PsychoTennisDad
New User
I wanted to share some hard advice for those parents that are looking for a good coach for their young gladiator junior players getting ready to take the next step. Those that are getting pretty serious meaning your graduating from local tournaments and your having to travel at the sectional and national level. Not all coaches and academy's are the same. You don't need to spend a fortune to get great results. But you do need to know what to look for.
I'm not a full time coach but a certified USPTA Pro that has two kids playing in the USTA at the highest levels(National)I do feel qualified to make these recommendations as my son is currently Bluechip player in the 16's. I wont pretend to take the credit as he deserves all of it but I can assure you I've had an impact on his performance and so have his coaches.
How does a parent that's not necessarily a tennis player measure effectiveness of a good academy?
Look at the roster of players and ask how long they have trained there? Some really good players get recruited so it doesn't necessarily mean that the academy actually developed the player. Talk to the coaches and then watch them teach. What information are they giving out. Is it constant or non existent? Is it specific to the individual or generic to the group. A good coach will provide both. Is the instruction complicated or easy to comprehend? Now watch the player is he listening and following instruction? Can the coach effectively communicate to the player? Most kids are resistant to change. As a parent if you believe in the coaches approach you need to convince the kid that in order for them to improve the coach is going to ask them to make some changes. Your child needs to be open to change or your efforts are wasted. Talk to them about the changes and make sure they understand why. It's hard for a new coach to have an impact on your child development as they have to build trust with your child first. So if you do make a change and switch academies give the coach six months. It typically takes about six months to determine if the program is working for your child.
First I personally think jr tennis in America is taught incorrectly. The days of feeding tennis balls from a basket are old and antiquated. If your child is taking feeds from a basket you should take a closer look, as this is a HUGE RED FLAG! I also believe private tennis lesson's are a thing of the past. If your child is good enough to have a 20+ ball rally and can execute all of the basics then he shouldn't be fed any balls from a basket. I know this is an extreme concept to grasp. A good coach can simulate any repetitive shot in a live ball drill.
The best coaches all use live ball drills 90+% of the time. With the exception of serving and some times a very specific drill will require hand feeding or baskets but this is not the norm. A great coach is sitting on the side line instructing not feeding. They are giving tactical or instructional information for example. Transfer your weight through your shots, don't jump up. Follow through etc... OR depending on the drill (strategic) IE don't hit the ball short to the forehand and come in on an approach. So in essence there always getting a private lesson because there always reinforcing instruction under "load" meaning under real hitting conditions not simulated (basket fed). Most coaches don't use this approach because it's VERY HARD and they burn out. Most coaches will typically give up on your kids after a short while when their not open to change (VERY VERY COMMON). It's funny you can sit and watch your kid hit a "chicken wing" forehand over and over and the coach doesn't say a word but then you pay for a private lesson and all he does is try to fix it. But after the lesson and back to the drills nothing is mentioned about the "chicken wing" If this is happening to you then you need to look elsewhere. Your child is NOT going to improve no matter how many private lessons you pay for. If your child picks up a bad habit it's very hard to change that behavior. The older they get the harder it becomes so coaches just stop trying. Some kids are coachable some kids are not. Which do you have? I have one of each and I can tell you what works with one kid doesn't work with the other. You almost have to be a psychologist on the court. A great coach will find a way to break through to a kid. If your child has been at an academy for over a year and has become stagnant meaning there not growing as a player it's time to have a meeting with the coaches. It's rare that a coach will point this out. Ask your self how many parent / coaches meetings have you had in the last year? Set one up if you haven't. Remember most coaches teach tennis their not business people so different principals apply don't let the fact that there not planning your Junior schedule deter you from reaching out.
If you have 4 -6 kids and your coach is feeding ball's how many ball's are they actually hitting if there waiting in line? If the kids are hitting live ball there hitting a great many more ball's under 'loaded" conditions. A good coach can watch two to three courts and point out issues to up to 8 players on two courts.
If your shopping for a performance academy Take this into consideration:
1) No more than 3-4 hr's of tennis a day
2) Should incorporate Yoga 2x a week (preventative injury) or other form of stretching.
3) Should incorporate strength and conditioning or cross training (2-3x a week)
4) Match Play (sets, tie-breaks) last 1hr of play 4x5 times a week.
5) Does your coach ever come and watch them play at a tennis tournament? If not then that's a big problem. How do they know what they need to work on. A kid playing a match for points is not the same kid playing match play at practice.
6) Most important: LIVE BALL, LIVE BAL and MORE LIVE BALL ALL THE TIME. If your club doesn't have enough courts for this then look elsewhere. I've seen kids with improper technique do live ball for 4hrs a day and do it wrong the whole time take kids apart that have beautiful technique. I've over simplifying here but it's true.
7) Your coaches should know the USTA Jr Tennis Tournaments and schedules very well. They should be providing guidance on which events to play and the frequency. It's very difficult to understand all the gaming that goes on in the USTA and takes years of experience to know how to best take advantage of point system, rankings, tennisrecruiting.net and on and on. You pretty much have to be a psycho.
For parents that don't know. If you think your Boy is going to play college tennis and he's in 6th - 9th grade and he's not in a home school program and in a Tennis academy think again your chances are slim to none. Very few kids can play tennis with out professional help and make it to the college level. Don't forget your also competing against all those foreign kids coming in. You have to be PSYCHO to go down this road! But once you get sucked in your sucked in. I've learned to really enjoy the time we spend on the road with the kids. If it's not fun and your not enjoying it then you need to step back.
Tournaments No more than 2 a month
If you play a tournament you take the next day off for recovery. Match's are hard on the body. Don't play your kids every weekend. You will eventually burn them out.
It's very hard to find a good blend of coaching. I've been at this game for a very long time and we have switched coaches several times now. Cost is a HUGE factor. Knowledge and awareness is a huge factor. A coach or program can only take your kids so far. It's really the KID that needs to drive this. Does he have a strong desire to compete? Is he happy playing? How good is his work ethic on court? My son for example doesn't have great technique despite me working on his game constantly and despite having coaches work on his strokes but he has heart, a strong drive to compete and most important an incredible work ethic! He's also very coachable. He's always striving to improve his game. At 15 this is a rare quality and I've been blessed. But it's a very long road. So get your racket out and go practice.
Also a note to parents. While keeping these principles inmind. Don't be afraid of swapping programs if feel your kid's not getting the coaching they deserve and pay for. The parents do have a very important role in all this? After all were flipping the bill. But you need to let the coaches do their job and you need to be very aware of your kids abilities. You cant blast the coach because the forehand is off if your kid doesn't listen to the instruction. As a parent you need to be aware and make changes accordingly. If you have concern's don't be afraid to talk to your coaches and let them know how you feel. Most coaches will be the first to point out that's it's about the parents not about the kids and this is only partially true. Coaches play a big part and teaching styles vary greatly. Have realistic expectations with your kids. Some kids love the game but there just not all that good. That's great as long as they love the sport and enjoy it you need to reset your own expectations. Don't live your dreams through your kids let them have fun. All you can do is finding them a place where they can live up to their full potential.
I'm not a full time coach but a certified USPTA Pro that has two kids playing in the USTA at the highest levels(National)I do feel qualified to make these recommendations as my son is currently Bluechip player in the 16's. I wont pretend to take the credit as he deserves all of it but I can assure you I've had an impact on his performance and so have his coaches.
How does a parent that's not necessarily a tennis player measure effectiveness of a good academy?
Look at the roster of players and ask how long they have trained there? Some really good players get recruited so it doesn't necessarily mean that the academy actually developed the player. Talk to the coaches and then watch them teach. What information are they giving out. Is it constant or non existent? Is it specific to the individual or generic to the group. A good coach will provide both. Is the instruction complicated or easy to comprehend? Now watch the player is he listening and following instruction? Can the coach effectively communicate to the player? Most kids are resistant to change. As a parent if you believe in the coaches approach you need to convince the kid that in order for them to improve the coach is going to ask them to make some changes. Your child needs to be open to change or your efforts are wasted. Talk to them about the changes and make sure they understand why. It's hard for a new coach to have an impact on your child development as they have to build trust with your child first. So if you do make a change and switch academies give the coach six months. It typically takes about six months to determine if the program is working for your child.
First I personally think jr tennis in America is taught incorrectly. The days of feeding tennis balls from a basket are old and antiquated. If your child is taking feeds from a basket you should take a closer look, as this is a HUGE RED FLAG! I also believe private tennis lesson's are a thing of the past. If your child is good enough to have a 20+ ball rally and can execute all of the basics then he shouldn't be fed any balls from a basket. I know this is an extreme concept to grasp. A good coach can simulate any repetitive shot in a live ball drill.
The best coaches all use live ball drills 90+% of the time. With the exception of serving and some times a very specific drill will require hand feeding or baskets but this is not the norm. A great coach is sitting on the side line instructing not feeding. They are giving tactical or instructional information for example. Transfer your weight through your shots, don't jump up. Follow through etc... OR depending on the drill (strategic) IE don't hit the ball short to the forehand and come in on an approach. So in essence there always getting a private lesson because there always reinforcing instruction under "load" meaning under real hitting conditions not simulated (basket fed). Most coaches don't use this approach because it's VERY HARD and they burn out. Most coaches will typically give up on your kids after a short while when their not open to change (VERY VERY COMMON). It's funny you can sit and watch your kid hit a "chicken wing" forehand over and over and the coach doesn't say a word but then you pay for a private lesson and all he does is try to fix it. But after the lesson and back to the drills nothing is mentioned about the "chicken wing" If this is happening to you then you need to look elsewhere. Your child is NOT going to improve no matter how many private lessons you pay for. If your child picks up a bad habit it's very hard to change that behavior. The older they get the harder it becomes so coaches just stop trying. Some kids are coachable some kids are not. Which do you have? I have one of each and I can tell you what works with one kid doesn't work with the other. You almost have to be a psychologist on the court. A great coach will find a way to break through to a kid. If your child has been at an academy for over a year and has become stagnant meaning there not growing as a player it's time to have a meeting with the coaches. It's rare that a coach will point this out. Ask your self how many parent / coaches meetings have you had in the last year? Set one up if you haven't. Remember most coaches teach tennis their not business people so different principals apply don't let the fact that there not planning your Junior schedule deter you from reaching out.
If you have 4 -6 kids and your coach is feeding ball's how many ball's are they actually hitting if there waiting in line? If the kids are hitting live ball there hitting a great many more ball's under 'loaded" conditions. A good coach can watch two to three courts and point out issues to up to 8 players on two courts.
If your shopping for a performance academy Take this into consideration:
1) No more than 3-4 hr's of tennis a day
2) Should incorporate Yoga 2x a week (preventative injury) or other form of stretching.
3) Should incorporate strength and conditioning or cross training (2-3x a week)
4) Match Play (sets, tie-breaks) last 1hr of play 4x5 times a week.
5) Does your coach ever come and watch them play at a tennis tournament? If not then that's a big problem. How do they know what they need to work on. A kid playing a match for points is not the same kid playing match play at practice.
6) Most important: LIVE BALL, LIVE BAL and MORE LIVE BALL ALL THE TIME. If your club doesn't have enough courts for this then look elsewhere. I've seen kids with improper technique do live ball for 4hrs a day and do it wrong the whole time take kids apart that have beautiful technique. I've over simplifying here but it's true.
7) Your coaches should know the USTA Jr Tennis Tournaments and schedules very well. They should be providing guidance on which events to play and the frequency. It's very difficult to understand all the gaming that goes on in the USTA and takes years of experience to know how to best take advantage of point system, rankings, tennisrecruiting.net and on and on. You pretty much have to be a psycho.
For parents that don't know. If you think your Boy is going to play college tennis and he's in 6th - 9th grade and he's not in a home school program and in a Tennis academy think again your chances are slim to none. Very few kids can play tennis with out professional help and make it to the college level. Don't forget your also competing against all those foreign kids coming in. You have to be PSYCHO to go down this road! But once you get sucked in your sucked in. I've learned to really enjoy the time we spend on the road with the kids. If it's not fun and your not enjoying it then you need to step back.
Tournaments No more than 2 a month
If you play a tournament you take the next day off for recovery. Match's are hard on the body. Don't play your kids every weekend. You will eventually burn them out.
It's very hard to find a good blend of coaching. I've been at this game for a very long time and we have switched coaches several times now. Cost is a HUGE factor. Knowledge and awareness is a huge factor. A coach or program can only take your kids so far. It's really the KID that needs to drive this. Does he have a strong desire to compete? Is he happy playing? How good is his work ethic on court? My son for example doesn't have great technique despite me working on his game constantly and despite having coaches work on his strokes but he has heart, a strong drive to compete and most important an incredible work ethic! He's also very coachable. He's always striving to improve his game. At 15 this is a rare quality and I've been blessed. But it's a very long road. So get your racket out and go practice.
Also a note to parents. While keeping these principles inmind. Don't be afraid of swapping programs if feel your kid's not getting the coaching they deserve and pay for. The parents do have a very important role in all this? After all were flipping the bill. But you need to let the coaches do their job and you need to be very aware of your kids abilities. You cant blast the coach because the forehand is off if your kid doesn't listen to the instruction. As a parent you need to be aware and make changes accordingly. If you have concern's don't be afraid to talk to your coaches and let them know how you feel. Most coaches will be the first to point out that's it's about the parents not about the kids and this is only partially true. Coaches play a big part and teaching styles vary greatly. Have realistic expectations with your kids. Some kids love the game but there just not all that good. That's great as long as they love the sport and enjoy it you need to reset your own expectations. Don't live your dreams through your kids let them have fun. All you can do is finding them a place where they can live up to their full potential.
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