How Do You Know If Your Child Has "It"?

[TCF]

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[gplracer]

I think it is is a lot of things that make the "it" factor. One thing I have noticed is personality. Tennis is a repetitive sport. You do the same thing over and over. It seems like a lot of the kids who are good have a personality that suits that. They are kids that will go outside and hit on the wall over and over again for long periods of time because they like doing it.

[Tennishacker]

Originally Posted by gplracer

I think it is is a lot of things that make the "it" factor. One thing I have noticed is personality. Tennis is a repetitive sport. You do the same thing over and over. It seems like a lot of the kids who are good have a personality that suits that. They are kids that will go outside and hit on the wall over and over again for long periods of time because they like doing it.

Yes, not to be funny, but a lot of the top players have ADD tendencies. Djokovic, excessively bouncing the ball before the serve, Nadal, having to place water bottles in the exact spot, Sharapova does a little skip step when she goes back to her chair.

As with all true genius in this world, most of their brains are wired differently than normal humans.

[maggmaster]

That's not ADD that's OCD and most highly successful adults can be diagnosed with stage 1 OCD or so I have read. Coming from someone who has a lot of OCD tendencies so take it with however much salt you feel appropriate.

[egilgrim]

Originally Posted by TCF

Good question. I do not know how much is taught and how much in just born in a player. There is obviously some blend of natural ability and hard work to develop it. But I think you see the signs of a special player along the way even if they take longer to put it all together.

Many a coach or parent has seen a group of kids take up tennis. Out of a group of 10, 1-2 kids pick it up quickly, a bunch are in the middle, and 1-2 kids are just flat out awful, despite the best coaching.

I highly doubt any kid who is just awful after 4-5 lessons at age 9 would somehow magically develop into a money making pro, even if he worked harder than a naturally talented kid.

I could be wrong. If any coach or parent knows of a kid who looked way worse than all the kids in class after a month or two of lessons, yet turned out to be the best player long term, lets hear the stories.

I know what you mean, and I have seen the exact same phenomenon in group lessons at the club where I train, but I don't believe you can't see which one of 10 young beginners is going to become the best during the first months or even years. I'm just curious, do you know when coordination and motor-skills are fully developed in kids? Because I don't know, but nine years old would seem like too early for these skills to be fully developed in all kids? In some kids this process might have come a longer way, and maybe this "talent" you're seeing in some kids, is just their temporary superiority in coordination? Something that is going to even out a lot during their next years of development? And then these kids get more attention from the coaches (believing they have "talent"), their parents also think this temporary superiority in coordination is the "it" factor or some in-born talent. The parents then sign their "wonderkid" up for more group lessons and private lessons, and they nurture that "talent". The "wonderkid" might end up as a moneymaking pro, while the other kids from the beginner lesson mentioned give up tennis believing their "talent" lies in some other field like painting or math or whatever. Every coach out there should read "Talent Code", "Bounce" and "Mindset". Since you seem like a very dedicated coach I suspect you have already read at least one of these books, but if you haven't I strongly recommend you do. All of these books have changed my life, and "talent" has become a profanity to me.

By the way, I have read that Bernard Tomic was never at the top of his group when he was a beginner many years ago, but he worked really hard and had a good coach and look at him now. It's the hours that matters, not the so-called "talent".

[TCF]

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[Tcbtennis]

Originally Posted by gplracer

I think it is is a lot of things that make the "it" factor. One thing I have noticed is personality. Tennis is a repetitive sport. You do the same thing over and over. It seems like a lot of the kids who are good have a personality that suits that. They are kids that will go outside and hit on the wall over and over again for long periods of time because they like doing it.

It's funny that you say that because my son who in my eyes has "it" or something like it has a personality steeped in perseverance. It was evident as early as an infant but it really stood out to me when he was 3 or 4 and was invited to a birthday party at an ice skating rink. He had never been skating before. After the party there was free skate time and he wanted to try. He would fall repeatedly after the first couple of steps but refused to use one of those walker aids. I was concerned because it was open skate time and there were adults and teenagers flying by him and he was so small. But even as he continued to fall he refused to get off the ice. Within an hour and a half he was skating around the entire rink. He's like that in tennis and in life. If he wants to learn something or improve something he pushes himself until he reaches his goal. Even if he hears "no" from me or his dad, he doesn't go away quietly. He will argue his position until he's blue in the face. I find it an admirable personality trait that will serve him well in life. I also think that he has a touch of OCD.

[SprintCoach]

As lot of people have pointed out - there's not one thing which defines the 'it' factor. But in any sport the talented ones show glimpses of ability which is better than the averge kid in a group.
So if your kid is better than the average kid, then I feel they have some of 'it' factor. They have given you something to work with.

Look at all the doubles player who make a living on the tour making more than million dollars a year, I am sure not of all them were freaks as kids.
Some persisted longer than others, got the right break through and they are making a living. I am positive there are lot of singles players who are probably
better than the world class doubles player but struggling to stay in the tour.

In a interview I read Carlos Moya hit with Rafa when he was 12 years old and did not think he was going to be that great. So if Moya could not predict
about Rafa at 12 years of age you think anyone can predict how good a kid can be.

I have to say, tennis has to be one of the wierd sport were people discuss so much about succeeding and talent when the kids are 8 years old.
You don't need to be a freak at 8 years of age to become extremely good at 14 or 18 years of age.
In conclusion if you kid is keen do the best you can, don't put any upper limits on what they can achieve
and I am sure like any other sport you will find out how far he/she can go.

[Number1Coach]

Originally Posted by SprintCoach

As lot of people have pointed out - there's not one thing which defines the 'it' factor. But in any sport the talented ones show glimpses of ability which is better than the averge kid in a group.
So if your kid is better than the average kid, then I feel they have some of 'it' factor. They have given you something to work with.

Look at all the doubles player who make a living on the tour making more than million dollars a year, I am sure not of all them were freaks as kids.
Some persisted longer than others, got the right break through and they are making a living. I am positive there are lot of singles players who are probably
better than the world class doubles player but struggling to stay in the tour.

In a interview I read Carlos Moya hit with Rafa when he was 12 years old and did not think he was going to be that great. So if Moya could not predict
about Rafa at 12 years of age you think anyone can predict how good a kid can be.

I have to say, tennis has to be one of the wierd sport were people discuss so much about succeeding and talent when the kids are 8 years old.
You don't need to be a freak at 8 years of age to become extremely good at 14 or 18 years of age.
In conclusion if you kid is keen do the best you can, don't put any upper limits on what they can achieve
and I am sure like any other sport you will find out how far he/she can go.

Unfortunately your spot on ! The area i think most fail as we have done here in the USA is that we don't plan, no goals ,no vision, no milestones to check your progress we sit back and "hope" something happens therefore we fail without trying.

[Bash and Crash]

Originally Posted by SprintCoach

I have to say, tennis has to be one of the wierd sport were people discuss so much about succeeding and talent when the kids are 8 years old.
You don't need to be a freak at 8 years of age to become extremely good at 14 or 18 years of age.

I actually hate it a little when kids look extremely good at 7-8. The pressure already starts and from there it is a long, long journey. Like to see some glimpse of talent and watch it grow as they get to 10-12 while they are playing other sports to develop more skills, then turn up the heat after that.

[ga tennis]

Originally Posted by SprintCoach

As lot of people have pointed out - there's not one thing which defines the 'it' factor. But in any sport the talented ones show glimpses of ability which is better than the averge kid in a group.
So if your kid is better than the average kid, then I feel they have some of 'it' factor. They have given you something to work with.

Look at all the doubles player who make a living on the tour making more than million dollars a year, I am sure not of all them were freaks as kids.
Some persisted longer than others, got the right break through and they are making a living. I am positive there are lot of singles players who are probably
better than the world class doubles player but struggling to stay in the tour.

In a interview I read Carlos Moya hit with Rafa when he was 12 years old and did not think he was going to be that great. So if Moya could not predict
about Rafa at 12 years of age you think anyone can predict how good a kid can be.

I have to say, tennis has to be one of the wierd sport were people discuss so much about succeeding and talent when the kids are 8 years old.
You don't need to be a freak at 8 years of age to become extremely good at 14 or 18 years of age.
In conclusion if you kid is keen do the best you can, don't put any upper limits on what they can achieve
and I am sure like any other sport you will find out how far he/she can go.

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[Tennishacker]

Originally Posted by Bash and Crash

I actually hate it a little when kids look extremely good at 7-8. The pressure already starts and from there it is a long, long journey. Like to see some glimpse of talent and watch it grow as they get to 10-12 while they are playing other sports to develop more skills, then turn up the heat after that.

It's interesting when parents come on here to "talk about" their 7-10 year old being the next thing.

The ones to "watch" are the players that look good in their mid-teens.

[ga tennis]

Originally Posted by Tennishacker

It's interesting when parents come on here to "talk about" their 7-10 year old being the next thing.

The ones to "watch" are the players that look good in their mid-teens.

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