| From birth to the age of eight to ten, children live in a | | | | plays. Time spent dwelling on things outside of your |
| state of deductive awareness. They lack the ability to | | | | control can cause feelings of diminished self-esteem, |
| respond to circumstances like we as adults do. Their | | | | helplessness and eventually lead to feelings of |
| responses will be based on what they have learned | | | | unworthiness. |
| from the environment they are surrounded by. | | | | Champions focus heavily on the things they can |
| When it comes to tennis - particularly if you are a | | | | control (80%). The remainder is spent on the things |
| tennis playing family - it is important to realise and | | | | that they can semi-control (20%) and the things outside |
| accept that the behaviour of your child on the tennis | | | | of their control receive very little attention. Here is an |
| court is largely due to what they have learned...from | | | | example from another sport to illustrate how these |
| YOU! | | | | same principles of success apply regardless of the |
| For a young player to "Be their best" rather than | | | | sport. |
| focusing on "Being the best" can make a significant | | | | Swimmer Ian Thorpe rarely talks about world rankings |
| difference in their emotional upbringing. | | | | or gold medals. He only ever talks about fulfilling his |
| A child who focuses is on becoming 'their' best | | | | unique potential as an athlete and as a person. He |
| develops high self-esteem and greater emotional | | | | knows that there are factors outside of his control |
| mastery. A child left to focus on results alone, slowly | | | | when it comes to the outcome of an event. Tennis |
| becomes a product of their results. Tennis can serve | | | | matches are no different. There will be days when the |
| (pardon the pun) many great life lessons. Because in | | | | other player is just too good. Learning to accept this |
| tennis, you cannot control 100% of the game. There | | | | and learn from it is the key to success. |
| are certain things that we totally control, semi-control | | | | Scott is the author of The Power of Subconscious |
| and have zero control over. | | | | Goal Setting, Psycho Tennis, 23 Mental Laws of |
| Focusing solely on results means you are focusing on | | | | Tennis and more. Also a former ITF Pro and has been |
| something that you influence but do not have total | | | | coaching for 14 years. |
| control over. You only influence how another person | | | | |