So Much To Do, So Little Time?

There are many areas of development that are important for tennis players, including psychological, technical, tactical and physiological development. For those who have been avid readers of my column, you may remember reading past articles which went into depth about these specific areas of development, all of which are vital to the overall development of a tennis player. This article may be the shortest I have contributed to tennis server, but it may also be one of the most important so I hope you read on.

So much to do and so little time? Well for many, it seems that this is the way life is lived and this is unfortunate. John McEnroe, one of the greatest tennis players in the history of the game, was asked by a reporter at the end of his career if there was one thing that he wished he could have done different. McEnroe said, "I wish that I would have tried to enjoy it all, to appreciate what was going on around me, the surroundings, the people." I hope we all take to heart what John learned. It is a lesson that too many have never bothered to learn.

To this day, I have the great luxury of coaching and seeing my students grow as both special people and players. With time, I have witnessed beautiful and horrific events. Players around the world are shooting for the stars and so they should! Let them dream, let them wish. While attending a national selection tournament in Canada some months ago, I had the pleasure of seeing and speaking with one of the players with whom I had helped coach in a past academy. This player named Bruce, now 21, had left tennis, not pursuing any of his dreams for some strange reason. In our conversation I found out why. Bruce took private lessons back then from one of the other head coaches at this academy whom we will call Paul. This coach is a well known and respected coach nationally and he sees many issues as black and white. Well, in my conversation with Bruce, I asked him why he had stopped training and playing, why he did not pursue a tennis scholarship, etc. Bruce simply said, "when Paul told me that I would never make it as a pro, I lost the desire to train." Bruce stopped playing competitive tennis when he was 17 years old. I saw this boy grow up from the age of 9 years old and he had in fact held the most academy awards for "player of the year." It is the most prestigious award in the academy given once a year to the player who showed the most courage, effort, intensity, desire and commitment. Bruce had lost his heart and passion when he heard those terrible words. I hope we all learn from this life lesson.

So, what should you do if you realize that a player does not have the ability to become a professional? Why not let that person see it for themselves, instead of telling a player they cannot do it. Why not "guide" them on the road rather than drag them along it. Just make sure that you can provide carefully laid out tennis goals which are discussed with the player. By achieving or failing at some of the goals, a player will be able to see if his or her "ultimate goal," is achievable. There are more benefits than pitfalls for players if we treat tennis as an enjoyable experience rather than a task. In their coaching and guidance their dreams will soon enough be realized as reachable or not. In Bruce's case, I am sure that he would have achieved a tennis scholarship because of his solid game. But because of the negative influence of this particular coach his dream goal died along with his passion for the game.

Take the game seriously if you like, why not shoot for the stars! My advice is just to make sure that you love the journey along the way. Work your butt off if you have the desire to be the best player, just make sure that you take a few minutes each practice to laugh a while, to relax, and to appreciate your surroundings. Friends, if you are involved with juniors, please make sure that you balance the hard work with enjoyment. It is such a difficult sport to master and most players lose more than they win. I know that I always preach this but we always have to remember that the beginning is one of the most important times. As a result we need to remember that what you do with a young tennis player may affect him or her for the rest of their lives.

Try to enjoy the little things that make our sport so wonderful: the smell of a new can of balls, the wind in your face, the sun on your back, a cool drink after a long hit, the sound of birds singing as you train, nice tans, aces, winners, solid shots hitting the sweet spot, tennis skirts, tennis shorts, an exciting long point, sound of a well hit ball, congratulating an opponent's nice shot, trash talking, a well built point, hustle, sweat, sitting with a friend after a hit against the fence talking about anything, new courts, new clubs, new cities, new countries, figuring out an opponent's weakness and taking advantage, the acoustics of a center court especially when a ball is struck with pace, the etiquette of tennis, the class, the variety in gamestyles, the diversity in stroke mechanics, and the many shapes and sizes of players!

I love to watch players on the tour who truly love the game such as Gustavo Kuertan. It seems he is always smiling and appreciating what he can do. Regardless of the match, Guga, as his friends call him, loves each and every moment of a match. I recently had the chance to stand on court with him while he practiced with another player and throughout the practice he was joking and smiling. It made me feel sad that many players did not have this type of love and attitude towards tennis. Wouldn't it be something if we could help instill this love of the game in all players. Well, ya know what, you can have a positive effect on a player as long as you remember it is a game that is being played for the enjoyment first and benefits second. We all started playing because it was fun but for some of us somewhere along path of development a wrong turn was taken.

Tennis is always evolving and everchanging. It is a soul searching, personality developing, character building sport that is simply a wonderful game that has no finish line. So enjoy the road, enjoy the journey and don't forget to smell the roses along the way.

--Reggie

Dear friends, my tennis book, the "Kids' Book of Tennis," has sold out in most stores and internet bookstores across North America, though some may still have copies, thank you for your support!. My publisher has informed me that the book's stock has completely sold out and thus it is being re-printed to keep up with the demands. However, the cover page and title has changed to, "Tennis For Kids." So please be patient as the book will be available very shortly. Lastly, Thank you for your emails from around the world friends. A special hello to; Moose in Toronto, Viv in Indiana, Anthony, Jule and Noni in Los Angeles, Ronan in New York, Philip in Costa Rica, and Jason in London. Once again, I will be making a presentation at this summer's U.S.T.A. Conference during the U.S. Open in New York. If you plan on attending the conference make sure to say hi and chat for a bit!

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 Tennis for Kids. The Tennis for Kids 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.