| p>For parents and "wannabe" professional players it is | | | | the progress of their children. I feel very comfortable |
| hard to understand that this highly competitive sport of | | | | with this kind of person, they want to see their children |
| tennis seeks the boundaries of the maximum capacity | | | | improve but, they also understand that I am foregoing |
| of human efficiency. Neither do they realize that the | | | | huge amounts of money by giving them an honest |
| decision for a career in top sports performance, | | | | assessment. Therefore we strike a balance between |
| especially in tennis, represents a persistent incision into | | | | high expectations and reality. On the other hand, from |
| a youngster's way of life. Next, they lack the global | | | | my side, I am more than willing to do all I can to help |
| vision to assess the future restrictions in the young | | | | their children be the best they can be. |
| person's development as well as in occupation | | | | In many cases if the youngster has reasonable |
| education or job situations. In many cases they do not | | | | qualities, but not enough for an ATP or WTA career, I |
| either foresee the considerable financial expenses, | | | | often suggest the second best choice that is to |
| demands on their own assets (parents) or that finding | | | | improve their tennis and conditioning between 15 and 17 |
| sponsor and tennis association funds is very difficult or | | | | years old and than apply for a tennis scholarship in a |
| extremely restricted. Therefore, at the training | | | | US University. This often is the best compromise with |
| formation and talent selection, not only from the | | | | an excellent perspective of a diploma for a future |
| sporting point of view, but especially for ethical | | | | successful professional life and a continuation in the |
| reasons, high requests on all areas should be placed | | | | sport of tennis. |
| on players by coaches and teachers. | | | | Surely many of you are pondering the same questions, |
| A special feature of development in tennis is the | | | | whether it is with your personal tennis, your children's |
| tennis-typical early entry into high-level competition | | | | or as a teacher/coach. |
| already in the child age 9-12 year olds. For that the | | | | To help teachers, parents and players make informed |
| ambitious new generation is already training in situations | | | | decisions, I put together some links that show how |
| that usually are very high performance and normally in | | | | most of the players we see in the top hundred (if you |
| areas where only physically mature grown-ups would | | | | want to make a living out of tennis you need to be in |
| be. | | | | the Top 100!) WTA or ATP made it through. |
| The need for such an early start grows in dimension | | | | (Copy and paste the links below onto your browser) |
| even more because tennis in the last years took a | | | | [ |
| notable growth development and it is demonstrated by | | | | [ |
| the high numbers of active players and by the high | | | | Carefully compare the WTA or ATP rankings with the |
| level of professionalism in the ATP & WTA tennis | | | | junior careers of tennis players and you will realize that |
| circuits. | | | | with very few exceptions (Pete Sampras for |
| As a Teacher and Coach I have been often | | | | example) almost every player in the top hundred was |
| confronted with parents with high expectations but | | | | either top of their junior year or among the top five in |
| who do not have a clue of the hard reality of high level | | | | the ITF world rankings or was a winner of either the |
| competitive tennis. | | | | Junior French Open, Australian Open, Wimbledon, US |
| The dilemma I am faced with is often; "am I going to | | | | Open or Orange Bowl! |
| tell this parent that unfortunately his son does not fulfill | | | | Most of the players are precocious in their |
| the high athletic, coordinative, mental or competitive | | | | development and often are the N# 1 in their countries |
| standards of a future professional", or... "should I | | | | and some of them win the National 14's old at 12 years |
| shut-up and say to myself, this man is an adult he | | | | old the 16's at 14 years old and 18's at 16 years old. |
| should know better and offer his "lame" son 5 times a | | | | There are exceptions Pete Sampras being one of |
| week training plus conditioning and the works to cash | | | | them, but, you must keep in mind that as a junior Pete |
| in on a cool $20 000 or $50 000 a year"....and in 3 or 4 | | | | Sampras goes practically unnoticed, because he |
| years comes daddy and asks; "why is my son not | | | | played all his junior career in an age group or two |
| improving and so and so who started 3 months ago | | | | ahead of his age and he was competing with the likes |
| has already eclipsed him?!?" | | | | of Michael Chang, Andre Agassi, David wheaton and |
| Even though I am always as diplomatic as possible I | | | | Jim Courier! |
| choose the first option and I try to persuade the parent | | | | Another exception are the William sisters Venus and |
| to go easy on the kid; give him more time to develop, | | | | Serena two superb athletes who developed |
| keep the weekly training to one or two sessions a | | | | themselves without a junior record, but at an early age |
| week and have a wait and see attitude. | | | | were beating mediocre pratice men partners on a |
| Some parents have come to me with 17 and 18 year | | | | regular basis and that played their first WTA |
| olds (not even ATP ranked) and when I try to | | | | tournaments in their 14s!! |
| dissuade them from the "professional" 5 hours a day | | | | If you want to get scared, think about Martina Hingis at |
| training, they tell me; "but Marat Safin or Roger Federer | | | | 12 years old won the adult Swiss Women Nationals |
| only started to be sucessful at 21 or 22 years old!" | | | | and that at age 13 won the French Open (Roland |
| Trying to be nice I tell them, "well, Safin at 17 years old | | | | Garros) 18's! |
| in 1997 – Won his first Challenger title and at 18 | | | | Not all top players are junior super-talents such as |
| years old in 1998 – Finished in Top 50 Qualified | | | | Pete Sampras, Roger Federer or Martina Hingis were, |
| and reached 4th RD at Roland Garros and US Open!" | | | | but they are pretty darn close! |
| "Roger Federer at fourteen years old, became the | | | | There is a place for everyone in tennis, good or bad |
| Swiss Junior champion for all age groups. At 17 years | | | | players they all love the game. What is important is to |
| old in 1998 Federer's last year in the Junior circuits; he | | | | help young boys and girls within their possibilities |
| won the Wimbledon Juniors title and the prestigious | | | | without installing false expectations in their minds and |
| year-ending Orange Bowl. He finished the year as the | | | | ultimately avoiding large disappointments that in the end |
| ITF World Junior Tennis champion, N#1. Earlier in July, | | | | lead to many totally deserting the game of tennis. |
| 1998, he had joined the ATP tour. In 1999-Youngest | | | | It is better to develop 3 or 4 happy for life young |
| player (18 years, 4 months) to finish in Top 100!" | | | | tennis players, than 10 "wannabe champions" who |
| Some of these parent's feel offended or think that I | | | | sooner or later will quit disillusioned with the game! |
| am "unprofessional" (how dare you say that MY SON | | | | Happy 2007! |
| is not going to be a champion!) and seek the next | | | | For comments or ideas about this article please email |
| "famous" or "infamous" teacher that will sing them the | | | | the author |
| song they wish to hear. Others stay, ask more | | | | Copyright © 1999-2007 Tenniscruz.com®. All |
| questions, follow my advice and often consult me on | | | | rights reserved. |