The journey through the junior tennis world can be a daunting task for both the player and the parents. There is so much information out there and everyone has an opinion on how to do it that you can easily get sucked into chasing so many different directions that by the end of it all you are more confused than ever and once you have arrived at the end you realized you have gotten nowhere. Well to let you in on a little secret, it’s not that confusing at all, you just need to focus on four foundational pillars and stay the course. These four pillars include your goal, the pathway you want to travel (junior tennis, collegiate tennis, or the professional game), a tailor – made developmental plan, a coach that can implement the plan, and a tournament schedule designed to build you into a complete player.
Almost every player begins their journey with no goal at all in mind. They may have what we call a dream or fantasy, but no specific goal and a goal is targeted in on a specific outcome or result. When a player sets a goal, a starting point is established, and a finish line is determined along with a deadline to cross that finish line which creates daily focus and discipline. This goal establishes a pathway or a specific direction your journey will take and is necessary to move to the next step of having a developmental plan designed to ensure that your journey moves in the correct direction. Remember your goal is not your dream, it must be specific, you must believe in that moment you can reach your goal and you know you have all the resources necessary to reach your finish line. So, get your team and come up with a specific direction you want to start your journey and move on to the next step.
After establishing a clear, believable goal and you know you have the resources to accomplish it, now you need a developmental plan that guides you toward the finish line. This plan needs to be specific to who you are as a player and person and can only be developed by a seasoned expert with an extensive track record, developing plans for players for many years. This developmental plan is the backbone to your success in reaching your goal and provides the daily directions needed to make all the right moves. A great developmental plan considers who exactly the player is from the beginning of their journey and what specifically needs to be done to reach their final destination. In order to answer these questions it’s important the player is taken through a battery of tests and these tests will encompass a technical assessment of the player’s entire game, a tactical assessment, specific fitness testing, various diet information, and psychological testing to determine emotional and stress reaction during match play. These tests will help the player, parent and coach have a clear starting point and the proper plan to hit the goal.
Now the next vital pillar that should be addressed to ensure success is finding a qualified coach and can be done while your developmental plan is being created. It is very important that you do your due diligence when searching for the right coach to guide you to your goal and cannot be glossed over or this can set you back significantly or destroy the chance to have success at all. We recommend following at least these minimal criteria when searching for a coach no matter which direction you follow. First look at the coach’s results developing players in the direction you are looking to pursue as well as are they more successful developing guys or girls. Secondly look for a coach that is an excellent communicator not a salesman, he must be able to parlay knowledge to the player in a language that speaks to them. We see so many coaches speaking a language that the player does not understand and if the player never speaks up, they just get lost and make little to no progress in their development. The coach needs to be open to implementing the developmental plan that you have received and be able to recognize the best playing style for the player not just pushing the style they played onto the player. Remember the player can lose a tremendous amount of time with the wrong coach as well as develop bad habits that may destroy what the player could have been, so take your time on this pillar to ensure you have the right guide to get the job completed.
Lastly the most overlooked pillar in navigating the world of junior tennis is designing a perfect tournament schedule. So many players, parents, and shame on them, coaches do not take the time to put together the right tournament schedule to ensure success throughout the years. Success comes from a tournament schedule designed for the player to develop tactically and mentally without the pressure of always winning so confidence can be achieved. The player needs to able to develop their own personal style while playing in pressured match play where they learn how they win points which leads to that success. A coach with a great track record should be able to help design or at least give advice in putting a tournament schedule together that takes in account, what type of competitor the player is, where they are in their development and where they are in level. Looking at successful players at all levels of the game it is easy to see how the design and constantly monitor their schedule specific to who they are as players ensures the best outcomes.
Players, the game of tennis is for us considered the most difficult sport to play but the greatest and it’s so important to prepare well to perform well which ensures that you will prevail. So, to make sure your journey is successful and not a constant frustration, follow the foundational pillars laid out here. It is our belief that so many talented players that could have reached a high level of success don’t materialize due to skipping these four pillars or not doing the due diligence necessary to make sure the best choices are made. Players and parents don’t take a random approach, listening to all the noise out there, but instead be calculated and assertive in pursuing the best options so time, money and talent aren’t wasted and you ensure you will hit your mark.