Coolio
Professional
From my experience in coaching and playing over many years, you can see a massive culture difference between Eastern Europeans and people in UK/ France/ Spain/ US.
Couple weeks ago, a new lady came to coaching with her 2 year old daughter and was joining in the lesson with her, running around and throwing/ rolling balls etc. Of course the mother is a former Russian long jumper.
I see it all the time, huge amounts of the kids in tournaments have parents from Eastern Europe. The attitude is that if they take up a sport they will work really hard at it, not just playing for fun. It is the same in school and their studies.
These parents have their kids do push ups and various exercises in the mornings before school or whatever, the parents are introducing the kids to fitness and physical training at young ages. They are taking their tennis very seriously. No kid ever thinks of these things, maybe later on when a kid is driven and passionate about their tennis at early teens but not before then. Kids will be kids unless they are pushed to do more. Unless a parent brings them out at 7 years old every morning for 2 hours tennis training before school.
It's an interesting discussion, I guess it has a lot to do with how you believe you should parent, but it's no secret why Eastern Europe create more champions in tennis. They work harder from younger ages, and parents or others are pushing them to work with discipline.
Thoughts?
Couple weeks ago, a new lady came to coaching with her 2 year old daughter and was joining in the lesson with her, running around and throwing/ rolling balls etc. Of course the mother is a former Russian long jumper.
I see it all the time, huge amounts of the kids in tournaments have parents from Eastern Europe. The attitude is that if they take up a sport they will work really hard at it, not just playing for fun. It is the same in school and their studies.
These parents have their kids do push ups and various exercises in the mornings before school or whatever, the parents are introducing the kids to fitness and physical training at young ages. They are taking their tennis very seriously. No kid ever thinks of these things, maybe later on when a kid is driven and passionate about their tennis at early teens but not before then. Kids will be kids unless they are pushed to do more. Unless a parent brings them out at 7 years old every morning for 2 hours tennis training before school.
It's an interesting discussion, I guess it has a lot to do with how you believe you should parent, but it's no secret why Eastern Europe create more champions in tennis. They work harder from younger ages, and parents or others are pushing them to work with discipline.
Thoughts?