shame himself, our family, or the sport!!

[SoCal10s]

[QUOTE=Fred;2680776]Frankly I think it's ridiculous that your son was disqualified for that. However, a parent certainly should correct inappropriate behavior, and hopefully someone talks to Christian about that. But to start a thread criticizing the kid for it is a bit much.

you didn't read it right.. he pulled his son out and defaulted him... not the referee... great job Brad... I'm known to do the same thing at times,but now I'm getting a bit soft in my old age...

[verdasco]

What?!

I watched that ENTIRE match (I was at the US Open). Christian didn't throw his racquet once. I do remember him hit his racquet against one of the corporate logos, but only once. It was a George Forman logo to be exact.

[BradBaughman]

Fred to be clear my son's a hot head but you would never know it we did start nipping it early ,,he wants to go pro and when he does we want him successful .

[BradBaughman]

[QUOTE=Fred;2680776]Frankly I think it's ridiculous that your son was disqualified for that. However, a parent certainly should correct inappropriate behavior, and hopefully someone talks to Christian about that. But to start a thread criticizing the kid for it is a bit much.

you didn't read it right.. he pulled his son out and defaulted him... not the referee... great job Brad... I'm known to do the same thing at times,but now I'm getting a bit soft in my old age...

my son want mom to stay home sometimes she no nonsense i can allow a little leeway, i think i might have given a pass on dropping it lol.And in the end he's a big mamas boy and i get left out in the cold lol

[Fred]

My wife was the one who pulled him out of the match not and umpire we would be happy if the ref's were that on it !!

we watch these kids play a sport that has had it's history rooted in "etiquette" and were watching a generation of kids destroy it because their parents don't have the backbone to stand for what's right!

are son is very competitive and would have broken a 100 rackets by now ,, we just love him to much to allow him to shame himself, our family, or the sport!!

Well it's more understandable if it was your wife, although I still think it's an overreaction. If it had been a tournament official, he definitely would have been overstepping his bounds. (Obviously you disagree.)

I have to say that I think you're getting carried away. Do you remove your son from matches if he yells out in frustration? What if he complains about a line call by the other player (or an umpire if there is one)? What if he shakes his head? What if he has a negative facial expression or demonstrates other negative body language (aside from shrugging his shoulders)? Where do you draw the line? And for how long will you continue to do this? Will you yank him from a match when he's 17? I'm not sure that most kids would respond better to that than if you waited until after the match to talk about it.

We have very different views on this. Every player has probably slammed his racket. You think they've all their families and the sport? You think its destroying the game? That's being melodramatic.

While it's clearly preferable for a player to possess self-restraint, it's not the end of the world. The biggest downside to me is that the lack of self-control that it reflects hurts a player's performance and encourages the opponent. You're better off if you can control your emotions. On the other hand, if you can't, venting your frustration probably does help players. The key is to control your emotions to the point that you don't feel compelled to throw your racket. And certainly you can embarrass yourself if you do it often (though "shame" is too strong a description for me).

As for this generation destroying the game with their etiquette, do the names John McEnroe and Jimmy Connors ring a bell? They didn't destroy the game, did they? Hell, people loved them! Myself included. They (especially McEnroe) certainly went overboard at times, but I don't share your outrage about it. Perhaps it ruins the game for you, but it's apparently not a big deal to most fans.

[Fred]

What?!

I watched that ENTIRE match (I was at the US Open). Christian didn't throw his racquet once. I do remember him hit his racquet against one of the corporate logos, but only once. It was a George Forman logo to be exact.

You mean that a journalist embellished the facts? Nah! Seriously, thanks for the clarification. Shoddy journalism drives me nuts.

[BradBaughman]

Well it's more understandable if it was your wife, although I still think it's an overreaction. If it had been a tournament official, he definitely would have been overstepping his bounds. (Obviously you disagree.)

I have to say that I think you're getting carried away. Do you remove your son from matches if he yells out in frustration? What if he complains about a line call by the other player (or an umpire if there is one)? What if he shakes his head? What if he has a negative facial expression or demonstrates other negative body language (aside from shrugging his shoulders)? Where do you draw the line? And for how long will you continue to do this? Will you yank him from a match when he's 17? I'm not sure that most kids would respond better to that than if you waited until after the match to talk about it.

We have very different views on this. Every player has probably slammed his racket. You think they've all their families and the sport? You think its destroying the game? That's being melodramatic.

While it's clearly preferable for a player to possess self-restraint, it's not the end of the world. The biggest downside to me is that the lack of self-control that it reflects hurts a player's performance and encourages the opponent. You're better off if you can control your emotions. On the other hand, if you can't, venting your frustration probably does help players. The key is to control your emotions to the point that you don't feel compelled to throw your racket. And certainly you can embarrass yourself if you do it often (though "shame" is too strong a description for me).

As for this generation destroying the game with their etiquette, do the names John McEnroe and Jimmy Connors ring a bell? They didn't destroy the game, did they? Hell, people loved them! Myself included. They (especially McEnroe) certainly went overboard at times, but I don't share your outrage about it. Perhaps it ruins the game for you, but it's apparently not a big deal to most fans.

i think our standards are different ,, i think Mac dropping the F-bomb in front of women and "children" is a disgrace nothing to be noted worthy of unless this is the language you use with your own kids, i would hope you don't !!! as for where we draw the line our son he knows the rules and where we stand, he crosses them, their consequences and that is across the board even with his schooling, chores ect.

Donald Young threw a racket out of a stadium "i heard" had it struck you or your child would you rejoice or share my outrage??just a thought!!

[BradBaughman]

Fred heading to bed have a goodnite talk soon!!!

[SoCal10s]

As for this generation destroying the game with their etiquette, do the names John McEnroe and Jimmy Connors ring a bell? They didn't destroy the game, did they? Hell, people loved them! Myself included. They (especially McEnroe) certainly went overboard at times, but I don't share your outrage about it. Perhaps it ruins the game for you, but it's apparently not a big deal to most fans.[/QUOTE]

well most Americans loved fans loved them because they won,people loved the way they played and performed,not the way the acted like idiots..they didn't do the gentleman's game too good... look at all the spoiled tennis brats that came out of it... I can tell you,those guys gave Americans a lot bad rap as how the rest of the world saw Americans...if you say that's fine ,so be it.. but as an American, I wouldn't say John McEnroe made me proud to be an American...

[Fred]

i think our standards are different ,, i think Mac dropping the F-bomb in front of women and "children" is a disgrace nothing to be noted worthy of unless this is the language you use with your own kids, i would hope you don't !!! as for where we draw the line our son he knows the rules and where we stand, he crosses them, their consequences and that is across the board even with his schooling, chores ect.

Donald Young threw a racket out of a stadium "i heard" had it struck you or your child would you rejoice or share my outrage??just a thought!!

Throwing the racket out of the stands is completely unacceptable, but that's a lot different than slamming one's racket into the ground. You could hurt somebody doing that. Dropping the F-bomb loud enough for the audience to hear is inappropriate and unprofessional. A disgrace? I wouldn't go that far. There could be mitigating factors. Regardless, McEnroe was great.

I'd be interested in knowing what those lines are, but if you don't want to specify, that's your prerogative.

[Fred]

well most Americans loved fans loved them because they won,people loved the way they played and performed,not the way the acted like idiots..they didn't do the gentleman's game too good... look at all the spoiled tennis brats that came out of it... I can tell you,those guys gave Americans a lot bad rap as how the rest of the world saw Americans...if you say that's fine ,so be it.. but as an American, I wouldn't say John McEnroe made me proud to be an American...

I think a lot of people actually did enjoy their personalities. They were entertaining and, in a way, refreshing, though McEnroe went off the deep end at times in ways that were hard to defend. But the emotion they played with was great. I'm not ashamed to say that I'm a fan, but I acknowledge that McEnroe in particular had some regrettable moments.

In any event, their conduct didn't seem to turn fans off of tennis, and whatever effect it's having on today's fans is negligible.

[JLyon]

well when you have America's Top Player basically saying it is ok to smash rackets with consequences, then you're going to have a new generation of abrasive, intimidation seeking players because they follow what the pros do. Yes it was harsh bringing CH up but in an article focusing on the pros and a 14 y.o shows up, that does not speak to highly of him outside of his obviously good game.

[LeftyServe]

Wayne Bryan tells a story about an early match (9 yrs. old) with one of the twins (Can't remember whether it was Bob or Mike) who began storming around the court, etc. He waited until the twin got to a point where he was about to win the match, and then pulled him.

We also all know the story about Bjorn Borg being banned from his club at age 12 for six months for bad behavior.

In my own experience: my son (8 yrs.) was playing the son and grandson of former high-level pros. The kid (9 yrs.) threw a fit in the second game, and his mom -- without hesitation, without second chances -- went immediately to the tournament director and defaulted him. Like Brad B above, she said it's got to be nipped at an early age, and it's not just about etiquette and respect for the opponent, it's about the kid's ability to focus and control his mind and emotions. Connors and McEnroe are the only two who have seem to have used the temper tantrum to improve their focus. But Borg needed that control, and that harsh lesson he got at age 12 was necessary....

In my own kid's situation, so far he can deal pretty decently on-court, but he's extremely competitive, hates to lose or "play badly", and after his last tournament match, very close, losing in a tiebreak after he was up, wouldn't shake the opponent's hand...this had never happened before, the kid was even a friend of his. We banned him from tournaments for a month..I think we had to. But he still can't express why he didn't want to shake hands...It's tough for the kids - even we as adults have difficulty controlling and understanding our emotions - but the standards have to be set high.

[JLyon]

Brad/Lefty:

thanks for making such choices that will help your kids in the long run, wish more parents would follow this approach. Instead after working the National 12's the last 2 years, I have left embarrassed at the way some parents allow their children to act and also how they treat their kids like pieces of meat to live their dreams out.

[SoCal10s]

I think a lot of people actually did enjoy their personalities. They were entertaining and, in a way, refreshing, though McEnroe went off the deep end at times in ways that were hard to defend. But the emotion they played with was great. I'm not ashamed to say that I'm a fan, but I acknowledge that McEnroe in particular had some regrettable moments.

In any event, their conduct didn't seem to turn fans off of tennis, and whatever effect it's having on today's fans is negligible.

I think it's ok to be a fan or appreciate what J.Mac did with his tennis racket,but I hope you don't let your kids do that crazy antics that made JMac infamous..when people think about JMac what is the first thing they say... "that he's a brat" so and so then-- he was a great tennis pro...
people watched JMac waiting for a disaster to happen and most of the time they got what they wished for...

as JMac fans got older and older,they had kids and those kids played tennis.. and the kids acts like Jmac and they don't say anything.... so now we have a bunch of crybabies throwing rackets(like C.Harrison in the article,I can't say if he's like that for real),cursing and acting JMac...and the parents don't say much because they have the "win at all cost attitude,and it's "entertaining" and it's "refreshing" '-- well to a lot of mature adults it's disgusting and it stinks...
when I see all this kind of stuff in a tournament I report it to an USTA official and they are suppose to take care of this stuff... if it happens with my kids,there's no second chance--out for the tournament...
Tennis is tennis but there are bigger and more important things to achieve in life than hitting a better tennis ball,even at the world class level...
I've seen C.Harrison play and in my opinion,he's the NEXT great American tennis player,better than his brother.. I really hope he can change his way and do the right thing...we don't need crazy little JMac .. we need more R-Feds,Pete Sampras,Borg,Nadal.. guys who can let their rackets do the talking..

[BradBaughman]

Brad/Lefty:

thanks for making such choices that will help your kids in the long run, wish more parents would follow this approach. Instead after working the National 12's the last 2 years, I have left embarrassed at the way some parents allow their children to act and also how they treat their kids like pieces of meat to live their dreams out.

thanx! its not easy going against the grain but well worth it ,,some of the people now involved with my sons tennis said they were impressed with his control and dicipline on the court, he still a boy but weve already mapped out what we want to happen in the future and acting like and idiot is not part of it.

[Fintendo]

Yeah I wished I'd learbt that lesson earlier. It's one of those things that unless you nip it in the bud it will grow and grow until it turns into a bad habit and a tough one to rid. Well done for showing some discipline I'm 16 now and still feel the old feelings from when I was 12 well up when I'm on court.

[Daniel68]

Yesterday when Ryan Harrison lost to Ryne Williams, Ryan and Ryne both threw their racquets every five miniutes, and Ryan Harrison actually broke one. Umpire gave him a point penalty

[Michael Bluth]

Christian put up a very good match against Llompart, a player four years older than him, much bigger and stronger, who took Ryan to 3 sets at KZoo.

What did you see in him that makes him potentially better than his brother Socal?

[Daniel68]

Christian put up a very good match against Llompart, a player four years older than him, much bigger and stronger, who took Ryan to 3 sets at KZoo.

What did you see in him that makes him potentially better than his brother Socal?

I also saw Henri Kontien play Llompart. Kontien played really well. I saw Christian looking from the stands, and hitting.

[JMS]

Glad to see the future of American tennis is following in Roddick's fit throwing footsteps at the young age of 14.
http://sports.yahoo.com/ten/news;_ylt=AkdYYwroI.gVxmx85zJ_yLI4v7YF?slug=ap-usopen-sucharacket&prov=ap&type=lgns

Then there was Chris Harrison.

He slung so many rackets during a first-round loss that a tennis official was dispatched to Harrison’s court with a message: Stop! You’re damaging the signs of the corporate sponsors!


Oh, by the way—Harrison is 14, and was playing in the junior event.


Not a good way to make a name for yourself.

It was not that bad I was there to watch the entire match. He dropped it on purpose from time to time, but that was just after big points and he was frustrated becasue he had a chance to beat a much more experienced player in Alex Llompart.

[SoCal10s]

What did you see in him that makes him potentially better than his brother Socal?[/QUOTE]

CH has better tennis instincts,he is short now but he will most likely be as tall as his brother with much more mature game... he can pass and and play defense and already comes to net(being so short)..he has a good feel for when to do things and doesn't get desperate going for crazy shots like his brother...he has good touch and knows how to use the whole court,moving his opponent around until he's ready for the kill.... good enough for the NEXT American champion? I think so...but being from Texas might set back a bit...

[Michael Bluth]

What did you see in him that makes him potentially better than his brother Socal?

CH has better tennis instincts,he is short now but he will most likely be as tall as his brother with much more mature game... he can pass and and play defense and already comes to net(being so short)..he has a good feel for when to do things and doesn't get desperate going for crazy shots like his brother...he has good touch and knows how to use the whole court,moving his opponent around until he's ready for the kill.... good enough for the NEXT American champion? I think so...but being from Texas might set back a bit...[/QUOTE]

What's bad about Texas? Isn't it a pretty good tennis state, up there with Cali and Florida? I'm just curious.

[tenniscrazed]

Pulling them out only teaches that when the going gets tough they can get agro and parents will end the pain by taking them out of the match. Sorry wrong message. That is why many kids are allowed a little leeway. They have to have the burning desire, what they need to learn is the ability to maintain self control. Not control from their parents. If the ref codes, then defs fine they've learned from the ref. But taking them out of a match is the wrong lesson. They WILL become tankers when the going gets tough. Look at some kids results where they've lost the first bad and down the second early. They tank and injure out or Def (admin) dad took him out...AGAIN.

[BradBaughman]

Pulling them out only teaches that when the going gets tough they can get agro and parents will end the pain by taking them out of the match. Sorry wrong message. That is why many kids are allowed a little leeway. They have to have the burning desire, what they need to learn is the ability to maintain self control. Not control from their parents. If the ref codes, then defs fine they've learned from the ref. But taking them out of a match is the wrong lesson. They WILL become tankers when the going gets tough. Look at some kids results where they've lost the first bad and down the second early. They tank and injure out or Def (admin) dad took him out...AGAIN.

for some this may be true but the elite it will lite a fire that will burn even hotter and again it depends on the kid, 3 different times my son was winning the match and the pain of being pulled caused him to work harder and after being pulled the next few tourny's win or lose he's come off talking about what he's done right and wrong it works well!

[BradBaughman]

I'd be interested in knowing what those lines are, but if you don't want to specify, that's your prerogative."quote from Fred"

we expect self-control and as his parent we enforce it, it's our duty!!

Fred so many pro's the Fed for instance said he saw a thing on him breaking rackets vs.safin and decided that wasn't going to be him and low and behold 12 GS later think had his parents nipped it earlier!

what we do is look all around and what everyone blushes at we don't do and when it starts to show up he gets a warning then a removal.It's something most parents only wished they could do but society makes it as though the kids are in charge and if you stand against their ridicules behavior your gonna hurt their self esteem or break a law . You wont you will make them a better person and then a great competitor, my kids living proof

[Swissv2]

One of the best ways to keep one's kid from acting in such a way from the beginning is not only to be stern, but for the parents to demonstrate their support for the kid whether they win or lose.

I have seen many parents get "angry" at their kids for being upset and yanks the kid out, yelling at them to "calm down". This does not work because the kid will only suppress their anger when the parents are around, and will let it "all out" when the parents are not around.

Parents who are stern, but generally supportive whether their kids win or lose get the best response. To accomplish this, first a parent MUST allow their kids to vent frustration, but there are ground rules. First, no explitives. Second, no destruction of personal or other property (racquets, etc). Third, no ill intent to anyone else. The kids will, in turn, respect what their parents are teaching them for the most part, those kids are the ones who don't act up too much when the parents are not there. If at the end of the day, the kid knows their parents are fine whether they win or lose - and have followed the guidelines, then the kid become much more comfortable and follow directions.

My 2 cents.

[SoCal10s]

What's bad about Texas? Isn't it a pretty good tennis state, up there with Cali and Florida? I'm just curious.[/QUOTE]


I knew I get someone to jump all over this... just like Roddick,too much hard nose ,hard head,gun slinging shoot'em up cowboy attitude.. look at BuSh(it) one needs to sometimes step back,adjust,adapt,reload, aim with intent,then fire... Texas macho-man are just too narrow-minded to 'accept the things I cannot change…
have courage to change the things I can, and wisdom to know the difference.."

[xnarek]

I think Harrison will grow up and lose the anger. The most i did to my racquet when i was Really mad was scratch it to the clay.

[OleNole]

THE STORY WASN'T TRUE!!!!

http://tenniskalamazoo.blogspot.com/2008/09/ap-retracts-account-of-christian.html

Correction: US Open-Such a Racket story

Sep 8, 5:34 pm EDT

NEW YORK (AP)—In a Sept. 4 story about players at the U.S. Open abusing their rackets, The Associated Press reported erroneously that a tennis official told junior player Chris(sic) Harrison to stop hitting the sponsors’ signs. No such warning was issued to Harrison, nor was there any warning or penalty for throwing rackets.

[flat]

First time poster...

I saw Christian on TV with Mac commentating...I remember reading about his older brother so did some searching on the web.

So the question is, how was the wild cards for US open juniors chosen, and how did he get selected? Seems like there are a lot more qualified older kids who should have gotten the chance?

[game set match 46 TIMES!!]

heres a video of christian and ryan his older brother.
christian

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5dOPf0N1jKo

ryan

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lzfmrAA14z0

[KerryJ]

...too much hard nose ,hard head,gun slinging shoot'em up cowboy attitude.. look at BuSh(it) one needs to sometimes step back,adjust,adapt,reload, aim with intent,then fire... Texas macho-man are just too narrow-minded...

Is this a joke? Gun slingin' shoot 'em up attitude due to the state we're from? I suppose I also take my horse to tournaments and go start fights in the saloon too?

[predrag]

my son was playing a tournament dropped his racket. didn't throw, didn't slam it "dropped" his racket in disgust after losing a rally ,he was winning the match and a few points later missed and overhead and shrugged his shoulders in and "i dont care attitude" and was removed from the match.
[snip]


Which tournament was this?

Regards, Predrag

[atatu]

Is this a joke? Gun slingin' shoot 'em up attitude due to the state we're from? I suppose I also take my horse to tournaments and go start fights in the saloon too?

And being from California is bad, because all you want to do is hang at the beach and smoke weed and check out chicks....just imagine how good Kendrick could have been if he'd been from Texas. I'm kidding, by the way....

[miniRafa386]

i think there is a difference between dropping and smashing, and even throwing for that matter. dropping could be like "haha that guy just hit the most ridiculous shot ive ever seen" or "wow i cant believe i just hit that into the net", its more sarcasm. smashing is "OMFG I SUCK AT TENNIS F***!!!!!" or "I CANT PLAY TENNIS TODAY I SHOULD JUST QUIT!!". throwing could be the same as smashing, but if your at net and your opponent hits a good passing shot and you throw your racket out like "i had absolutly no chance on that", then i think that is acceptable, and in fact kind of funny.

[ClarkC]

Is this a joke? Gun slingin' shoot 'em up attitude due to the state we're from? I suppose I also take my horse to tournaments and go start fights in the saloon too?

One thing I miss since moving away from Texas is having a saloon at every tennis tournament.

[xnarek]

Sometimes i feel like throwing my racquet all the way to the other court, but im gonna have to pay cash to buy a new racquet :o