Sports Science: Use it or you'll lose it!

Juniors, coaches, parents and tennis enthusiasts, welcome to the nineties. Here's some news: Sports Science is here to stay!

You'd better widen your eyes, listen very carefully and open your mind because there's a revolution in tennis called Sports Science. Tennis is being taught in ways that have never been done before. If you want to become a little more knowledgeable in the development of an international junior, or want to be able to develop someone into this caliber of a player then you may find this article interesting.

Sports science is a big part of developing a junior tennis player in the 90's. Players of today can hit winners from absolutely anywhere in the court, serves are being hit faster than 140 kilometers per hour, and tennis players are in better shape than ever before. In the past, coaches and many tennis enthusiasts believed that a junior tennis player either had it or they didn't, it was just a matter of time before the maturation process took over and they became a professional player. Times have changed in the nineties and it has affected juniors, playing professionals and coaches.

While driving to Tampa, Stan Smith (a living legend and friend) and I were having a conversation on developing juniors. The topic focused on genetics and special circumstances. Stan said, "Jim's forehand was never taught to him. He picked it up on the public parks in Dade." The "Jim" that Stan was referring to was Jim Courier. But we agreed that it was also good coaching that enabled Courier to develop his forehand into what it is today -- a weapon.

The conversation turned to sports science and coaching techniques, discussing top juniors that were developing in the U.S. Stan seemed to feel that sports science enables players to maximize their genetic potential, and it also provides coaches a better understanding on how to develop their students. Strokes can be filmed, digitized and then analyzed frame after frame. This allows a player and coach the opportunity to explain why a stroke was successful or why it was breaking down in certain play situations. We agreed, in the end, that there were some special cases like Courier's, where player creativity and experimentation could also produce a world class junior. The bottom line was that, without the direction provided by a well educated and experienced coach, players would likely be unable to reach high standards of play.

Juniors -- It is essential that you receive the right standard of coaching in order to develop. Choosing the right coach is something that is one of the most difficult decisions a player must make. If the choice is a poor one, and the coach must be changed, then valuable time is lost in development. A small bit of advice: Make sure your rapport with the coach is excellent, and that the coach is qualified (certified with a tennis organization). Even ask the coach what their goals are in coaching tennis! You are going to be investing time and money in the coach, so you should make sure that your decision is well thought out.

Coaches and parents -- As adults many of us feel that a coach's experience is the key to teaching tennis successfully. Three areas that will highly affect the proper development of a junior tennis player are time, money and ego. Specifically, a junior's developmental time, the parent or sponsor's money and the coach's ego.

Time -- Is ticking away, so if you are a junior with aspirations of becoming an international junior player, and eventually a touring professional, beware letting time slip by. The percentage of junior players that successfully become top touring professionals is low. If a junior player has not achieved a certain standard of skill development by a certain age then it is highly unlikely that they will go on to become successful touring professionals.

Money and Expenses -- It is an understatement to say that the money that must be put into lessons and traveling is substantial. In most cases, an aspiring young junior will have a limited amount of funds to use for lessons, so it is important that any work done is positive. If a coach makes many technical mistakes with a player, then other lessons will be needed to undo these mistakes, thereby wasting the player's money. Once the incorrect technical actions have been eliminated, the player may start to learn the proper method.

Coach's ego - Coaches need to be able to put their ego aside. If they don't, the development of the player may be hindered. Coaches who have taught for many years can sometimes forget what it was like to learn. They become complacent and feel that there is nothing more to be learned. If there is one constant in life, that constant is change. If change is going on around you and it is ignored, then the coach could become a proverbial dinosaur coach, out of date with methodologies and sciences. Every coach, at one time in their career, feels that, "yes I know it all," and then stops wanting to learn. I must admit it happened to me many years ago, and it may well happen to you if you are not careful. The secret is to realize that learning is an unending road. My friend, Louis Cayer (Canadian Davis Cup Captain), taught me this by his own example. The hunger for knowledge and self improvement is what can fuel the development of a great coach.

Many good coaches of today are well schooled in many teaching areas. They can quickly correct a mechanical problem, and educate in nutrition, human physiology and more. A nineties coach can, for example, analyze and correct a mechanical problem in 3 lessons, whereas a coach using an older teaching methodology may take 2 weeks of lessons. Coaches today are approaching the sport more scientifically so that they can aid juniors all areas of development.

Sports science has bridged the time gap of time! Today there are so many players performing at such high standards, that they are turning professional at a young age (i.e. Sampras and Hingis). Juniors are now able to reach high standards of play in a shorter amount of time (younger age) because of technological advances.

Coaches themselves have also benefited tremendously from sports science. Younger coaches now have the opportunity to advance their level of coaching in a dramatically shorter period of time. They can coach just as effectively, and in some cases more effectively, than a coach who has spent 30 years teaching an out-of-date methodology. A veteran coach learns how to teach properly and effectively from years of service on the court. My point is that, in some cases, the time spent on the court does not translate into effective teaching. Juniors or tennis enthusiasts looking for a personal coach should be very careful in their selection process. An older pro does not necessarily mean excellent teaching, and the same is true with a younger pro. Nineties coaching methods have enabled coaches with less time on the court to bypass many a "bump and bruise on the court." The trained eyes of an up-to-date coach can immediately see where a junior is lacking or where potential technical problems can arise.

My advice is to do your homework. Here are some tips:

1. Find out if the coach is certified
2. Ask around the club what people think
3. How long has the pro been teaching in the club?
4. Watch the pro teach
5. Ask some of the coach's students what they think
6. Does the coach teach clients whom are at the level you want to reach?
7. Is the pro approachable?

Asking these questions could help you find the right coach for your specific needs.

I am based out of Toronto, Canada where there are some excellent coaches that are truly keeping up with the tennis science and technology. In my opinion, Tennis Canada is one of the top tennis organizations internationally. It is a leading force in player and coach development. People at Tennis Canada like Louis Cayer (Canadian Davis Cup Coach) or Ari Novick (Director of Certification) make sure that our coaches are up to date with the scientific aspects of coaching. A few days ago I spoke with Ari Novick, who was, for many years, my mentor in coaching.

I asked Ari a few questions on the differences between coaching today and coaching in the past with respect to the international junior tennis players. Ari said, "Tennis is being taught holistically. All the areas are being used to educate tennis players such as the technical, tactical, psychological and physical components. Coaches today have to be very knowledgeable in these areas when coaching high performance tennis athletes." Ari went on to say that one of the most important areas is the relationship with the personal coach, "The rapport built between player and coach is vital for there to be a long standing relationship."

I asked Ari to elaborate on the support teams that are necessary for a junior to be able to develop. Ari answered, "Parents are an essential part of the support team. Of course, the coach needs to be well educated, but the parents will have a great influence on the psychological perspective a player adopts over time. Pressure is something that is present in high performance tennis. It is there and we just can't ignore it, so parents need to always be supportive of their child's efforts. The coach needs to be committed to the player and to furthering their own tennis knowledge as well. But you know, the most important element is the player's own intrinsic desire to develop and improve. They need to have a strong work ethic and develop very good practice habits both on and off the court."

I asked him how he felt about Tennis Canada, its structure and the people behind the scenes. Ari said, "There are many people at Tennis Canada who deserve credit. Louis (Louis Cayer - Davis Cup Captain) deserves a lot of the praise. There are some organizations whose people are not too active in the field. I mean, some of them are wonderful administrators and they get the job done, but it is really special when an organization has a person like Louis who can bring home new information from around the world in a continuous manner."

On a personal note, I think that Tennis Canada is very lucky to have both Louis and Ari on board!

There are many organizations like the U.S.T.A., U.S.P.T.A., U.S.P.T.R., French Tennis Federation, Tennis Australia that strive for excellence. I will bring you news and information pertaining to junior development from these and many other organizations and governing bodies in future columns.

So players, coaches, and parents, please keep up to date with Sports Science. It is a vital part of becoming the best that you can be!

Check back next month for some more Leading Edge Tennis tips and news from around the world.

Best Regards,

Reggie

This column is copyright 1997 by Reggie Vasquez Jr., all rights reserved.

Reggie Vasquez Jr. is one of Canada's leading tennis coaches for juniors. He is actively involved with Tennis Canada's grassroots player development. A frequent and enthusiastic speaker at tennis conferences, he is certified by the U.S.P.T.A., Tennis Canada and the U.S.P.T.R.. For almost 7 years he was a head coach for the Canadian Davis cup Captain's Academy at the Canada's National Tennis Center. He has been a Tennis Canada - National Youth Tennis Center Leader for over 8 years and is presently a head coach of an Elite Tennis Academy. He has experience working with juniors from the absolute beginner to the international caliber tennis player. Reggie is also a published author on junior tennis. His personal web site has additional information on his book, the Kids' Book of Tennis. The Kids' Book of Tennis can be ordered directly at a discount using this link to the Amazon.com online bookstore.

Questions and comments about these columns can be directed to Reggie by electronic mail at reggie@tennisserver.com.