I have this boy who is 10 years old and his mother came to see me about tennis lessons. He has a friend who is a girl his same age and similar abilities. The girl is really into lessons. She may be too intense for a 10 year old starting out. The boy however wants to act disinterested at times and loses focus. He demonstrates wanting to do things the way he wants to do them instead of focusing on the task at hand. My experience as a coach for kids this age which display this type of attitude has not been good. The boy has potential, but not sure how to save him. Anyone had some tip or trick that might inspire this type kid.
I have this kid
- Thread starter Clay Mize
- Start date
Lukhas
Legend
I suppose that if you were able to explain your thought process to him, as in why you want him to do certain things and the purpose behind it, you may be able to connect with him... If he does want to listen. I suppose it wouldn't hurt to try treating him like how you'd treat adult students and see how he reacts. Like an adult who has no knowledge of what he's being taught, but is still able to get their head around it if explained to them. But I'm no expert!
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What i have learned on this course to become a tennis teacher:
There are 4 motives to be distinguished why people play tennis.
- The desire to achieve something
- The desire for social contact
- The search for "sensation" (as in playing a spectacular rally, hitting a beautifull winner, etc)
- Having the feeling of "being your own boss"
Sounds like this kid clearly has motive nr 4. Here are some suggestions how to deal with that:
- Let him determine his own goals
- Let him determine his own progress
- Let him determine his own tactics for a particular match
- Let him lead the warm-up and occasionally choose the exercise form
- Let him make decisions especially when it is really important, that is, when something really depends on it and when parents or friends are sitting in the stands. This approach gives the participants more pleasure in the battle and they can develop into a good match player
Hope this helps.
There are 4 motives to be distinguished why people play tennis.
- The desire to achieve something
- The desire for social contact
- The search for "sensation" (as in playing a spectacular rally, hitting a beautifull winner, etc)
- Having the feeling of "being your own boss"
Sounds like this kid clearly has motive nr 4. Here are some suggestions how to deal with that:
- Let him determine his own goals
- Let him determine his own progress
- Let him determine his own tactics for a particular match
- Let him lead the warm-up and occasionally choose the exercise form
- Let him make decisions especially when it is really important, that is, when something really depends on it and when parents or friends are sitting in the stands. This approach gives the participants more pleasure in the battle and they can develop into a good match player
Hope this helps.
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Mack-2
Professional
Which course is this that you took?
Wise one
Hall of Fame
What I did was probably wrong. I mimicked his body language to him and said ask he and the girl what that says to others? He shrugged his shoulders. I said it says to me that he doesn't like tennis and does not like to be out here. I asked, "you don't like tennis do you?" He kind of shook his head in the affirmative, but I am not sure I believed him. I think he was wanting to be the boss. I told him he should talk to his parents about it and make a decision as to whether or not he wants to continue. I think his issue is something besides tennis and could have something to do with his relationship with the little girl. They seem to be protective of each other.
I like your analysis. I will experiment with it. Thanks
I wish I knew some.
Wise one
Hall of Fame
"Reverse psychology" would be saying: "It's OK if you don't like tennis."
"Double reverse" psychology is saying: "You know, I don't think you'd ever be any good anyway."
D
Deleted member 120290
Guest
You can't coach passion for the sport.
The kids that really love tennis and excel are the ones you have to practically drag off the court.
I have seen 4 types of kids on the tennis court:
1. No talent, no passion for tennis = try chess
2. Talent but no passion = try other sports
3. No talent, big passion = play at rec level
4. Big talent, Huge passion = chance to get a scholarship if you invest 3x their full tuition in coaching, equipment, fees, etc.
The kids that really love tennis and excel are the ones you have to practically drag off the court.
I have seen 4 types of kids on the tennis court:
1. No talent, no passion for tennis = try chess
2. Talent but no passion = try other sports
3. No talent, big passion = play at rec level
4. Big talent, Huge passion = chance to get a scholarship if you invest 3x their full tuition in coaching, equipment, fees, etc.
Wise one
Hall of Fame
Right!
I think all the tennis coaching is just a scam. Parents could get a good book and teach their kids pretty easily. My lessons took me only so far, so I started reading some good instruction books. By far the best are:
https://www.amazon.com/Serve-Overhead-Smash-Instructional/dp/0385114877
https://www.amazon.com/Finding-Expl...nesses&qid=1554844598&s=books&sr=1-1-fkmrnull
With these books I was able to transform myself into a serve-and-volley player.
I am going to try that next time. It might work. Thanks
Kobble
Hall of Fame
I was a classroom teacher. Imagine your job security being reliant on your results with students who make it their business to try and wreck your class. You have the liberty to make the game anway you want it, and adjust it according to each player. I had to force them to grind bell to bell, or else "checks" went into the negative box. If he is honestly motivated to play, then you have a chance. Only thing I would do is try to emphasize a bit more on things he likes, and introduce variation.
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Accountant
New User
I do not think reverse psychology will work for this kid, especially double reverse. Please do not try it.
From the description that you gave it doesn't sound that boy is contrary or resentful. Telling a boy that he is never going to be good will completely destroy his confidence. Not every kid is interested in playing tournaments but it doesn't mean that they cannot have fun on the court.
From the description that you gave it doesn't sound that boy is contrary or resentful. Telling a boy that he is never going to be good will completely destroy his confidence. Not every kid is interested in playing tournaments but it doesn't mean that they cannot have fun on the court.
Wise one
Hall of Fame
Accountant
New User
You are not man enough to stop commenting on threads related to kids, are you?
Wise one
Hall of Fame
Accountant
New User
There is not a single thread related to kids without you commenting in it. Doesn't look like revers psychology worked or you are too attracted to kids related threads that you cannot control yourself or can you?
I think using reverse psychology is a mistake. Might work in sales but i doubt it'll work with kids.
If he actually likes tennis, try to find out what he likes by observing or simply by asking him. Be motivating and positive and focus on what he does well. Also make sure there's enough variation during your lessons. Kids have a smaller attention span than adults. The focus should be on having fun rather than improving their game (though try to incorporate drills for technique development), unless the student is very eager to become a better player.
But set your boundaries and guard them, because he might test you (thats what kids do). If he crosses them regularly be clear that it's not ok and maybe have a talk with his parents.
Working with kids is a lot of fun, but it can be very tough.
If he actually likes tennis, try to find out what he likes by observing or simply by asking him. Be motivating and positive and focus on what he does well. Also make sure there's enough variation during your lessons. Kids have a smaller attention span than adults. The focus should be on having fun rather than improving their game (though try to incorporate drills for technique development), unless the student is very eager to become a better player.
But set your boundaries and guard them, because he might test you (thats what kids do). If he crosses them regularly be clear that it's not ok and maybe have a talk with his parents.
Working with kids is a lot of fun, but it can be very tough.
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acintya
Legend
what i would have given to be a kid and to train tennis
see, back than i didnt have that chance
no one ever was thinking of that
and if my parents would perhaps think about that
there would be not enough cash
at least we had table tennis.
just want to say that you should somehow take a "army" approach and let those kids know who is the boss and how lucky they are.
just ask him.do you like tennis? if he answers NO then you just throw him out.
kids nowadays need a harder hand than ever.
if you threat them to well they will just walk over you.
i am not talking about every kid but most of them. my mom is working with kids for over 30 years so i know what i am talking about. the changes in learning approaches changed drastically..
see, back than i didnt have that chance
no one ever was thinking of that
and if my parents would perhaps think about that
there would be not enough cash
at least we had table tennis.
just want to say that you should somehow take a "army" approach and let those kids know who is the boss and how lucky they are.
just ask him.do you like tennis? if he answers NO then you just throw him out.
kids nowadays need a harder hand than ever.
if you threat them to well they will just walk over you.
i am not talking about every kid but most of them. my mom is working with kids for over 30 years so i know what i am talking about. the changes in learning approaches changed drastically..
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Kobble
Hall of Fame
They are habituated into this behavior by the education system and the parents. The education system is soft when it comes to discipline.
Wise one
Hall of Fame
I have no idea what you're getting at. I oppose teaching kids too young, before they are strong enough to hit one-handed backhands or big enough to cover the net.
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SystemicAnomaly
Bionic Poster
What a load of you-know-what. This could very well work for some but I do not believe that it will work at all for a majority of kids (or their parents, for that matter). Firstly, most people can't learn tennis from just a book... even a good book. Secondly, a lot of kids don't want to learn tennis from their parents... sure there's always exceptions. I've had parents come to me to teach their kids even tho they (the parents) play at a very high level (NTRP 4.5 to 5.0+). They find that their kids listen to me better than to them. OTOH, most parents, if they play at all, tend to be NTRP 3.0 to 3.5 (sometimes, 4.0). If these parents have a very good, analytical eye (for sports), they may get away with this. Many will not.
Many parents have no patience when it comes to teaching. Or they are so rigid, so demanding (like a Marine drill sergeant), the kids end up losing their passion for the game -- or worse, they end up hating the game. (One coach I met, sadly, saw a result even worse than this. Parents were hardcore perfectionists and were unreasonably demanding of their son in academics as well as athletics. Sad to say, this ended tragically).
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SystemicAnomaly
Bionic Poster
Coaches & parents can inspire and push a kid only so far. Ultimately, if the passion doesn't come from the within the kid, themselves, they won't last in the sport -- no matter how naturally talented they are.
Excellent. But it doesn't cover one very common scenario. The only "motivation" that some kids have is they their parents want them to play tennis. The kid might very well be indifferent to tennis. If they never get to a point where they are self-motivated, they will likely not last very long in tennis.
SystemicAnomaly
Bionic Poster
I may be wrong about this but, to my mind, it sounds like this boy could have ADD, or even ADHD (ADD with hyperactivity). Disinterest combined with lack of focus suggests it. Wanting to do things their "own way" is something often seen with ADD/ADHD. I've had success with some ADD kids, if they have some passion for the game. For me, however, this success happened in private lessons -- not in a semi-private classes.
You might ask the boy's mom if her son had been diagnosed ADD or ADHD. But this is something not all parents are willing to admit about their child. If you know who any of his academic teachers are, you might ask them. They might even have some insight on how to deal with this boy.
It sound like you are running a semi-private class for these two kids, correct? Seems to me that the boy's attitude & behavior could be disruptive for the girl -- or even worse, it could be toxic. You might suggest private lessons for these two rather than semi-private. Or a better solution might be to alternate between semi-private and private lessons. You might find that the boys might be more focused during private lessons. Or you might find it easier to deal with his attitude in 1-on-1 sessions. The girl may also benefit from a private class format. OTOH, putting them together sometimes can have other benefits -- social or having another kid their age to rally with.
Does this sound like the 10 yr old boy:
https://www.additude.com/power-struggles-adhd-kids-teachers/
Some other ideas:
https://www.verywellfamily.com/discipline-strategies-for-kids-with-adhd-1094941
https://www.addvantageuspta.com/default.aspx?act=newsletter.aspx&newsletterid=1063
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wow, really, from that one sentence, you came up with all this? to me, the kid sounds like a typical ten year old boy playing it cool in front of a girl. there may be deeper issues, but op hasn't said anything to suggest this. so if the op is a professional coach who can't figure this out on his/her own and has to go to an anonymous tennis forum full of trolls and hacks, then maybe coaching kids isn't for him/her?
SystemicAnomaly
Bionic Poster
Look at my post again. I started it out with, "I may be wrong about this but...". That is, I'm am suggesting this as a possibility. You may want to blow this off as a "typical" boy (and you might very wll be right) but I am sticking with my assessment as a distinct possibility. It is something that jumped out at me when I read the OP. I have a nephew with severe ADHD. I've also had a number of students who have also exhibited ADD/ADHD -- not as severe as my nephew, but substantial enough to present a challenge (not to be ignored).
Even if this 10 yr old boy does not have ADHD, some approaches used for teaching ADHD kids could still be useful.
Don't know how much coaching or teaching you've done, but there will always be challenges. Coaches will often consult teachers or other coaches for ideas regarding some of these challenges. Doesn't make them unfit to be coaches. It's a constant learning experience. Seems to me that @Clay Mize cares enough about his coaching and his students to seek some advice. Sure, he'll get some troll advice here but there are also a number of other coaches around here that might have some useful insight.
.
[QUOTE="SystemicAnomaly, post: 13268326, member: 9279"Don't know how much coaching or teaching you've done, but there will always be challenges. Coaches will often consult teachers or other coaches for ideas regarding some of these challenges. Doesn't make them unfit to be coaches. It's a constant learning experience. Seems to me that @Clay Mize cares enough about his coaching and his students to seek some advice. Sure, he'll get some troll advice here but there are also a number of other coaches around here that might have some useful insight.
.[/QUOTE]
i may be wrong, but shouldn't the first step of a coach be to speak with the parents rather than to post on a tennis forum? shouldn't they be able to tell the coach about their son's issues (i think that the op was recommended to do this in another thread about another kid with behavior "issues")? why should we be left speculating based not on video or actual examples of misbehavior but on general type casting and vague summaries?
.[/QUOTE]
i may be wrong, but shouldn't the first step of a coach be to speak with the parents rather than to post on a tennis forum? shouldn't they be able to tell the coach about their son's issues (i think that the op was recommended to do this in another thread about another kid with behavior "issues")? why should we be left speculating based not on video or actual examples of misbehavior but on general type casting and vague summaries?
OP might be just looking for tips on how to reach a kid who he sees has potential (he mentioned this in his first post) but doesn't seem to be serious about tennis. Parents are probably not the best people to give advice about that.
I do agree that there is no need to make any psychological evaluations over the internet based on a brief para description ofa kid who might have no other issues than just being a kid.
Traffic
Hall of Fame
I'm a parent that hires coaches for private lessons in swim and tennis.
For a 10y/o just starting out, I typically tell other parents not to do it. Or to try to get with a couple of their friends and do a semi-private.
If they don't love the sport yet, one of the ways to turn them off is to push too hard. I don't know any 10y/o that likes to spend an hour with an adult telling them what they are doing wrong. They only want to hear what they are doing well.
Once they have the fundamentals or they have a clear goal in mind (want to get on the school team, want to play at the same level as their friends), they are more receptive to private coaching.
My daughter doesn't like private coaching and for that matter, neither did my son at that age. But my son realizes it is for his benefit now that he is 16 and trying to take his game to the next level or trying to make some adjustments with a technique he is struggling with.
But you as a coach needs to learn HOW to make lessons interesting for all levels. Or you have to tell the parents that you are unable to or don't have the ability to work with a beginner with no interest.
For a 10y/o just starting out, I typically tell other parents not to do it. Or to try to get with a couple of their friends and do a semi-private.
If they don't love the sport yet, one of the ways to turn them off is to push too hard. I don't know any 10y/o that likes to spend an hour with an adult telling them what they are doing wrong. They only want to hear what they are doing well.
Once they have the fundamentals or they have a clear goal in mind (want to get on the school team, want to play at the same level as their friends), they are more receptive to private coaching.
My daughter doesn't like private coaching and for that matter, neither did my son at that age. But my son realizes it is for his benefit now that he is 16 and trying to take his game to the next level or trying to make some adjustments with a technique he is struggling with.
But you as a coach needs to learn HOW to make lessons interesting for all levels. Or you have to tell the parents that you are unable to or don't have the ability to work with a beginner with no interest.
bitcoinoperated
Hall of Fame
This is really interesting, thanks for sharing you insight. I'm strongly no. 3 and lots of people don't get why sometimes I don't care that much about winning playing a way I don't enjoy.
SystemicAnomaly
Bionic Poster
Let me be very clear about my statement. I was not making a definitive psych eval of the kid. I was suggesting a POSSIBILITY that the OP should consider. I prefaced my remark by saying, "I could be wrong about this... ". I have also underscored the word could in my opening statement. I still feel that this is a distinct possibility that the OP should consider/look into. It might be off but this sounds like a situation that feels very familiar to me.
Depends on the dynamics of the situation. How far off is this student from "just a normal kid"? And some parents appear to be in denial of their kid's shortcomings. Even very serious shortcomings. I have definitely seen this with some parents. My sister, who work with "special needs" kids sees this fairly often with parents.
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SystemicAnomaly
Bionic Poster
Sometimes, you'll get a Richard Williams whom, as a parent, does a very decent job of developing talent in their kids. (Altho' he was a bit controversial at times). Caro Wozniacki's dad appears to have done a pretty good job as well. Anna Kournikova's mom did a very good job... up to a point. But Anna K never really properly developed the mental side of her game. Attempts by Nick B and his academy appear to have been thwarted or sabotaged by Anna's mom.
But then we have the real horror stories. Take a look at the abusive & sometimes violent fathers of Jelena Dokic, Mary Pierce, Bernie Tomic, Mirjana Lucic and Jennifer Capriati. Seemed to be something off with Marion Bartoli's dad as well. In the middle of a 2011 Wimbledon match, Bartoli stopped play & demanded her father leave the stadium. Andre Agassi appeared to have issue with his dad, Mike Agassi. Andre paints him as a violent man who significantly diminished Andre's love of the game.
Bottom line: Parents are often not the best coaches for their kids; sometimes they can be the worst.
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Wise one
Hall of Fame
I don't think Nickaus' dad was his coach. Does anyone know? The point was that his father made him practice.
Thanks Acintya, I think that may be good advice. Can you tell me a little about your background? Are you from the U.S.?
Nothing to regret. As a kid, I played many sports (not tennis) and pretty badly because I am not an athletic type. The challenge is in learning and to keep playing as an adult.
What a great post and articles are very helpful. I believe I found myself in these articles. I must be ADD because I like to move between tasks often and don't like people dictating to me. Thanks
acintya
Legend
im from Europe. no problem! its the parents problem that they support this system where the kids are the authories in the class and not the "teacher" !
i would never ever teach a class here. those ****in millenials pay no respect, throw bubblegums all over the classes and record how they mock the teachers.
its gone all wrong. this is a little simplified truth.
no mather what you do - your students need to pay respect to you.
first talk with his mother and father and tell them your honest opinion. then tell them about your plan - if they will disagree just say good bye.
you can give the boy a chance but this is like psychology.
usually the pacient picks the right therapeut for him - its a connection thing. some people are more connected,some arent.
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acintya
Legend
yeah but imagine you had 10 years+ of tennis practice in your "pocket" .
dont you ever regret it?!
SlvrDragon50
Semi-Pro
This is silly. I didn't particularly enjoy playing tennis when I was 10. I didn't hate it, but I didn't love it. My parents signed me up for tennis classes all throughout middle and high school, but I never really started to enjoy playing tennis until my junior or senior year of high school. My best coaches have been those that were able to find fun and excitement during classes/lessons. He's 10 years old, he doesn't necessarily need to be inspired to become the next Roger Federer. You should be emphasizing the enjoyment of tennis, not becoming a super star. If he isn't enjoying the lessons, maybe the lessons need to be changed to a structure that he might enjoy. The girl might be doing alright if she's more competitive than he is. Heck, he might even be showing disinterest because the girl is outperforming him.
5263
G.O.A.T.
I try to make it fun and see if he buys in. If he doesn't, then I don't waste my time.
yeah but imagine you had 10 years+ of tennis practice in your "pocket" .
dont you ever regret it?!
Not really.
Adults with 10+ years of practice more than me are no better than me, on the average.
Those who played 10 years as a kid but did not pursue it through late high school or played tennis casually amongst other sports are surprisingly also not better than me, on average.
i am glad to hear that the articles helped you, but no one else sees the irony?
pastashop42
Rookie
I took my kids to lessons and also play with them
Myself from time to time. What worked well was to split up the lesson into individualized segments — say 20 mins each. For many kids of that age that’s all they can really pay attention to. And there was also considerable variety of tasks in those 20 minutes, and often the coach would ask the kid what they wanted to do initially. Another thing that could be tried, if the two are of similar ability, is cooperative hitting at the end of the lesson, with a treat (candy, etc.) for both at the end if they reach some reachable number of hits or some such task.
Myself from time to time. What worked well was to split up the lesson into individualized segments — say 20 mins each. For many kids of that age that’s all they can really pay attention to. And there was also considerable variety of tasks in those 20 minutes, and often the coach would ask the kid what they wanted to do initially. Another thing that could be tried, if the two are of similar ability, is cooperative hitting at the end of the lesson, with a treat (candy, etc.) for both at the end if they reach some reachable number of hits or some such task.
Rosstour
Talk Tennis Guru
Wow. Excellent post. I am #3.
You might try finding a way to connect to the kid's imagination. That requires describing the very different places tennis can take him, and trying to discern which one actually connected. This can't be done in the presence of the girl or the parents. There is certainly, and in reality, a large range of futures. Tennis actually provides a good way to find a team when in middle/high-school. It is also a social skill: If he has game on vacation it is a very good way to meet other kids, or at his parents' club he'll fit in, find friends. Did I mention girls? That's a long shot for a ten-year old, but you never know. Does he imagine a future in business, finance, or law, perhaps knows some adult he admires that happens to be in that sort of line? Having game will definitely help him meet up with people who can help his career. I've seen this reality many times. Perhaps he has some other imagining of his future, or other interest. Ten-year-olds who watch TV/movies aren't as simple as they seem. Whether he admires actors, bank leaders, or some other group, I guarantee a quick google search while provide you with names to throw at him. Jamie Dimon worked for my kid. So did Harrison Ford when his films were big.
I went through the "parent learns much more about tennis in order to teach/coach/hit with his son. It worked out very well. I did buy him very good coaching, though, sporadically, and OK coaching regularly. I'll be honest and say that listening to them teach him also taught me. The best coaches have an approach that is just powerful. I'd mention Joe Brandi in that regard. My kid, as it turns out, became "instantly" a very good lacrosse player at age 8 and onward Why? My view: At his school the faculty and the girls came to every home game. That worked wonders. But he never stopped playing tennis. (I regularly told him "you don't have to make it your #1 sport, but if you keep it up, when you're an adult, perhaps in a different city/region, you'll find an easy path to making friends and even getting career help. Well, it wasn't a year ago that, while on the phone, he reminded me of that and admitted it had proven true. We're East Coast. He got a job in Pasadena. Finding very good players and making friends was simple. It even paid off with a better job in marketing. Who knew? Laugh.
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acintya
Legend
this only proves how wicked sport tennis is.
10% of people are self-starters. 10% can’t be motivated by anything. Being a good teacher is knowing how to reach and motivate that middle 80%. Since every student is different, what works for one may not work for another. You have to try different approaches and observe the responses. You do have the advantage of working with your tougher student in a small group setting.
Some suggestions of things for teaching an 80%er at this age:
1) stay upbeat and positive.
2) focus on fun instead of learning at first.
3) build relationships, earn trust, show you them you care, then you can teach.
4) passion for a sport or subject is caught, not taught. Show how much you love tennis, bring in another high level adult and rally for a few minutes to show how much fun tennis can be, talk about the basics that allow you to be consistent (watch my eyes, now watch my feet, now my body, backswing, follow through, etc....).
5) make every activity a game or challenge (let’s count how many balls in a row you can hit over the net, into this service box, etc....)
6) let them pick the next activity (would you rather do our serving game or play mini-tennis?)
7) always praise good results, then you can correct technique (good shot!, remember to turn your body sideways to the net and you can do even better next time), never be negative.
8) plan a large number and variety of activities and move on as soon as you sense boredom setting in.
10) have a lot of games/activities that work on each skill set so that you can keep it fresh, (set routines are for 10%ers).
11) take frequent water breaks.
12) bring a special treat (snack) and take your snack break when you sense their energy waning.
13) be willing to occasionally stretch breaks, go back when they’re ready to get back to work.
14) don’t be afraid to be yourself, laugh, joke, etc.... Only the self-starters want to be taught by a robot.
The approach I’m describing is designed to reach the 80%. If you have a top 10%er, you want to skip most of this and go straight to conditioning, skills, and drills. Don’t combine top 10%ers and 80%ers in the same group if at all possible. You will only frustrate one or the other. I’m mentioning this in case your female student is a 10%er and really just wants to work and get better.
To be brutally honest, playing tennis and teaching tennis are two different things. People go to school for years to study how to teach and yet few do it well. Anyone can teach the easy kids. If you really want to teach, then figure out how to reach the others. If not, just send the tougher kids to someone with the training, experience, and passion for teaching. There is no shame in that.
Some suggestions of things for teaching an 80%er at this age:
1) stay upbeat and positive.
2) focus on fun instead of learning at first.
3) build relationships, earn trust, show you them you care, then you can teach.
4) passion for a sport or subject is caught, not taught. Show how much you love tennis, bring in another high level adult and rally for a few minutes to show how much fun tennis can be, talk about the basics that allow you to be consistent (watch my eyes, now watch my feet, now my body, backswing, follow through, etc....).
5) make every activity a game or challenge (let’s count how many balls in a row you can hit over the net, into this service box, etc....)
6) let them pick the next activity (would you rather do our serving game or play mini-tennis?)
7) always praise good results, then you can correct technique (good shot!, remember to turn your body sideways to the net and you can do even better next time), never be negative.
8) plan a large number and variety of activities and move on as soon as you sense boredom setting in.
10) have a lot of games/activities that work on each skill set so that you can keep it fresh, (set routines are for 10%ers).
11) take frequent water breaks.
12) bring a special treat (snack) and take your snack break when you sense their energy waning.
13) be willing to occasionally stretch breaks, go back when they’re ready to get back to work.
14) don’t be afraid to be yourself, laugh, joke, etc.... Only the self-starters want to be taught by a robot.
The approach I’m describing is designed to reach the 80%. If you have a top 10%er, you want to skip most of this and go straight to conditioning, skills, and drills. Don’t combine top 10%ers and 80%ers in the same group if at all possible. You will only frustrate one or the other. I’m mentioning this in case your female student is a 10%er and really just wants to work and get better.
To be brutally honest, playing tennis and teaching tennis are two different things. People go to school for years to study how to teach and yet few do it well. Anyone can teach the easy kids. If you really want to teach, then figure out how to reach the others. If not, just send the tougher kids to someone with the training, experience, and passion for teaching. There is no shame in that.
Hey Acegame, I was reviewing this post and must say it is intriguing to the point I would like for you to expand on it. I play for a few of those. I enjoy the social contact and like the friends I have made with my regular group of players. Achievement for me has been becoming a USPTA professional instructor and working with kids. I can see where people might want to achieve a ranking or tournament victory. My happy place in my mind is to replay especially good shots I make after a match, so I guess that would be a sensation. I am not so sure about being my own boss as it relates to tennis though. You might give me some examples.
