jigglypuff
Rookie
In a sense, tying this back to tennis... tiger moms are to education what tiger dads are to sports.
Raising a tennis playing kid
- Thread starter Flat Top
- Start date
In a sense, tying this back to tennis... tiger moms are to education what tiger dads are to sports.
Interesting story about Christopher Parkening, one of the most accomplished classical guitarists in the world. As an early teen, he started playing guitar as a hobby. Suddenly got a great passion for it and starting playing all the time, obsessed with perfecting each note. His parents thought he was off the deep end and did not push him at all. He went to bed early and set an alarm clock for about 4 a.m. so that he could get up and play the guitar in his room for several hours before high school each day. His parents thought he had no social life, no balance in life, etc., but he was determined.
He became the foremost classical guitarist of our generation, and used the wealth he gained to pursue side interests as an adult. He has even won awards and competitions as a fly fisherman. He is taking advantage of opportunities now to lead a balanced life. But, at one time he was the classic one track mind, and his parents did not push it at all.
There are trade offs with anything.
http://www.pbs.org/wnet/need-to-kno...n-a-little-known-battle-with-depression/4200/
Last edited:
justinmadison
Semi-Pro
I studied electrical engineering for my undergrad degree. My wife’s Vietnamese roommate was in one of my classes’ sophomore year and our final fell on the last day of testing before Christmas break. It was one of the hardest tests I had ever taken lasting three hours from 1:00 – 4:00. After the test I went to pick up my wife to go out and party around 6:00 pm. Her roommate was sitting, as usual, at her desk studying. I laughed and asked her if she was figuring out how she did on the test. She looked a little confused and said no, she was studying for next semester.
slice bh compliment
G.O.A.T.
^That's like Jim Courier running after a win...or a loss.
Last edited:
slice bh compliment
G.O.A.T.
^And look where it got him.
Last edited:
I studied electrical engineering for my undergrad degree. My wife’s Vietnamese roommate was in one of my classes’ sophomore year and our final fell on the last day of testing before Christmas break. It was one of the hardest tests I had ever taken lasting three hours from 1:00 – 4:00. After the test I went to pick up my wife to go out and party around 6:00 pm. Her roommate was sitting, as usual, at her desk studying. I laughed and asked her if she was figuring out how she did on the test. She looked a little confused and said no, she was studying for next semester.
Last summer, I was at a tennis tournament with my son at the end of June.
An Asian boy was sitting there reading. I asked him what book he was reading, I love to read different books, and he looked up at me in surprise, and said, "Summer Reading list".
My son would have saved that for about 3 days before school started in September.
I have noticed the same thing with the OCD. But, I am wondering how you are interpreting that? Thanks.
I hope for the parents that are new to this site, and have not been corrupted by the comments here, that yes, being an abusive parent to a tennis kid might work 1 in 10,000 times and you get a pro player.
But, most times, you just get a fu-ked up kid, and a terrible parent- child relationship.
But, most times, you just get a fu-ked up kid, and a terrible parent- child relationship.
slice bh compliment
G.O.A.T.
Phu Ket? What is that, some place in Thailand?
You will have to translate that or at least dumb that down for us roundeye stupid-mericans. Not all of us Ferangi /Gai Jin / Gwai Lo idiots are hip to the Asian slanglish.
Sentinel
Bionic Poster
You are right, wigglyfluff. Some of us Asians, such as myself, are pretty stupid when it comes to anything outside Spelling Bee. Heck, I can't even spell your name correctly
Maybe it has to do with something cultural. My country was depleted by the Brits for something like 200 years. We've got to work harder than you to get over the poverty line.
Or maybe we come from closely knit families, where we respect our parents, and listen to them (which is not always a good thing, frankly, but it does keep one away from drugs/alcohol etc to a large extent).
I also gather that American society is very sex-driven (don't know the exact word for it), but that's what comes through from all your movies and books. We aren't. Most of us read books or sat in libraries during vacations, of our own accord, rather than chase girls.
Your schools encourage creativity and thinking out of the box, ours memorization. So yes, those of you who do take your studies seriously can be smarter than the average high-scoring Asian kid.
There are probably 60 male players in the world making a good living out of competition. But there are many thousands making a living from coaching, administration, etc. If it's what he loves, what better gift could you give him?
If he is a super athlete with amazing skill, you should be up at 6am every morning running drills with him (many drills on Youtube), and then again in the evenings. If you can afford 20 hours per week with a professional coach (and you really couldn't be bothered changing your whole lifestyle), do that instead. Or you could find someone like me who loves to coach pro-bono.
If he just loves it but has no great potential, a couple times per week is fine, with regular competition on weekends.
I know many straight A seniors who are very good local juniors. Dedication to tennis really promotes work ethic.
Number1Coach
Banned
Number1Coach
Banned
You are right, wigglyfluff. Some of us Asians, such as myself, are pretty stupid when it comes to anything outside Spelling Bee. Heck, I can't even spell your name correctly
Maybe it has to do with something cultural. My country was depleted by the Brits for something like 200 years. We've got to work harder than you to get over the poverty line.
Or maybe we come from closely knit families, where we respect our parents, and listen to them (which is not always a good thing, frankly, but it does keep one away from drugs/alcohol etc to a large extent).
I also gather that American society is very sex-driven (don't know the exact word for it), but that's what comes through from all your movies and books. We aren't. Most of us read books or sat in libraries during vacations, of our own accord, rather than chase girls.
Your schools encourage creativity and thinking out of the box, ours memorization. So yes, those of you who do take your studies seriously can be smarter than the average high-scoring Asian kid.
I will bet you a "Billion" dollars Asians ared more sex driven then Americans even at the teen age level .
Pro_Tour_630
Legend
I am reporting a plagiarism abuse
http://www.medicinenet.com/child_abuse/page5.htm
http://www.medicinenet.com/child_abuse/page4.htm
http://www.medicinenet.com/child_abuse/page5.htm
http://www.medicinenet.com/child_abuse/page4.htm
I am reporting a plagiarism abuse
http://www.medicinenet.com/child_abuse/page5.htm
http://www.medicinenet.com/child_abuse/page4.htm
Thanks. I posted in a rush a neglected to include the links. As you may know, sadly there's a lot of info out there on the subject.
Pro_Tour_630
Legend
chalkflewup
Hall of Fame
Educational neglect is a gray subject and extremely controversial.
coaching32yrs
Semi-Pro
I just spoke with a friend whose 16 year old boy just completed his first semester at a tennis academy that uses an on line school. I asked how his son liked it. He responded that he liked it very much, all the academic pressure is gone. There are no test or paper deadlines that interfere with training or tournaments. This is such a different experience than my junior has. I don't see how it is good educationally. I understand the claim that the average test scores of the home schooled equal that of the traditional schooled. But that comparison makes no sense. By that reasoning, my junior is a genius because his test scores are so far above the national average. Unfortunately in his traditional school, his scores are only average.
That's ideally what should happen.
That it doesn't is probably partly the reason for all of these frustrated parents who are trying to live their dreams through their own children.
we should all be allowed to pursue our own passions.
It takes time for serve volleyers to develop. When Agassi played Pete for the first time, he didn't think he'd ever see him on the tour again.
Pat Rafter didn't really excel until his late twenties.
slice bh compliment
G.O.A.T.
Number1Coach said Pete';s jr career was OK at best. Hahhaha. Fundamentally, I like Number1Coach/dad/massage therapist/whatever. But, he was just not there. Folks here are going on what they read and what we hear on The Tennis Channel. LOL! We've got the blind leading the blind up in here, LOL!
Truth.
Also, guys, I was there. Pete's jr career was good. Really good in spurts. Everyone knew him. He was not quite legendary in jrs (like Al Parker, Chris Garner, Francisco Montana, Aaron Krickstein, Agassi, Courier, Luke Jensen, Chang, Courier, David Wheaton, Mal Washington, Martin Blackman), but literally everyone knew him and his family. Everyone saw him as a gangly, dorky kid with serious potential. Top guys respected him as a player.
Sampras played up. He changed his game.
He rode that serve and volley to the Hall of Fame.
He's Sampras and he knows it.
It worked out.
Truth.
Also, guys, I was there. Pete's jr career was good. Really good in spurts. Everyone knew him. He was not quite legendary in jrs (like Al Parker, Chris Garner, Francisco Montana, Aaron Krickstein, Agassi, Courier, Luke Jensen, Chang, Courier, David Wheaton, Mal Washington, Martin Blackman), but literally everyone knew him and his family. Everyone saw him as a gangly, dorky kid with serious potential. Top guys respected him as a player.
Sampras played up. He changed his game.
He rode that serve and volley to the Hall of Fame.
He's Sampras and he knows it.
It worked out.
chalkflewup
Hall of Fame
Agree completely. And the videos of young Pete confirm what slice said.
I consider myself somewhat of a Sampras fan and I am not sure why some say his junior career was not good. He did change his backhand which set him back some. But he had wins over Weaton and he beat Chang in the US Junior Championships at age 16. He also was picked for the Junior Davis Cup team at age 16. I believe he cracked the top 100 at age 17. Sounds like a pretty amazing junior career considering he changed his backhand in the middle of it! I read somewhere his sister said he would try almost any sport as a boy and excel so he was quite a gifted athlete even as a child.
Last edited:
slice bh compliment
G.O.A.T.
Possible reasons:
They did not follow tennis in the early-mid 80s.
They are under 35. Or they took up tennis pretty late in life.
They did not play at a high level at all, ever, let alone alongside Pete, Andre, Francisco, Wheaton, Mal, Martin, Chang, Ty Tucker, Blackman, Jensen, Parker, Garner, et al.
They believe whatever sensationalist nonsense is promulgated in mainstream tennis media as tennis struggles to be all Hollywood and stuff.
They try to make history fit their agenda.
Reminds me of the great Wuhl line:
if the truth is less interesting than the legend, print the legend.
Okay, sorry for the diversion. Back to raising a tennis-playing kid.
Oh, btw, I took that USTA parenting questionnaire. My kids scored me higher than I scored myself, hahah. I thought that was hilarious....being the intense taskmaster that I am.
Here are some clips overheard in our family truckster/tennis tournament SUV:
You must win.
It's us against them! You know that by now!
Okay, kid, now that you are 8 you must serve and volley.
Come on, girl, there is no reason not to try a tweener in that situation.
Tonight, we're going to watch the Pat Rafter HD video on the high backhand volley. Then we eat kale and goji berries. Then we play baroque music while we try drill.
The name of this drill is: "Break the Luxilon"!
Time for prayers, kids. Remember to ask the Almighty for quick delivery on that ball machine part....and mention Athletic DNA in your prayers -- it's in your contract.
No cartoons. Basketball and football are the only things on TV right now. Stand closer to the screen -- all of you! Osmosis works with a plasma screen. Open your eyes! I expect fast 40 times and a better vert tomorrow at practice.
Did you write your letters to Saint Nick Bolletieri yet? Replace the North Pole address with his new IMG address.
No. No. No. No. No. No. Dynamic stretching, THEN static stretching. Duma$$!
More lines, these from my wife:
Mommy's new nickname is 'Hopper'.
Please refer to the SUV by his name: Rod Laver.
We're going to have to get rid of Lleyton (golden retriever). Just too much of a diversion, and her results have stunk this past couple of years.
When it is time for a spanking:
"Hopper! Go get the belt. The AP Belt!" We're doing half-volleys in the driveway.
Last edited:
TennisMaverick
Banned
I just saw this.
How massively racist anti-Asian stereo-typical hate speech this is.
TennisMaverick
Banned
JICYDK: Chris is the head coach at Amherst. Which if you knew him as a kid, is astounding. And they won the DIII Nats last year.
Towards whom was the hatred directed?
TennisMaverick
Banned
We all already know of your hatred, so a comment from you is to be expected, LOL!
slice bh compliment
G.O.A.T.
Wow! I'll have to say hello. We played a 12s tournament when we were 9. Both got to the semis of singles. Won the dubs. I don't know how or why I remember this, hahah.
Anyway, awfully good guy. Great player, obviously.
TennisMaverick
Banned
If you're from the East, then you would know his best friend from back then and still today, Keith? He runs a big TTP on the Island. Play anymore?
Last edited:
chalkflewup
Hall of Fame
You remember because that's what tennis players do! We can't remember where we placed our car keys 10 minutes ago but we remember the score, the huge point, where we went to eat after in a junior match that we played 35 years ago!
In other words, you have no answer, because it is obvious that what you are saying is ridiculous?
I ask again, to whom did the other poster direct "hatred" in his post?
Misterbill
Semi-Pro
Jigglypuff, I see that another poster has characterized your remarks as "massively racist anti-Asian stereo-typical hate speech". This other poster is the same one who called Troy a "rah-rah school for chimpanzees" in the Foreign College Students thread yesterday.
I want you to know that I do not agree with that other poster. I find your remarks reasonable, non-racist, non-demeaning, non-elitist, non-reflective of a superiority complex.......and I think you make a useful point.
I hope you will not be intimidated by that other poster's remarks and that you will continue to post up your own thoughts early and often!
Last edited:
TennisMaverick
Banned
No prob...we're cool.
But ClarkC is on record for making and supporting anti-Asian/anti-Chinese speech. It's that simple.
