Spotting Potential In Young Tennis Players

In this episode I talk about when we as coaches discover that keen young player who is passionate about the game. 

I discuss the importance of looking at the big picture and seeing it as a 10 year journey.

Are you a tennis coach business owner and Interested in learning more - sign up to a free 14 day newsletter here - https://theartoftennis.kit.com/a7c87026f3

Cheers

Rick

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:00

The art of tennis. The art of tennis. Coaches, Rick from the Art of Tennis, this is episode nine. Coaches, we're going to talk about what you do when you find a talented young player who loves playing tennis. So we often, it's a little bit of a joke when you talk to people at parties when you're a tennis coach and you've got, you know, Aaron, the accountant, and you know, you've got Ernie the electrician, and they're just fascinated by what you do. They think that it's some sort of some sort of fantasy world that you live in that you actually coach tennis. And I used to get annoyed by that. I used to find it a bit disrespectful in a way. I've come full circle and and now I actually take it as a compliment that they are genuinely go, wow, you get to do this for a job. So now it's a I I take it as a compliment. But one of the common questions you get from people at a gathering is, so you got any up-and-coming stars? Because I guess you've got people people are uh they're basing this around watching the Australian Open, watching Wimbledon, Davis Cup, Fed Cup, you know, like they're seeing it from a position that tennis is you're producing the next Hewitt, the next um I was gonna say Kyrgios, it's always a tough example. Um Dimmano, the you know, whoever it might be, the next Ash Barty, really great example. Um, and so it's gonna be a common question: are you producing the next champion? And as coaches, especially at a club level, we sort of are interested in producing the next champion, but we're really busy coaching the year three kid who's you know, whose elbow goes funny on his forehand and um you know and likes to whack the ball over the fence when no one's watching. Um, so we get busy with with participation kids and maybe an adult beginner class and and then a private lesson, and and you know, they're not all gonna be passionate kids who genuinely have a pathway to become great players. But when we do get one, now we'll normally find them in a group. Uh, they'll probably go to a private lesson, or you'll suggest a private lesson to them early uh to you know to get the most out of their ability. But when you when you find them, it's exciting, and I think at its core, it's why I coach is by finding these little individual players and seeing that as a tenure picture. What you've got to be careful of is you don't want to prioritize them over the next person. A lesson is a lesson, okay? So you need to give the same time and energy to one as you would to the group that's happening afterwards. But the big difference is maybe in that group lesson or a different lesson where the kids are not as passionate, maybe not as talented, don't care as much, um, there they might be more short-term. They might not play for as long, so they might be more short term, they might even be just for for three months or one turn. That might be it. That's their tennis experience done. Now you need to give them your engagement to try to uh encourage them to do a longer, a longer time period. But once you've got that kid who's really keen, and you know, you can tell they're gonna start playing competition soon, and you know, they're picking up the skills that you're teaching early, um, quickly, that everything just happens a little bit quicker. Now, these kids will be one or all of these things, they'll have really good hand-eye coordination because in tennis it's hand-eye coordination that's a big deal. Um, they will generally be quite quite quick and agile, they'll be able to move well. Alright, it's it's rare for the really great tennis players to not move well, you know, that even if they're a big power hitter, it's just a lot of court to cover, and especially when they're young, that court is longer because they've got little legs and they're covering the the court. So it's it's rare they're not going to be able to move well and have really good hand-eye coordination. Um, they're also going to be able to take on responsibility of the match themselves because it's as an individual sport when we're considering singles, in the big big moments or any moment, you've only got you. Alright, you've only got yourself, and that can be overwhelming to kids. Um, that can bring out the best in kids, it can bring out the worst in kids, etc. But you will notice that not every time, but you know, those kids who look like they're gonna have a journey with tennis, they they will lock in most of the time. Not all the time, they're gonna have lapses where uh maybe they got expectations to beat a kid and that overwhelms them because they think, oh, what if I lose? All of the normal stuff. So they're gonna have lapses, but generally those kids will lock in. So you've got good movement speed, hand-eye coordination, um, the ability to lock in and take responsibility. And look, they've got to be coachable. We talk about coachable, um, they need to they need to be able to take on feedback, they need to be able to think for themselves as well, and think, well, what actually do I need to do? The coach is telling me this, but then this situation's happening. Maybe I should try this. It's not exactly what the coach said, but this is gonna work here. So that's like independent thinking, which I think is great. So you as a coach, you give them some feedback, but in that heat of the moment in the match, they may need to make a decision of what they think is best because of a certain thing that's going on. Maybe it's windy, maybe the certain tactics getting played. So we've got all these different factors of the of that good young player. Now, as I said, this is this is really what's kept me in coaching is maybe I've probably had 10 to 20 kids over the journey who've who've gone you know to a really strong level of of player. Uh that might be let's call that as low as being a you know division one junior club player who competes in tournaments to quarter final level. Um, you know, have quite a few of those sort of kids, they can get to that level at a three-day-a week playing, right? So you can have your your three-day a week player, can get to Division I juniors, can compete in tournaments, um, you know, and if they're skillful, they'll they'll they'll get to round of 16 quarters. Uh, it'll start getting harder to get to semis and finals because they'll be playing against kids who are just far more tuned up playing playing that you know, more that six-day a week. So I often break tennis into one-day weekers, three-day a weekers, and six-day weekers because that's kind of how it works. You've got your one-day weeker who just does it for fun. Your three-day week is actually pretty invested, and tennis is a big part of what they do. Um, but you know, maybe they've got they've got other sports, other activities, school, they they just balance a different way. Um, they might play their comp and do twice a week of practice. So that's your you know, your three-day a week club player, and then your six-day weaker is someone who's driving to really become the best they can be. Um, they obviously love it, they prioritize the tennis over other things in their life balance, um, and they will be aspiring to what would either be um you know, I guess a junior performance level, trying to get to junior state to national level, uh, through to college tennis, German club tennis, low-level professional, and then professional level. So if you're playing six days a week, you are aspiring to at least one of these pathways. Junior, junior national, get through school, maybe college tennis, maybe German club tennis, ITFs, uh, Australian money tournaments. Like there's there's somewhere you're heading with it. Um, and that is normally going to come from those six-day a week players. Uh, but when you get that kid, you need to you need to not get too excited because you you'll be naturally pumped that oh they're doing it, you I've taught them this circumstance backhand, and that they're getting it, and oh, I want to try this with them next. And you can actually burn them out by getting too excited about their ability. So it's important, just like any other lesson, to just release a little bit of information, bite-sized pieces, I think I've mentioned before, and and that's the key, right? Is to be able to communicate really, really basically, but that basic information is the right nugget that they need at that point on their journey. Alright, so don't get too excited and try to turn them into the the world's best eight-year-old, okay? Because there's no point being the world's best eight-year-old if they're going to burn out by 12. Alright, there's no point being the world's best 12-year-old if they're gonna burn out by 15. And it's not even burnout, quit the sport, it might be burnout that their their trajectory slows down because they've run out of motivation. Their motivation has peaked early and that they're struggling, they've got no intrinsic motivation, nothing coming from them. It's they had the coach excited, their parents excited, and and then they get to a certain age, and it's just not quite the same. So that burnout, you've got to almost seem to be controlled the journey a little bit and not get over the top. Now, the other other thing with when you find that that player, that passionate player, is to think, okay, long term, I need to consider that they are uh going to be still with me in 10 years' time. Now, that might not always happen. Um, I'm a huge believer that players should stay with their their private coach for as long as possible. As long as the coach is a good coach who's evolving with the game, um, that relationship just is a almost an anchor for the player to then go out and play tournaments and and and you know, pennant competition and travel, and if they can come back, it's almost just an anchor and a base of support. So I'm a big believer in that. Um, how long should the journey be? Geez, not less than five years. You need five years, ideally ten years. So if you're taking a uh seven-year-old to 12 years old, seven to twelve, that's fine. Um, but really seven to seventeen is a better journey. So I am these days now, if I get a good young player, I'm immediately thinking 10 years. And when you do that, it changes a little bit on how you how patient you are through it, what you're working on. Um you're sort of, you know, to take a financial um term, it's not a get rich quick, so you're not trying to get rich quick. And so if you've got a kid and you're trying to get rich quick or get better quick, you you're maybe gonna do things like you're gonna over-train them, over push them, and physically their body might fall down. Um, like I was saying before, you might just sort of overstimulate them with almost too much excitement and hype. Um, you know, you don't want that kid thinking that that they're all that. Okay, they need to be, they need to stay at least humble and hungry. Um But you you need to, if you think on that 10-year time frame, you'll be like, okay, well, look, we're not getting this, this is gonna be hard to get. Maybe it's a maybe it's the uh a continental group on a serve. Always hard to get. Um but rather than compromising and going back to the other group because you want to make sure they they win, you're gonna always go, no, no, no, what are they gonna look like at 17 or 18 or 16? Um, what do we want that surf to look like? And and is using the the forehand group the right decision at 9 or 10? Is it is that gonna just to win that match, is that going to be good for the the big picture? Okay, no, it never is, right? So you're gonna spend time trying to get the technique right. Um, you're also gonna introduce other shots that take a long time. So, you know, what some people might call specialty shots like drop shots or um, you know, jumping open stance, you know, returning serve where you load off the outside leg and then jump through the shot um, you know, dynamically through the air, like the good returners do. Uh maybe you're you're working on um you're working on even the occasional raff aforehand, which I don't really recommend, um, but you could learn that skill perhaps when they push really wide in the corner and they're trying to hook it back with some spin, drop shots, um, chip charge, volleys, or anything with the continental grip takes a long time, and so you've got to invest your time in that. And it's I remember we're running a squad once, it was a good squad, and we were learning continental grip, and we literally had the kids two meters from the net blocking it to each other. And I remember one parent going, Well, this is not not what we want to be doing, and me being a little bit defensive, I don't like being told what to do for my job. Um, but I'm like, Well, this is what stage we're at. Um, we've hit winter, we need to go back and learn this technique because if we just go and do the you know cross-court topspin forehands for for 45 minutes, which looks good, that doesn't that doesn't help them long term. So you start to think a bit more long term again. It's like, well, no, don't stress. This is just one session where it looks like they may be fiddling around, but they're actually learning these maybe it's a drop volley skill, um, drop shot. So so these type of type of things. Um, so that long long-term view really kicks in when you have a 10-year plan. You also need to look at each individual kid and see whether they're the type who need a high level of confidence before they go to the next stage. I think this is really pivotal. So, some kids they can get get a certain amount of confidence and they're ready to then be a small fish in a big pond. And then maybe they're humbled for six months before they start improving. Now that's fine for some. Most kids don't like to be that small fish in the big pond, and it'll actually have a negative uh it'll have a negative effect. So, though, you know, a lot of kids you need to build them right up, reel them right up. Yes, they're playing and still in green ball, or yes, they're still in 12 and unders, but they that their confidence is growing, they're learning how to beat kids a little bit under than them, under their level, and then bang, then you put them up and they're ready. And their confidence carries with them to the next uh next pull rather than being a small fish. They might be a small fish, but they're a small, confident fish who can then take on the next the next stage. So again, that's something you need to look at the personality of the kid, how they respond to these sort of things, and it will be a little bit different depending on the personality on whether you push them quicker or whether you let them gain confidence and then go. So, again, that 10-year time frame, the coach will be thinking that parents won't think that as easy. They'll parents will think in one-month time frames, okay, or one week time frames. Why didn't they win on the weekend? Okay, now I'm not having a go at all parents, this is a total generalization, but that's the difference between a parent who's living it day in, day out, they're seeing the emotions of their kids when they lose, um, versus the coach who's like, okay, this is what we want to see them look like at 17, 18. So you you will take a broader, bigger picture view. Now, other things to think about when you've got this this young young star, okay, they're not a star at seven or eight, okay, and you should never call them a star, um, young, passionate, um, keen player. Um, you need to get to know them. You need to get to know their quirks. What what's what do they like to what do they like to talk about? What what relaxes them outside of tennis? Um do they do they need a high level of fun in the sessions or or are they actually okay with quite serious? How do they respond to to pressure? Um how do they respond to being taught? Do they like to be told, or are they more someone who needs to come up with their own conclusion? All right, another best kids because you just create an environment where they go, oh, so I'm gonna do that on that bowl. And you're like, oh, good idea there, Jimmy. Um, and so Jimmy comes up with his own conclusion, and then Jimmy does what you want to do, but you need to create that environment and that situation so Jimmy comes up with the answer. So you get need to get to know these kids, look at them in the big picture, um, and you need to not burn them out. Okay, you don't need to go and play 50 tournaments in a year. Okay, so I'm I'm still pretty big on having a week off on the school holidays and maybe playing a week of tournaments. So if you've got a two-week break, maybe play one week and you have one week completely off. Alright, why? Because these kids have only got a certain amount of school holidays when they're especially primary school age, um, let them enjoy some school holiday activities and commit to their passionate project, which is tennis, and then slowly as they get older, those commitments will grow. Okay, so where you're maybe in primary school, you're just playing tournaments in half of the holidays as you get to mid-high school. You really, if you're wanting to aspire to to college tennis, German club tennis, um, low-level professional ranks or higher, you need to be playing all the time to get the match practice. So the the difference between say year six through to a year 10 or 11 is quite a bit because year 10 or 11 needs to go, go, go. Um, but that's all about the journey. Year 10 or 11 is getting closer to the end of that 10-year journey as a as a as a player, as a junior player. So I think that's covering most of it. Um, but it really is it's an area that I love and I've formed some great relationships with so many players over the years. You know, some become really close friends forever. Um, others will always be welcome to come in, have a chat, and and and help help them out at any stage. So, you know, these you're a big part of their life, once a week, twice a week, three times a week, four times a week, for sometimes many years. So clearly you're gonna influence them. Um, and so you need to really be conscious of how you talk to them, the words you use about them, okay, and be careful not to criticize them. All right, you can give feedback, but don't don't be don't be too critical of them, otherwise their their self-belief will go. You can be critical of an effort or an in uh a decision they made, but be careful not to criticize them as a at the core, because you need to build their belief system up so their confidence is is is growing each and every day. Uh, but great, great fun working with working with keen young players. Um I've had a lot of fun building kids to what is called super tens in Australia, which is you know the best 10 and under kids in the state compete. Um, love that space and really love that space from you know the super 10s up to say the you know that under 16 junior nationals, you know, taking that next next launch to there. Um as I said in an earlier episode, if they're getting to 17, all right, they're out at the end of that 10-year journey, it may be time then that they go on to whether it's college tennis, whether it's an academy, whether it's their own, they they they find a different pathway from there, then maybe that's when I can step aside. Um, but until then, I'm thinking of their 10 year journey. How can I help them? Um and and and develop their self belief and develop their game at the same time. Okay, that's it. Cheers, see you next time. The art of fitted art of fitted.