It’s not that I don’t believe kids should get private work in with a coach. On the contrary, they need to get as much of that as they can.

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For that to happen, to be completely focused on every little detail, an athlete has to care about the immediate present as if it’s the most important thing in the world. Mentally. Physically. And emotionally. Only when you care that much about the present can you be 100% focused.

So coaches, take a look inwards. We might have a lot of great experience but we’re not perfect. Sometimes it’s us that needs to change and not the player. They might be doing everything possible, but our method of coaching will never help them maximize their potential. Be flexible. Be willing to learn. Do what’s best for the kids. Not your ego.

But when you’re coaching a player, you’re not just coaching the game. You’re coaching the person. Their personality. The moment. The day. The energy. The mood. Everything that doesn’t have to do with actually hitting the ball.

All of that needs to go into a coach’s decision about when to (or not to) correct a mistake, how to do it, in what tone of voice, what words to use, and how long to speak for.

Can you think of a sport where the coach works with their players throughout the week, then doesn’t watch them compete? Can you think of a sport where the coach has to ask for the parent’s and player’s feedback on what to potentially work on after a competition? Especially a parent that has no experience in developing a junior tennis player?

I can……..

“A jack of all trades, master of none.”

If a player works on too many things at once, they’ll be mediocre at everything, great at nothing. It’s better to master the most important things first, then start adding in everything else later/

Theres are the 5 most important things a junior player should work on once they have the basic skills down:

But if a coach always tells a player what to do, a player never has the opportunity to develop the discipline required to make choices on their own during competition.