Following Borg's Wimbledon triumph the US Open title was up for grabs as the final Grand Slam tournament of the year. American Jimmy Connors was seeded 1 and Borg 2. The tournament was played at Forest Hills Queens in New York on clay (har-tru) . The surface was no where near as slow as the French Open clay surface so Borg's advantage being a traditional clay court player was minimal. The two top seeds won their respective Semi finals easily with Connors over coming Argentine Guillermo Vilas 6-4, 6-2, 6-1 and Borg beating Ilie Nastase 6-3, 6-3, 6-4.
Connors was looking to claim back the title that he had won in 1974 against Australian Ken Rosewall but had lost in 1975 to Spaniard Manuel Orantes. This particular year proved to be a classic match and at one set all both players reached 6 games all in the third . Borg had 4 set points but Connors saved them all with some typical heavy hitting that typified his all or nothing approach to tennis. Connors was the type of player who would play with no fear , even when his back was to the wall , it's what made him a champion.
Connors took the match 6-4, 3-6, 7-6, (11-9) 6-4 and he retained the World number one ranking for the remainder of 1976.
Saturday, 10 May 2014
BORG and NASTASE Chapter1
The 1976 Wimbledon Championships saw a long haired 20 year old Bjorn Borg from Sweden up against Ilie Nastase from Romania who was 30 years of age. Borg was known as 'The Ice Man' for his calm nature on court whereas Nastase was the opposite , a fiery tennis player but very entertaining with his antics at times. To make it to the final Borg had beaten American Roscoe Tanner 6-4, 9-8, 6-4 (tie breakers were at 8 games all until..) and Nastase had beaten Raul Ramirez of Mexico 6-2, 9-7, 6-3. Borg talks openly about this match and how he had lost to Nastase on at least two occasions going into the final, but their rankings did not show much of an advantage with Borg at 4 and Nastase at 3.
Nastase started the match in style and raced to a 3 - 0 lead before Borg clawed his way back into it and took the first 6 -4. The come back by Borg seemed to deflate Nastase and a second set win of 6-2 to Borg had him looking at his first Wimbledon title. After a tight battle in the third set Borg took the title with a 9-7 win in a tie breaker. The highlights of this match are surprisingly clear even today and worth a look, especially at the pre- match locker room footage. Borg can be seen relaxing reading a paper while Nastase is rubbing some oil into his torsoe. Before the players walk out Nastase can be seen combing his long hair in front of the mirror , priceless footage.
As Borg throws his racket in the air with delight at winning Nastase jumps over the net and gives Borg a hug and ruffles his hair. Jumping the net traditionally was done by the winner of a game of tennis but both the era and Nastase showed that tennis back then was in many ways unscripted.
Borg And Nastase Team Up CHAPTER 2)
At the World Invitational Teams Classic at Hilton Head in October of 1977 Borg and Nastase teamed up to play doubles together against Australian Rod 'Rocket' Laver and American Arthur Ashe, a most entertaining match filled with controversy. The match was played on American clay that left a tell tale mark on most shots so if a player thought a ball was out then on most occasions he could prove it.
At one point Ashe hits what appears to be an ace but it is called wide, that's where the fun begins. Nastase during his career was often known for being rather controversial in the way he acted on court , particularly with his line call arguing. On this particular occasion as Ashe walks to the net to see if he can see the mark from his serve Nastase walks over and scuffs out the mark with his shoe, end of argument. At 2 games all in the final set Laver joins in the fun and returns the favour as Nastase walks towards the net to see if he can see where his shot had landed that had been called out.
'Rocket' was never known for controversy on a tennis court , this would be about as close as he would come to any . Nastase applauds Laver's actions with a sarcastic hand clap. What Borg does next is quite extraordinary. .Nastase's actions obviously were starting to wear off on his partner as Borg hits a ball out of the stadium in frustration as the commentator says "now there's a home run". Strangely enough Borg does not receive even a word from the umpire. Perhaps a crystal ball was there to see that in the future Borg's issues with officialdom could be counted on the fingers on one hand.
Bjorn Borg and Ilie Nastase were of very different personalities on a tennis court. In the Wimbledon final they were opponents , at Hilton Head the following year they teamed up to play together. 'Fire' and 'Ice' , but it's what made these two so entertaining to watch.
Nastase started the match in style and raced to a 3 - 0 lead before Borg clawed his way back into it and took the first 6 -4. The come back by Borg seemed to deflate Nastase and a second set win of 6-2 to Borg had him looking at his first Wimbledon title. After a tight battle in the third set Borg took the title with a 9-7 win in a tie breaker. The highlights of this match are surprisingly clear even today and worth a look, especially at the pre- match locker room footage. Borg can be seen relaxing reading a paper while Nastase is rubbing some oil into his torsoe. Before the players walk out Nastase can be seen combing his long hair in front of the mirror , priceless footage.
As Borg throws his racket in the air with delight at winning Nastase jumps over the net and gives Borg a hug and ruffles his hair. Jumping the net traditionally was done by the winner of a game of tennis but both the era and Nastase showed that tennis back then was in many ways unscripted.
Borg And Nastase Team Up CHAPTER 2)
At the World Invitational Teams Classic at Hilton Head in October of 1977 Borg and Nastase teamed up to play doubles together against Australian Rod 'Rocket' Laver and American Arthur Ashe, a most entertaining match filled with controversy. The match was played on American clay that left a tell tale mark on most shots so if a player thought a ball was out then on most occasions he could prove it.
At one point Ashe hits what appears to be an ace but it is called wide, that's where the fun begins. Nastase during his career was often known for being rather controversial in the way he acted on court , particularly with his line call arguing. On this particular occasion as Ashe walks to the net to see if he can see the mark from his serve Nastase walks over and scuffs out the mark with his shoe, end of argument. At 2 games all in the final set Laver joins in the fun and returns the favour as Nastase walks towards the net to see if he can see where his shot had landed that had been called out.
'Rocket' was never known for controversy on a tennis court , this would be about as close as he would come to any . Nastase applauds Laver's actions with a sarcastic hand clap. What Borg does next is quite extraordinary. .Nastase's actions obviously were starting to wear off on his partner as Borg hits a ball out of the stadium in frustration as the commentator says "now there's a home run". Strangely enough Borg does not receive even a word from the umpire. Perhaps a crystal ball was there to see that in the future Borg's issues with officialdom could be counted on the fingers on one hand.
Bjorn Borg and Ilie Nastase were of very different personalities on a tennis court. In the Wimbledon final they were opponents , at Hilton Head the following year they teamed up to play together. 'Fire' and 'Ice' , but it's what made these two so entertaining to watch.
FORWARD
My first impression of the game of tennis was when i was about 7 years old , the year was 1976 and a long haired Swedish gentleman threw his racket in the air with delight at winning Tennis's Holy Grail , Wimbledon . From that year i watched him play some true legends , Connors , McEnroe, Gerulaitis, players who for me shaped the game into what it is today. I was hooked on the game . The game has changed a lot since i was a kid , the personalities that i mentioned were players who did things on a tennis court that you simply don't see anymore. These players expressed their emotions and let the audience see who they were, they let us inside their personalities.
They inspired me to a point that at age 12 i told myself i wanted to become a professional tennis player. This was my dream . I read a book that my Grandpa gave to my sister for her birthday , it was Bjorn Borg's biography, a fascinating read, i perhaps read it 25 times.
I did my best to make it as a professional tennis player , i played full time tennis in Queensland from the ages of 16 to 18 years , it defined me as a person. I met some people who inspired me , their goal was just like mine , to be the best we could be, even if it meant making sacrifices. It was educational.
When i was 21 i decided to travel to Europe to see the best play in a series of money tournaments, it was an eye opener, the standard throughout Paris and Germany was extraordinary. By a huge coincidence the year that i went was the year that my hero and inspiration to play the game Bjorn Borg decided to make a come back . Unfortunately i didn't make it to Monte Carlo to watch his failed bid to reclaim glory but i watched him play the match on television from a sporting club in Paris.
I visited the Monte Carlo Country Club 3 weeks later, an experience i will never forget. It was an almost eerie feeling to visit the venue that a player of such stature played his final match, both in 1982 as a farewell to the tour and again in 1991 as a come back. If not for Borg i probably would have played hockey or football. I still make reference to both him and fellow players of that era when i teach kids to play the game at my lessons.
I decided to write this book as a dedication to those players who shaped the game of tennis from when i was a kid to a culmination of my European tour in 1991. This book has some stories of players who are no longer with us but left an impression on both myself and the game. It also has some light hearted stories of when playing the game was more about having fun and not playing for outrageous amounts of money that is the case today.
This book does not cover every match from 1976 to 1991 but it captures some moments that i will treasure . The beauty of modern technology now days is that many of these moments can now be looked up on You Tube, moments that were lost for years until brought back to life by tennis lovers.
I will add a link at the bottom of each chapter that is available on You Tube so you the reader can also see the event in reality.
I hope you enjoy these accounts in history on the Men's game that personally i will look back on with the fondest of memories.
Glenn Thompson
Tennis Coach and fanatic
They inspired me to a point that at age 12 i told myself i wanted to become a professional tennis player. This was my dream . I read a book that my Grandpa gave to my sister for her birthday , it was Bjorn Borg's biography, a fascinating read, i perhaps read it 25 times.
I did my best to make it as a professional tennis player , i played full time tennis in Queensland from the ages of 16 to 18 years , it defined me as a person. I met some people who inspired me , their goal was just like mine , to be the best we could be, even if it meant making sacrifices. It was educational.
When i was 21 i decided to travel to Europe to see the best play in a series of money tournaments, it was an eye opener, the standard throughout Paris and Germany was extraordinary. By a huge coincidence the year that i went was the year that my hero and inspiration to play the game Bjorn Borg decided to make a come back . Unfortunately i didn't make it to Monte Carlo to watch his failed bid to reclaim glory but i watched him play the match on television from a sporting club in Paris.
I visited the Monte Carlo Country Club 3 weeks later, an experience i will never forget. It was an almost eerie feeling to visit the venue that a player of such stature played his final match, both in 1982 as a farewell to the tour and again in 1991 as a come back. If not for Borg i probably would have played hockey or football. I still make reference to both him and fellow players of that era when i teach kids to play the game at my lessons.
I decided to write this book as a dedication to those players who shaped the game of tennis from when i was a kid to a culmination of my European tour in 1991. This book has some stories of players who are no longer with us but left an impression on both myself and the game. It also has some light hearted stories of when playing the game was more about having fun and not playing for outrageous amounts of money that is the case today.
This book does not cover every match from 1976 to 1991 but it captures some moments that i will treasure . The beauty of modern technology now days is that many of these moments can now be looked up on You Tube, moments that were lost for years until brought back to life by tennis lovers.
I will add a link at the bottom of each chapter that is available on You Tube so you the reader can also see the event in reality.
I hope you enjoy these accounts in history on the Men's game that personally i will look back on with the fondest of memories.
Glenn Thompson
Tennis Coach and fanatic
Sunday, 4 May 2014
'PERCEPTION'
I have always risked getting offside with fellow tennis coaches due to my stance on the cost of learning this game. For example i have never charged more than $40 for a one hour lesson despite having 31 years of playing and coaching experience behind me , i don't charge rates that i can't justify. If i know a kid has been getting charged $80 elsewhere i will not all of a sudden put my price up to $50 , i will leave it at $40. If i know a kid's parents are not flushed with cash but i believe the kid has ability and a good attitude to match i will do a lesson for as little as $25. Why make it hard for a kid to learn and what right do i have as a coach to charge an hourly rate that takes most of the public three hours to earn?
Just because the game of tennis can potentially earn someone a million dollars in a year , or more, why should it be taken out of the reach of every day people who earn from say $18 - $30 per hour in the 'Real World'? I refer to the tennis coaching industry as 'sheep following sheep' , there is no other reason as to why an hourly rate is not more affordable. As coaches are we looking to get rich quick or are we trying to keep people playing the game and improving at a steady rate so that the game is in safe hands for the future?
So if a tennis coach with say 5 years experience is charging as much as a coach of 25 years then unless he or she is churning out State champions on a regular basis then how can this be justified?
On the other side of the coin if a tennis coach of 25 years is not regularly fixing student's issues but rather just saying 'good shot , you are doing well, see you same time next week' then i don't believe he has the right to charge exotic prices either just to appease the industry.
What if a coach has had say 20 years experience , has passed his Level 2 or even Level 3 Course , has ceased trying to teach State Champions and is now simply teaching at a club to help club players improve their games? Well i look at it like this ; If in this example the coach charges say a flat rate of $50 per hour then that is a price that is looked at as 'reasonable', especially in the City Tennis Clubs , it's a price that would see a regular flow of customers. The other thing you have to be mind full of when teaching this game is that you don't make it an 'exclusive' sport anymore than it already is , high prices scare people away.
A $50 hourly rate will also not put an unrealistic burden on a tennis coach that $80 or $100 an hour will and let's face it , the higher the price the higher the expectation of the consumer.
Put it this way if i wanted to learn to hit a golf ball the right way at $70 per hour i would want 'immediate improvement', not something that was going to take three years to fix, i would be broke in no time.
A Lawyer charges $275 per hour but does he fix the problem? He usually makes matters worse so he can charge the next 10 hours for that price. A Mechanic charges around $100 per hour , usually fixes the problem but not always. What will the public look for in most instances ? The highest price as this must mean surely that 'THEY ARE THE BEST'.
Just because a student at tennis pays $80 it doesn't mean the guy who pays $40 for an hour of tuition is missing out on anything, but it's what's wrong with the perception of the game of tennis and it's why it is referred to as a 'Rich Person's Sport'.
I am not talking about the 'babysitting' classes that offer 45 minutes of mayhem for $10 , i am referring to the only real way to get better at tennis and that's one on one lessons .
Perception of tennis has changed dramatically over the years and the cost of learning is getting out of the reach of most families, a real shame. Tennis should not be about who has the most money to pay for the 'privilege' of learning it but it should be about who appreciates it and who is willing to learn, that's where a tennis coach fits in .
Let's make it affordable, not exclusive.
Just because the game of tennis can potentially earn someone a million dollars in a year , or more, why should it be taken out of the reach of every day people who earn from say $18 - $30 per hour in the 'Real World'? I refer to the tennis coaching industry as 'sheep following sheep' , there is no other reason as to why an hourly rate is not more affordable. As coaches are we looking to get rich quick or are we trying to keep people playing the game and improving at a steady rate so that the game is in safe hands for the future?
So if a tennis coach with say 5 years experience is charging as much as a coach of 25 years then unless he or she is churning out State champions on a regular basis then how can this be justified?
On the other side of the coin if a tennis coach of 25 years is not regularly fixing student's issues but rather just saying 'good shot , you are doing well, see you same time next week' then i don't believe he has the right to charge exotic prices either just to appease the industry.
What if a coach has had say 20 years experience , has passed his Level 2 or even Level 3 Course , has ceased trying to teach State Champions and is now simply teaching at a club to help club players improve their games? Well i look at it like this ; If in this example the coach charges say a flat rate of $50 per hour then that is a price that is looked at as 'reasonable', especially in the City Tennis Clubs , it's a price that would see a regular flow of customers. The other thing you have to be mind full of when teaching this game is that you don't make it an 'exclusive' sport anymore than it already is , high prices scare people away.
A $50 hourly rate will also not put an unrealistic burden on a tennis coach that $80 or $100 an hour will and let's face it , the higher the price the higher the expectation of the consumer.
Put it this way if i wanted to learn to hit a golf ball the right way at $70 per hour i would want 'immediate improvement', not something that was going to take three years to fix, i would be broke in no time.
A Lawyer charges $275 per hour but does he fix the problem? He usually makes matters worse so he can charge the next 10 hours for that price. A Mechanic charges around $100 per hour , usually fixes the problem but not always. What will the public look for in most instances ? The highest price as this must mean surely that 'THEY ARE THE BEST'.
Just because a student at tennis pays $80 it doesn't mean the guy who pays $40 for an hour of tuition is missing out on anything, but it's what's wrong with the perception of the game of tennis and it's why it is referred to as a 'Rich Person's Sport'.
I am not talking about the 'babysitting' classes that offer 45 minutes of mayhem for $10 , i am referring to the only real way to get better at tennis and that's one on one lessons .
Perception of tennis has changed dramatically over the years and the cost of learning is getting out of the reach of most families, a real shame. Tennis should not be about who has the most money to pay for the 'privilege' of learning it but it should be about who appreciates it and who is willing to learn, that's where a tennis coach fits in .
Let's make it affordable, not exclusive.
'STATE OF MIND'
The state of mind of either a player or coach of tennis can determine a lot of factors as far as what will be brought to the table when it's time to hit a ball. Kids thrive off the enthusiasm of a tennis coach and most times will react in a positive manner, but not all the time.
I was asked to have a look at a kid last season who was from 'elsewhere' who i had heard about , but not convinced he was a future star. I didn't go into the lesson with anything but an open mind , by the time i left i had a very different opinion. I was asked by the kid's father to give an 'honest evaluation' of his ability and after 35 minutes he got just that . "I'm not interested in being on the same court as your son , he has no interest being on the same court as me, he knows it all , or so he thinks. Keep your money for the 35 minutes, my free advice is get him to fix his attitude".
Now this wasn't the happiest 35 minutes of my life as for a start i didn't enjoy the kid's attitude and i also refused any payment , but i was trying to make a point, so i did as best i could. If i had continued the lesson and taken their money , said "well done buddy you are a star in the making" then i would have being lying to them and myself. If i explain to a kid that a high forehand follow through will give a higher arc to the ball over the net and he refuses to even try this then my view is simple , he knows it all. I will always demonstrate a shot that i teach to the best of my ability as a visual for a kid is the best way for them to pick the game up, i pride myself on it.
Have you ever noticed the first ball at least that you hit for a kid in a demonstration he will watch where the ball actually goes in the court. I always say "trust me buddy this shot is going in the court, WATCH THE WAY I ACTUALLY HIT IT", in a polite but firm way of course. No one ever learnt anything by watching where the ball bounces , they need to learn how it is hit. So in this particular case i gave an example of how a ball hit with spin over the net with an arc that gives my opponent no comfort whatsoever is way harder to get back than a net skimming ball that has no margin for error. This kid was not interested, so in the end neither was I.
This wasn't the first lesson i had cut short , i have done it on numerous occasions when i believed that the parent is wasting their money and my time. Do i get the same pupils back? Most times no , one occasion yes and the attitude was better, that's all i ask. I am not a 'babysitter' i am a teacher of the game of tennis , there is a difference.
As a coach i believe we are responsible for the actions of our pupils on a court whether it be at practice or in a tournament so etiquette and state of mind need to be taught to pupils . I remember telling my students before they played a tournament " If i see you guys misbehaving or hanging off the back of a fence as the 'peanut gallery' i will give you a week off from your training . If you guys are doing stuff that puts the spotlight on you for all the wrong reasons then the spotlight will then be put rather brightly on me as your coach. I am not interested in bad publicity". Nine times out of ten they respected my wishes.
My hard nosed approach to my pupils probably came from the coaches that i had when i was a kid , they were hard but fair on me , i respected that and implemented it in my own coaching, it's a stance i won't be changing.
I was asked to have a look at a kid last season who was from 'elsewhere' who i had heard about , but not convinced he was a future star. I didn't go into the lesson with anything but an open mind , by the time i left i had a very different opinion. I was asked by the kid's father to give an 'honest evaluation' of his ability and after 35 minutes he got just that . "I'm not interested in being on the same court as your son , he has no interest being on the same court as me, he knows it all , or so he thinks. Keep your money for the 35 minutes, my free advice is get him to fix his attitude".
Now this wasn't the happiest 35 minutes of my life as for a start i didn't enjoy the kid's attitude and i also refused any payment , but i was trying to make a point, so i did as best i could. If i had continued the lesson and taken their money , said "well done buddy you are a star in the making" then i would have being lying to them and myself. If i explain to a kid that a high forehand follow through will give a higher arc to the ball over the net and he refuses to even try this then my view is simple , he knows it all. I will always demonstrate a shot that i teach to the best of my ability as a visual for a kid is the best way for them to pick the game up, i pride myself on it.
Have you ever noticed the first ball at least that you hit for a kid in a demonstration he will watch where the ball actually goes in the court. I always say "trust me buddy this shot is going in the court, WATCH THE WAY I ACTUALLY HIT IT", in a polite but firm way of course. No one ever learnt anything by watching where the ball bounces , they need to learn how it is hit. So in this particular case i gave an example of how a ball hit with spin over the net with an arc that gives my opponent no comfort whatsoever is way harder to get back than a net skimming ball that has no margin for error. This kid was not interested, so in the end neither was I.
This wasn't the first lesson i had cut short , i have done it on numerous occasions when i believed that the parent is wasting their money and my time. Do i get the same pupils back? Most times no , one occasion yes and the attitude was better, that's all i ask. I am not a 'babysitter' i am a teacher of the game of tennis , there is a difference.
As a coach i believe we are responsible for the actions of our pupils on a court whether it be at practice or in a tournament so etiquette and state of mind need to be taught to pupils . I remember telling my students before they played a tournament " If i see you guys misbehaving or hanging off the back of a fence as the 'peanut gallery' i will give you a week off from your training . If you guys are doing stuff that puts the spotlight on you for all the wrong reasons then the spotlight will then be put rather brightly on me as your coach. I am not interested in bad publicity". Nine times out of ten they respected my wishes.
My hard nosed approach to my pupils probably came from the coaches that i had when i was a kid , they were hard but fair on me , i respected that and implemented it in my own coaching, it's a stance i won't be changing.
'ANXIETY AND A FEAR OF FAILURE' ( THE MIND )
ANXIETY ( A feeling of worry, nervousness or unease about something with an uncertain outcome)
This is a real issue in sportspeople of any age but it may be the difference as to whether a kid who plays tennis can take their game to the required level to achieve success. As a tennis coach i have seen many things on a tennis court that i shake my head at in disbelief then nod my head in acknowledgement that this was in fact my biggest issue when i played the game as a teenager. I recall some days barely being able to hold my racket or move without feeling as though my legs were lead weights and my stomach constantly turned. So what is it with tennis and anxiety?
It may have a lot to do with the pressure that has been put on the child by parents, friends or even by the child themselves as they strive for a goal , a personal goal. There are no other people to blame for a loss when all is said and done, it's that horrible feeling of 'i failed, i should have won , how could i lose that? or i am pathetic', it's just that sort of game.
I firmly believe that anxiety in my adult life stemmed from my days of junior tennis that had me at times feeling so nervous that i could not perform the way that either i knew i could or knew i should be, a feeling of helplessness. Hours spent practicing the game usually accounted for nothing as some days i would give a shadow of the person that i knew i could deliver on a tennis court. After some matches i literally hated myself and i would hate the game too , so why didn't i give up? The challenge.
Tennis is a sport that is really only a mental battle if you are fit , because let's face it , if you are technically sound , fit and have no physical defects then playing tennis should really just be about putting the ball in play and out thinking your opponent. Pretty simple really, so why isn't it?
Fear of failure in a one on one sport can over ride your ability to perform at the level you know you have when you hit against a ball machine, on club days, against a mate, or even perhaps against the kids you teach, so why is this? You will never beat a ball machine so you have nothing to lose , there is no point trying to beat it so you just try to not embarrass yourself, it's a pride thing. If the machine spits out 50 balls in a sequence of side to side hitting then and you get 50 back into play well you didn't technically beat it but you matched it, you feel good about this.
If you have a hit against fellow club players on a Saturday afternoon then there is no real pressure and you swing freely , with no fear , some of your shots will be quite remarkable but you have these shots , you just aren't prepared to release them in a tournament for fear of missing . If you play against either your mates or the students you teach then chances are you will be better than them so in a sometimes egotistical way you inadvertently 'show off' your skills , again , with no fear of missing.
So when we take on a machine or our mates or our students there is no anxiety, no fear of failure , no tight muscles , no nervousness , we are in complete control of both the situation and our ability to play the game of tennis. However when we are thrust into the spotlight in a tennis tournament against an opponent who has two arms, two legs , just the same as us , for some reason things change.
Being nervous at the start of a match in particular can cost you the match , even if after a weak first set you come back in the second and play the way you want to and know you can play. How many times have you read a scoreline of 6-1, 7-6? That's typical of a player who really 'didn't turn up' in the first set but by the time he had lost the first set , the anxiety had gone and he was able to play his natural game. The great Boris Becker used to have a funny habit at the start of matches, he would cough, just small coughs that resembled someone who had a slight tickle in the throat, it would be gone by the third game once the adrenalin had kicked in . I wonder if Boris would ever admit to this ? I remember it vividly. Even the great Champions of tennis get anxiety but they know how to shut it out in time for them to perform at their best and that's what makes them champions.
A large crowd has a lot to do with a player's anxiety level , i know it did with me , i felt as though the 'World' was watching and assessing and picking apart my every shot and every move, i felt claustrophobic, but there was no where to hide. When i first started teaching tennis as an 18 year old i used to make a habit of getting to the venue first and taking my group to the end court , as afar away as i could from the parents , i also used to play well in a tournament on an outside court . As soon as i was within earshot or spectator view for coaching or playing then i would talk quietly to the kids or play conservatively , i had a fear of failure.
To this day my anxiety before a game of tennis is still there but it is much more controlled , i feel in charge now of my emotions and i am not trying for anything else but self pride and gaining respect. When i teach i welcome parents court side as i am in complete control of my lessons and my way of expressing myself, i just wish i had that ability when i was younger.
Anxiety prevents a good player from becoming great, prevents an average player from becoming good and it prevented myself from enjoying tennis more when i was younger.
This is a real issue in sportspeople of any age but it may be the difference as to whether a kid who plays tennis can take their game to the required level to achieve success. As a tennis coach i have seen many things on a tennis court that i shake my head at in disbelief then nod my head in acknowledgement that this was in fact my biggest issue when i played the game as a teenager. I recall some days barely being able to hold my racket or move without feeling as though my legs were lead weights and my stomach constantly turned. So what is it with tennis and anxiety?
It may have a lot to do with the pressure that has been put on the child by parents, friends or even by the child themselves as they strive for a goal , a personal goal. There are no other people to blame for a loss when all is said and done, it's that horrible feeling of 'i failed, i should have won , how could i lose that? or i am pathetic', it's just that sort of game.
I firmly believe that anxiety in my adult life stemmed from my days of junior tennis that had me at times feeling so nervous that i could not perform the way that either i knew i could or knew i should be, a feeling of helplessness. Hours spent practicing the game usually accounted for nothing as some days i would give a shadow of the person that i knew i could deliver on a tennis court. After some matches i literally hated myself and i would hate the game too , so why didn't i give up? The challenge.
Tennis is a sport that is really only a mental battle if you are fit , because let's face it , if you are technically sound , fit and have no physical defects then playing tennis should really just be about putting the ball in play and out thinking your opponent. Pretty simple really, so why isn't it?
Fear of failure in a one on one sport can over ride your ability to perform at the level you know you have when you hit against a ball machine, on club days, against a mate, or even perhaps against the kids you teach, so why is this? You will never beat a ball machine so you have nothing to lose , there is no point trying to beat it so you just try to not embarrass yourself, it's a pride thing. If the machine spits out 50 balls in a sequence of side to side hitting then and you get 50 back into play well you didn't technically beat it but you matched it, you feel good about this.
If you have a hit against fellow club players on a Saturday afternoon then there is no real pressure and you swing freely , with no fear , some of your shots will be quite remarkable but you have these shots , you just aren't prepared to release them in a tournament for fear of missing . If you play against either your mates or the students you teach then chances are you will be better than them so in a sometimes egotistical way you inadvertently 'show off' your skills , again , with no fear of missing.
So when we take on a machine or our mates or our students there is no anxiety, no fear of failure , no tight muscles , no nervousness , we are in complete control of both the situation and our ability to play the game of tennis. However when we are thrust into the spotlight in a tennis tournament against an opponent who has two arms, two legs , just the same as us , for some reason things change.
Being nervous at the start of a match in particular can cost you the match , even if after a weak first set you come back in the second and play the way you want to and know you can play. How many times have you read a scoreline of 6-1, 7-6? That's typical of a player who really 'didn't turn up' in the first set but by the time he had lost the first set , the anxiety had gone and he was able to play his natural game. The great Boris Becker used to have a funny habit at the start of matches, he would cough, just small coughs that resembled someone who had a slight tickle in the throat, it would be gone by the third game once the adrenalin had kicked in . I wonder if Boris would ever admit to this ? I remember it vividly. Even the great Champions of tennis get anxiety but they know how to shut it out in time for them to perform at their best and that's what makes them champions.
A large crowd has a lot to do with a player's anxiety level , i know it did with me , i felt as though the 'World' was watching and assessing and picking apart my every shot and every move, i felt claustrophobic, but there was no where to hide. When i first started teaching tennis as an 18 year old i used to make a habit of getting to the venue first and taking my group to the end court , as afar away as i could from the parents , i also used to play well in a tournament on an outside court . As soon as i was within earshot or spectator view for coaching or playing then i would talk quietly to the kids or play conservatively , i had a fear of failure.
To this day my anxiety before a game of tennis is still there but it is much more controlled , i feel in charge now of my emotions and i am not trying for anything else but self pride and gaining respect. When i teach i welcome parents court side as i am in complete control of my lessons and my way of expressing myself, i just wish i had that ability when i was younger.
Anxiety prevents a good player from becoming great, prevents an average player from becoming good and it prevented myself from enjoying tennis more when i was younger.
Friday, 2 May 2014
'CREDENTIALS'
I suppose it's important to explain my background in the game of tennis , no World beater , but a tennis player from age 12 and Coach from age 18, i am now 45.
My first state Title was won in Perth when i was 15 at the City of Melville Championships , a doubles victory against the number 1 seeded team of Ken Mccreery and Tim Burrows. They apparently hadn't been beaten in a long, long time, it was a good win by myself and good junior mate Dale Jones from Fremantle. I was runner up in the State Championships at the Fremantle Tennis Club a year later, the same year i left WA for Queensland. On leaving WA i had accumulated enough points to have a 16's State ranking of 7, it was flattering, there were some great players in my age group in WA.
I trained full time at the Coops facility in Brisbane for approximately 18 months and hit with, among others, Pat Rafter (former World Number 1) , Peter Trammachi (former World Number 47 in doubles) and Andrew Kratzmann(former Australian Open doubles finalist) . It was an experience i will look back on for the rest of my life as 'educational'.
Whilst in Queensland i played several Satellite (Challenger) events and won a qualifying round in two events. The standard of players trying to make the game their career was intimidating, yet educational as it shaped my attitude and realistic approach to teaching the game.
I am an Advanced Pro Level 2 Tennis Coach with the ATPCA (Australian Tennis Professional Coaches Association) and have taught the game in both Perth and Albany for a total of 27 years.
I once taught guests at the Observation City Resort in Scarborough, Perth ,to some high flyers who tipped me twice as much as i charged for the lesson.
I have always charged accordingly to what i believe the game is worth and have never asked for more than $40 per hour for my tuition. Pricing i firmly believe has lead to the game being touted as a 'Rich Kid's Sport'.
I spent two months in Europe playing a series of Money Tournaments that gave me a lasting impression on the sport , a view that i have not changed since our trip of a lifetime in 1991. Brett Patten (former World number 1 for 35-40's) , Peter Gerrans (Perth tennis Coach) and myself travelled around Europe in a car the size of a mini, a character building trip that i will cherish forever.
I am a tough coach , and a realistic one, i give honest appraisals at prices most tennis coaches wouldn't get out of bed for, but it's what i pride myself on, accountability.
I hope you enjoy my take on an industry that in some ways i love , but in many ways i despise.
Glenn Thompson
My first state Title was won in Perth when i was 15 at the City of Melville Championships , a doubles victory against the number 1 seeded team of Ken Mccreery and Tim Burrows. They apparently hadn't been beaten in a long, long time, it was a good win by myself and good junior mate Dale Jones from Fremantle. I was runner up in the State Championships at the Fremantle Tennis Club a year later, the same year i left WA for Queensland. On leaving WA i had accumulated enough points to have a 16's State ranking of 7, it was flattering, there were some great players in my age group in WA.
I trained full time at the Coops facility in Brisbane for approximately 18 months and hit with, among others, Pat Rafter (former World Number 1) , Peter Trammachi (former World Number 47 in doubles) and Andrew Kratzmann(former Australian Open doubles finalist) . It was an experience i will look back on for the rest of my life as 'educational'.
Whilst in Queensland i played several Satellite (Challenger) events and won a qualifying round in two events. The standard of players trying to make the game their career was intimidating, yet educational as it shaped my attitude and realistic approach to teaching the game.
I am an Advanced Pro Level 2 Tennis Coach with the ATPCA (Australian Tennis Professional Coaches Association) and have taught the game in both Perth and Albany for a total of 27 years.
I once taught guests at the Observation City Resort in Scarborough, Perth ,to some high flyers who tipped me twice as much as i charged for the lesson.
I have always charged accordingly to what i believe the game is worth and have never asked for more than $40 per hour for my tuition. Pricing i firmly believe has lead to the game being touted as a 'Rich Kid's Sport'.
I spent two months in Europe playing a series of Money Tournaments that gave me a lasting impression on the sport , a view that i have not changed since our trip of a lifetime in 1991. Brett Patten (former World number 1 for 35-40's) , Peter Gerrans (Perth tennis Coach) and myself travelled around Europe in a car the size of a mini, a character building trip that i will cherish forever.
I am a tough coach , and a realistic one, i give honest appraisals at prices most tennis coaches wouldn't get out of bed for, but it's what i pride myself on, accountability.
I hope you enjoy my take on an industry that in some ways i love , but in many ways i despise.
Glenn Thompson
Thursday, 1 May 2014
'EGO AND ATTITUDE ( THE MIND )
Your EGO is your conscious mind, the part of your identity that you consider your "self".If you say someone has "a big EGO , you are saying he is full of himself. Or 'an inflated feeling of pride in your superiority to others'.
An ATTITUDE is somewhere between a belief, a stance , a mood,and a pose. If you've got an ATTITUDE about something it can be hard to change it because you think you are right.(From vocabulary.com.) "Ego is not a dirty word", great song by legendary Australian Band Skyhooks, loved the song and the Band, a great era of music to grow up with. As far as tennis goes 'ego IS a dirty word' , the game always has been full of ego's and attitudes that you only see in a sport such as tennis , it doesn't happen as much in team sports. So why is this? It's because tennis is a game that Andre Agassi refers to as a 'boxing bout', we all know how egotistical boxers are, just look at 'The Man' , Anthony Mundine, Mr Ego himself. But is it all a show ? Someone just recently talked of how they met Mundine on a flight and could not believe how polite and forthcoming he was , the total opposite of who 99 percent of the public see .
Look at John McEnroe, some would say he has a bad attitude, he is still going nuts in the Senior Tour matches but it's an entertainment thing surely. There's no ranking points on the line now days and minimal prize money so why does he do it? Well personally i wouldn't pay money to watch a polite Jonny Mac play anyone, i would want him to go nuts , it's how we remember him from his 80's glory days. Like wise i don't know how i would feel watching the great Bjorn Borg do anything except be a gentleman, as he was in his glory days, each player has a personality, some ego's and attitudes however are bigger or worse than others. Jonny Mac by all reports is a great guy when he is not going nuts at the linesmen and umpire, Borg swears by it , they are good mates, 'Fire and Ice'.
The great Jimmy Connors had a big ego , he also was known at times to have a poor attitude , sometimes it was obvious when he played. I watched him when i was a kid, he would go to his opponent and have a chat with him face to face. He style was likened to a 'street fighter' on more than one occasion, he loved the one on one battle. At times i am sure he would loved to have put up the fists as he nearly did with Jonny Mac in a US Tournament, priceless footage if ever you find it on You Tube.
'Mr Tennis' from my first chapter had a big ego at 14, plus a bad attitude, no Robinson Crusoe there, he was the leader of his 'posse', he was 'The Man', but at 14?? As a coach of the game since i was 18 years old i have seen some funny things on a tennis court but ego's and attitudes will remain at the fore front of my memories long after any other situation that i can remember.
Actions always speak louder than words in the game of tennis and ego's most of the time get extinguished with a loss because winning regularly at any level is tough. Back when we had a fairly large program going around 5 years ago i didn't mind seeing a couple of them lose in tournaments or practice matches , it calmed their ego to a more respectable level.
I remember a session one day that was hilarious, one 'hot shot' kid got beaten easily by a kid who just got the ball in play, no pace, no spin , just got it back. After the loss the 'hot shot' says "he's just a hack". I said "you can't call him anything buddy, he owns you until you find a way to beat him".I thought the loss was good for him , it dented his ego, his attitude still needed a 'tweak' though.
I once forfeited a Semi Final of my Club Championships to a guy who i was not the least bit interested in beating,(Mr Nice Guy).But the opponent who he beat the round before, well i was not interested in seeing him win the title, i felt his ego was a little too large.I felt that if the younger player got through i could win against him comfortably , that's not my ego talking , it's just where our ability was back then. My view on the whole situation was rather simple , i didn't want to see an ego grow much bigger for a kid of his age , there was plenty of time for that to happen , a loss would do him the world of good.
I sent my opponent(Mr Nice Guy) a text saying that i had hurt my back and couldn't play him in the Semi's. Some guys i would rather not even try to beat,I would rather have a beer with them instead. On the other side of the coin i also don't mind losing to players who are 'ego-free', they are the best opponents, the sort of player you can have a laugh with along the way.
So is an ego really that or is it just a bad attitude at times to make the opponent a little uncomfortable with their apparent lack of sensitivity , feeling or personality. Look at The Man Mundine and Jonny Mac, just two examples of sportsmen who seem to have two different personalities , one on the sporting turf and one off it.
Tennis is a sport where any little advantage may help get you across the line but personally i like the Bjorn Borg approach to the game. If you never show your opponent what you are thinking or feeling then that surely would out weigh any egotistical way of trying to gain an advantage, just a theory.
An ATTITUDE is somewhere between a belief, a stance , a mood,and a pose. If you've got an ATTITUDE about something it can be hard to change it because you think you are right.(From vocabulary.com.) "Ego is not a dirty word", great song by legendary Australian Band Skyhooks, loved the song and the Band, a great era of music to grow up with. As far as tennis goes 'ego IS a dirty word' , the game always has been full of ego's and attitudes that you only see in a sport such as tennis , it doesn't happen as much in team sports. So why is this? It's because tennis is a game that Andre Agassi refers to as a 'boxing bout', we all know how egotistical boxers are, just look at 'The Man' , Anthony Mundine, Mr Ego himself. But is it all a show ? Someone just recently talked of how they met Mundine on a flight and could not believe how polite and forthcoming he was , the total opposite of who 99 percent of the public see .
Look at John McEnroe, some would say he has a bad attitude, he is still going nuts in the Senior Tour matches but it's an entertainment thing surely. There's no ranking points on the line now days and minimal prize money so why does he do it? Well personally i wouldn't pay money to watch a polite Jonny Mac play anyone, i would want him to go nuts , it's how we remember him from his 80's glory days. Like wise i don't know how i would feel watching the great Bjorn Borg do anything except be a gentleman, as he was in his glory days, each player has a personality, some ego's and attitudes however are bigger or worse than others. Jonny Mac by all reports is a great guy when he is not going nuts at the linesmen and umpire, Borg swears by it , they are good mates, 'Fire and Ice'.
The great Jimmy Connors had a big ego , he also was known at times to have a poor attitude , sometimes it was obvious when he played. I watched him when i was a kid, he would go to his opponent and have a chat with him face to face. He style was likened to a 'street fighter' on more than one occasion, he loved the one on one battle. At times i am sure he would loved to have put up the fists as he nearly did with Jonny Mac in a US Tournament, priceless footage if ever you find it on You Tube.
'Mr Tennis' from my first chapter had a big ego at 14, plus a bad attitude, no Robinson Crusoe there, he was the leader of his 'posse', he was 'The Man', but at 14?? As a coach of the game since i was 18 years old i have seen some funny things on a tennis court but ego's and attitudes will remain at the fore front of my memories long after any other situation that i can remember.
Actions always speak louder than words in the game of tennis and ego's most of the time get extinguished with a loss because winning regularly at any level is tough. Back when we had a fairly large program going around 5 years ago i didn't mind seeing a couple of them lose in tournaments or practice matches , it calmed their ego to a more respectable level.
I remember a session one day that was hilarious, one 'hot shot' kid got beaten easily by a kid who just got the ball in play, no pace, no spin , just got it back. After the loss the 'hot shot' says "he's just a hack". I said "you can't call him anything buddy, he owns you until you find a way to beat him".I thought the loss was good for him , it dented his ego, his attitude still needed a 'tweak' though.
I once forfeited a Semi Final of my Club Championships to a guy who i was not the least bit interested in beating,(Mr Nice Guy).But the opponent who he beat the round before, well i was not interested in seeing him win the title, i felt his ego was a little too large.I felt that if the younger player got through i could win against him comfortably , that's not my ego talking , it's just where our ability was back then. My view on the whole situation was rather simple , i didn't want to see an ego grow much bigger for a kid of his age , there was plenty of time for that to happen , a loss would do him the world of good.
I sent my opponent(Mr Nice Guy) a text saying that i had hurt my back and couldn't play him in the Semi's. Some guys i would rather not even try to beat,I would rather have a beer with them instead. On the other side of the coin i also don't mind losing to players who are 'ego-free', they are the best opponents, the sort of player you can have a laugh with along the way.
So is an ego really that or is it just a bad attitude at times to make the opponent a little uncomfortable with their apparent lack of sensitivity , feeling or personality. Look at The Man Mundine and Jonny Mac, just two examples of sportsmen who seem to have two different personalities , one on the sporting turf and one off it.
Tennis is a sport where any little advantage may help get you across the line but personally i like the Bjorn Borg approach to the game. If you never show your opponent what you are thinking or feeling then that surely would out weigh any egotistical way of trying to gain an advantage, just a theory.
'THE 'POSSE'
'POSSE' (A group of people who are together for a particular purpose)
My most vivid memories of junior tennis both here in Albany , Western Australia, Perth and then Queensland was in fact the 'posse' type nature of the sport. There were kids who waltzed around the grounds of the venue as though they were 'God's gift' to the game of tennis and they did back then what they still do now, they form the 'peanut gallery'. I have literally seen kids hanging off fences , like monkeys in a zoo , doing their best to put the spotlight on themselves, letting the rest of the Tournament's competitors know that they are 'in the house'. Groups of kids hang at the back of the courts and continually ask their buddy for the score and they do their best to put their mate's opponent's off their game's by offering words of 'advice' as to what they should be doing next or asking them ' why did you call that out mate? it was on the line', among other things.
I once had a parent phone me in disgust at the behavior of a 'posse' in a tournament played at a small country venue. Her son had come off the court in tears after a loss that should never have happened, he lead comfortably by a set and a break , then the posse turned up , put him off his game. He lost the second and third sets with barely a whimper, his game went to pieces, totally put off by the intimidating nature of the group of kids behind his court.
A kid who is of a timid nature will go to water in this situation, a tough kid will use the situation to fire themselves up but it should never really be put on the table in the first place. As i have gotten much older in the game i have used this type of thing to get myself pumped up, the 'posse' is still a part of the game of tennis at my age in tournaments , but obviously not as pronounced as it is at a junior level. There are always pockets of the audience that are either from the same club or town or group of friends that sit and watch your every move, but luckily they don't hang off the fence anymore, that would look just plain silly.
I recently played a local tournament and had around 5 or so kids watching my match , two of them i used to teach, one asked me the score, i told him what it was ,I even told him i wished i had 'his younger legs' as i struggled with a kid less than half my age. As you get older it's sometimes fun to talk with some spectators, it can change the intense mood of the match and loosen up the tight joints, not so in juniors, it's a 'life or death' situation.
When i was 13 i played in the Albany Junior Open , it was my first tournament and perhaps only a year since i had taken up the game of tennis, i had high aspirations, just not ability to match. I got hammered by a kid who was twice my strength and ability, i didn't win a game, then came the ultimate insult.
I walked up to the Draw board to see when my next match was and there he was 'Mr Tennis' the kid who had just belted me 6-0, complete with his 'posse'. One of his 'henchmen' mentioned my name , i think he was playing me in doubles next match , 'Mr Tennis' came back with 'you will be right, he's weak'. That shattered my confidence, i not only got hammered but i was known to the 'posse' as weak, it was a tournament and lesson in life that i will never forget. I vowed to get better, promised myself that i would never be called 'weak' again, it drove my improvement.
The next year i still remember to this day as possibly the most satisfying moment of my junior playing days, i got my revenge. 'Mr Tennis' came to the tournament but played in a higher age bracket, i didn't have to face him but who did i meet first round in my age group? His brother. This was my match, it's what i had hit for on the garage wall for 3-4 hours some days in the lead up to The Albany Junior Open of possibly 1983, give or take a year. I didn't miss many balls that match in a 6-3 win, and i made a point of following my opponent to the area where his brother was . 'Did you win'? No. 'You lost to Thompson'? Yes.
Hey 'Mr Tennis' you are an egotistical prick, and i didn't think much of either the way you conducted yourself or the way you thought your 'posse' owned the Tournament 12 months earlier. If i ever get really good at this game , i will use you as an example how not to act at a tennis tournament, have a nice day'. No i didn't say it out loud but i did in my head. I went on to win the 14's age group that particular year and i learnt a lot about the game. I told myself never to get too big for my boots , a vanquished opponent one year could quite easily be your conqueror the next, nature of the sport.
My most vivid memories of junior tennis both here in Albany , Western Australia, Perth and then Queensland was in fact the 'posse' type nature of the sport. There were kids who waltzed around the grounds of the venue as though they were 'God's gift' to the game of tennis and they did back then what they still do now, they form the 'peanut gallery'. I have literally seen kids hanging off fences , like monkeys in a zoo , doing their best to put the spotlight on themselves, letting the rest of the Tournament's competitors know that they are 'in the house'. Groups of kids hang at the back of the courts and continually ask their buddy for the score and they do their best to put their mate's opponent's off their game's by offering words of 'advice' as to what they should be doing next or asking them ' why did you call that out mate? it was on the line', among other things.
I once had a parent phone me in disgust at the behavior of a 'posse' in a tournament played at a small country venue. Her son had come off the court in tears after a loss that should never have happened, he lead comfortably by a set and a break , then the posse turned up , put him off his game. He lost the second and third sets with barely a whimper, his game went to pieces, totally put off by the intimidating nature of the group of kids behind his court.
A kid who is of a timid nature will go to water in this situation, a tough kid will use the situation to fire themselves up but it should never really be put on the table in the first place. As i have gotten much older in the game i have used this type of thing to get myself pumped up, the 'posse' is still a part of the game of tennis at my age in tournaments , but obviously not as pronounced as it is at a junior level. There are always pockets of the audience that are either from the same club or town or group of friends that sit and watch your every move, but luckily they don't hang off the fence anymore, that would look just plain silly.
I recently played a local tournament and had around 5 or so kids watching my match , two of them i used to teach, one asked me the score, i told him what it was ,I even told him i wished i had 'his younger legs' as i struggled with a kid less than half my age. As you get older it's sometimes fun to talk with some spectators, it can change the intense mood of the match and loosen up the tight joints, not so in juniors, it's a 'life or death' situation.
When i was 13 i played in the Albany Junior Open , it was my first tournament and perhaps only a year since i had taken up the game of tennis, i had high aspirations, just not ability to match. I got hammered by a kid who was twice my strength and ability, i didn't win a game, then came the ultimate insult.
I walked up to the Draw board to see when my next match was and there he was 'Mr Tennis' the kid who had just belted me 6-0, complete with his 'posse'. One of his 'henchmen' mentioned my name , i think he was playing me in doubles next match , 'Mr Tennis' came back with 'you will be right, he's weak'. That shattered my confidence, i not only got hammered but i was known to the 'posse' as weak, it was a tournament and lesson in life that i will never forget. I vowed to get better, promised myself that i would never be called 'weak' again, it drove my improvement.
The next year i still remember to this day as possibly the most satisfying moment of my junior playing days, i got my revenge. 'Mr Tennis' came to the tournament but played in a higher age bracket, i didn't have to face him but who did i meet first round in my age group? His brother. This was my match, it's what i had hit for on the garage wall for 3-4 hours some days in the lead up to The Albany Junior Open of possibly 1983, give or take a year. I didn't miss many balls that match in a 6-3 win, and i made a point of following my opponent to the area where his brother was . 'Did you win'? No. 'You lost to Thompson'? Yes.
Hey 'Mr Tennis' you are an egotistical prick, and i didn't think much of either the way you conducted yourself or the way you thought your 'posse' owned the Tournament 12 months earlier. If i ever get really good at this game , i will use you as an example how not to act at a tennis tournament, have a nice day'. No i didn't say it out loud but i did in my head. I went on to win the 14's age group that particular year and i learnt a lot about the game. I told myself never to get too big for my boots , a vanquished opponent one year could quite easily be your conqueror the next, nature of the sport.
TENNIS- GIVE IT SOME THOUGHT
“Only boxers can understand the loneliness of tennis players - and
yet boxers have their corner men and managers. Even a boxer's opponent provides
a kind of companionship, someone he can grapple with and grunt at. In tennis you
stand face-to-face with the enemy, trade blows with him, but never touch him or
talk to him, or anyone else. The rules forbid a tennis player from even talking
to his coach while on the court. People sometimes mention the track-and-field
runner as a comparably lonely figure, but I have to laugh. At least the runner
can feel and smell his opponents. They're inches away. In tennis you're on an
island. Of all the games men and women play, tennis is the closest to solitary
confinement....”Andre Agassi from his Biography- Open
Tennis is a sport that not unlike the great Andre Agassi , i in fact dislike also. I write about the sport on my Blog site and i regularly have a 'shot' at the way the sport is run in this country. I also refuse to teach my kids tennis, they can all hit a ball, in fact my daughter Caitlin has played in her school team for inter school tennis for the past 3 years , but i don't coach her. Why ? Because of the nature of the sport, it's a gamble, a punt, a risk, a sport that gives a student of the game moments of anxiety that can be traced back to the loneliness of the game , just as Andre Agassi is quoted as saying in the opening paragraph. I sometimes wonder whether my own issues in life stemmed from my failure to make it as a professional tennis player , after all , it's a game that has the same odds of success as a big win in Lotto.
Did i fall into a depressive state because my tennis playing career didn't take off or was it simply that i was unhappy with life? , as i told the psychologist , i thought i was insane , lying back on his couch. Whatever the issue was i often wish i never took up the game, it haunts me every day , the what if's and the soul destroying nature of the sport that comes with a bad loss, especially as a kid.
As a tennis coach of 27 years i am sometimes too brutally honest, just this last season i refused to finish two lessons, the season before i refused to finish another, why? Because the kids didn't even want to be there, it seemed they were only there because their parents wanted them to be. I can't conduct a lesson under these circumstances. "Keep your money , let me know when you are interested in learning". I refused to accept any payment, i considered what i told them to be 'good free advice'.
This book is a true account of the struggles of someone who still teaches the game , but reluctantly , for reasons detailed further into this book . I am someone who once tried to make it as a professional, but failed , this is how has the process affected me.
Read on ......
Glenn Thompson
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