Traveling On The Road: Junior Tennis Players

I recently attended an International Tennis Federation tier 5 tennis tournament with one of my tennis players on the beautiful island of Martinique, located in the South Pacific. This month's article will discuss what it is like to travel this developmentally challenging road. I.T.F. junior tournaments have different tier levels, the strongest being tier 1 to tier 5.

What Can You Gain From Such An Experience?

By playing international events a player and coach are able to obtain valuable information such as levels of play, what other players are doing, how coaches are training players, emotional endurance, independence, patience, problem solving, "street sense," social skills, cultures and sites, friendships, and more.

Levels of Play

If you only train in your city and have no chance to travel to see other players you may be cutting your chances in half of becoming the best tennis player you could be. Experiences and reference points are essential for a player to develop. If you only play your local best players week after week it becomes very difficult to clearly see how you are developing. It also becomes very routine and boring. You already know what the other player is going to try to do and most probably how the match will end up. By traveling to an international tennis event and participating a player and coach will be able to get realistic bearings as to how they are doing on an international scale. If you clean up a tier 5 tournament then maybe after a little while you will be able to accumulate enough points to play a tier 3 and so forth. The bottom line is this: go out of your local tennis community and try to play a tennis event where you do not know the players. If you can do this then you may gain valuable experiences along the way.

What Other Players Are Doing And How Coaches Are Training Them

For both coaches and players this topic is so crucial for development. Generally speaking, tier 5 tournaments are the entry level tournaments for international tennis. Those who are the top of the field will soon go on to tier 4, tier 3, tier 2 and tier 1. Knowing this, a player will undoubtedly get a good "feel" as to what type of skills are needed to compete successfully at this specific level. By competing and watching the top players in this field an entry level player will have an excellent reference point as to their own development. After all it is nearly impossible for a junior to "relate developmentally," with Pete or Andre.

Emotional Endurance

Traveling on the road is exciting and emotionally testing. It is important for a player and coach to be able to set aside time to relax and enjoy where they are. The concern is that too much emotional energy is spent in anticipation of that first, second or third match. The time in between has to be used in a way that can allow the player time to "defocus" and lower arousal states. If a player is not able to keep the mental arousal level down he or she may not have enough emotional energy to last a week, let alone a three week trip. A good understanding as to how to have emotional endurance is valuable. During my trip to Martinique with my player named Jennifer, I found that she was so excited about this three week trip that she was spending too much emotional energy during the first week. I therefore included "activities" in her schedule that allowed her to relax.

Independence

Each time I travel with a player and see other juniors, it always reminds me how independent tennis players need to be while on the road. Most of the time, due to financial constraints, juniors will travel alone and independent. This is very common and a fact in international junior tennis. In my case, Jennifer had three tournaments to play: Martinique, Guadaloupe and Barbados. I accompanied her for the first 10 days and then traveled to Canada to coach at the Under 16 Canadian Indoor Nationals. So this meant that Jennifer needed to learn how to travel independently for the remaining two weeks. During my entire stay with Jen I made it a point to always ask her what she thought and then asked her to make a descision. Only if I felt it was incorrect I would intervene. Jen quickly started learning all the little things that needed to be considered and more. Coaches too often pamper players while on the road. It is important when players become 15, 16, and 17 year old to empower them to make choices. Lessons in life skills are valuable and they are essential if a player is to be successful in tennis.

Patience And Problem Solving

When on the road, there are constant descisions to be made and many times things do not turn out the way you expected. So, it is vital that you be patient and are able to solve little problems each and everyday without expending loads of energy. Try to have an attitude that says, "no problem, we can do this instead." Having an outlook that incorporates flexibility allows a player and coach to do the best they can within certain challenging circumstances. Lastly, skill such as these are simultaneously linked to life skills and are essential for successful travel.

"Street Sense"

There are many situations an a independent player traveling alone may experience. These lessons in life make a player more "street smart." Many players who come from small cities or communities are shocked to find out that people in other countries react differently in specific situations. Use your "common sense" when making descisions, as it could be the difference between safety and putting your life in danger. Ask other players you have met on the tour for their advice on new decisions or your coach if he or she is with you. In time you will have accumulated much knoweldge and one day may be a well-educated traveller.

Social Skills

Always be a proper guest. Most of the time you on the road you will be specially treated by the tournament committees. Try not to abuse this kind treatment. Always be courteous, appreciative and polite. Remember that one day you may be the best in the world and you really don't want that story of how you trashed that hotel room way back when you were a junior. Reputations that are solid start from a very young age. Good social skills allow you to start building up your reputation. People will remember the good players and will be more open to saying a good word about you if you know "how to be."

Cultures And Sites

Take the time to research well in advance where you will be going. It is always handy to know a few "catch phrases," in the native language. Try to learn what things are accepted and looked down upon. Also, try to appreciate the diversity of different cultures and take a minute or two to absorb the often beautiful sites. Traveling the world is something that many people really never have a chance to do, so make the best of it all.

Friendships

Tennis is the focus. But it is also important to be able to meet other players and coaches and build friendships. If you go out into the world and have an attitude that you are the best and that no one else matters you may find yourself in a predicament that is rather unenvious. Take the time to say hello, take the time to congratulate other players and coaches. Who knows -- maybe when you are traveling alone that coach who you complimented may ask you to hit with his players. Friendships that are made in juniors often continue into the professional ranks. It is a long road to proper development and it really helps if we have friends to help you along the way. So smile when you see a friend and wish them well.

Finally here are some tips that you may need before and during your next tournament trip:

• Research the language spoken by the local people and learn a few phrases
• Find out the currency or type of money that is used and make sure to have some before you leave your country. Travelers cheques are essential
• Photocopy your passport and place this copy somewhere other than where your passport is
• Have a credit card if possible as a back up
• Take sunscreen, extra batteries, hats
• Food: when in doubt, remember if you can't "peel it" don't eat that piece of fruit. If it is not well cooked or boiled, try to stay away from it. You don't want stomach cramps during you match.

• Local affordable restaurants
• Places to visit
• Places to stay away from
• Shuttles and local public transit
• Emergency numbers
• Airport numbers
• Laundry from hotel or from coin operated machines

This column is copyright 1999 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.