As a tennis pro and a high school tennis coach, it always amazes me when kids have peak performances in sports. I wonder what kind of practice led up to it, and how did it happen so effortlessly. Recently my team won its third straight Eastern League Championship in the Southern California tennis community. We were 12-0 and it was a lot of work to focus on improvement rather than results. I believe success was a result of sticking to the basics of the sport. Now as we enter post-season CIF competition, my coaching goal is more of the same: “Continue to stick to the basics.”
This revelation arrived on the heels of a non-league loss in a practice match against a stronger school. My team had the tools to win but fell short of that result. Hindsight is a great teacher. What did I do wrong? What could my athletes have done differently? The answer? We put too much pressure on the results and forgot to do the basics. Consider it a lesson learned.
Here are some tips to prepare kids for peak performances:
1. Keep sports FUN at all costs: Whether you are playing catch with your kid in the backyard or your child is competing in a national junior tennis tournament, fun is the key factor. Laugh, smile and enjoy the process of hitting a tennis ball, catching a baseball or running a relay race. Include an element of friendly competition without negative consequences. Meaning… there should be no sad, frustrated or angry faces when it is over. Look for happy, proud and beaming smiles. Remember FUN is the reasons kids gravitate to sports, and it is the best reason to stay.
2. Involve all participants: The most boring part of youth and high school sports is standing around and watching someone else hit, catch or kick a ball. Every kid wants to play all the time. So if your child is doing more standing, watching and waiting rather than playing, it may be time for a change of team, coach or sport. If your child is active, involved and playing with his/her heart—then you are in the right place.
3. Encourage effort. In sports and life, the only thing you can control is yourself. Boil that concept down to the basic element in sports and you will find the word Effort. You can’t set a goal to win a game or match. All you can do is to try because there are so many factors out of an athlete’s control such as the skill of the opposing player or team, the weather, the environment and a child’s mind set. So the goal should be to give each performance your very best effort because that is all you can do. If you focus on the process of playing, you will be a winner no matter the score.
Next week my team is scheduled for post-season play and here’s what I’ll tell them.
“Have fun, play with your heart and a positive attitude, and try your best because that’s what champions do!!!!”
