The Next Gen Tennis League again saw some great tennis last weekend at The Credit Valley Tennis Club and Burlington Tennis Club. This promises that Saturday the 24th will feature some exciting matches and very competitive tennis. All three matches will be played on Saturday October 24th, with Team Byte Network Security facing Team Hydrogen at noon (Burlington Tennis Club).
Without question, there’s a great deal of uncertainly and concern regarding college athletics, and of course in our world, college tennis. Many players and parents, even those currently competing at prestigious institutions, might be unaware of the implications of COVID-19 and it’s impact on daily operations, future schedules, and most importantly, budgets.
I have read somewhere that the definition of crisis in China is composed of two characters meaning “Danger” and “Opportunity”…..personally I prefer focusing on the second one. It’s an extraordinary opportunity to think, to learn, to exchange ideas to improve our way of doing things.
The group training environment is extremely important for tennis players in order to learn and progress their skills. Often times, however, there can be a lot of confusion surrounding how a player should experience this training. One common misconception is that students benefit most by training with players above their level. In many cases this can be counterproductive. In order to develop the right balance of attacking, neutralizing and defensive skills; players must train with players below, at, and sometimes above their level. Technical or tactical issues can arise as a result of playing too much with players above your level – especially at a young age.
I am going to tell you a story to put things in perspective, I’m going to share my life… I didn’t want to give a lecture, just a story of perseverance and what we all are capable of.
As tough as it is to not be able to compete week in and out, I try to focus on the positives and the things that I can control. For me, that’s been getting to spend more time with my family, and making sure that I am ready to go when things calm down and tournaments start back up.
The best lessons are often taught after a loss as they guide us towards an area of our game that we can further develop. Make sure your child knows that losing is okay, after a good effort, and that improvement can be a direct result.
Yves was proud to work with players including Greg Rudsedski, Patricia Hy, Oliver Marach, Eugenie Bouchard and Rebecca Marino, who achieved excellent results on the world stage. He was an Olympic Coach in Barcelona 1992 & Atlanta 1996, and Captain of the Canadian FedCup Team 1998 – 2000.
I would like to share a mindset I instil in all the players I coach, one I believe has greatly influenced all of the player’s performances; “whatever happens, I can handle it.” This mindset is achieved through a systematic, tactical development process, so that whoever the opponent, whatever the surface, regardless of the environment, or scoring, the players can, and will rise to the challenge as it is presented.
Many are asking this question, each with their own opinion, their own truth. In reality, it is difficult to answer with certainty, as the evaluation method can vary from one person to another. However, when you think about it, when you look at the references in the field of coaching in various sports, there are certain common and fundamental elements that I will describe to you here…
