[tennisbiz] Re: Junior Development is not about etiquette

There has been discussion about etiquette in junior tennis and
I'm a bit confused. I don't have Gordo's original remarks in front
of me so I don't exactly know what he mentioned about etiquette and
juniors. I do have the two responses in front of me. They contain
mixed messages and neither seem to relate to the issue of etiquette
among juniors. These are my thoughts.

Etiquette is about manners on the court. Cussing out loud,
saying rude things to your opponent over close line calls, and
throwing your racquet all fall into the etiquette category.
Manolo talked about Jim Courier being a blue collar player. He
was as officials put it, a brute with little sex appeal and
wasn't a sissy. I don't see the connection here with etiquette.
In my memory he was one of the hardest working touring pros but
I don't remember him ever being accused of having poor etiquette.
At this point in his carreer, he commentates as he played.
Knowledgeable, aggressive, but one of the nicest guys in the booth.
Manolo seems to be talking about discrimination, not etiquette.

Douglas said that etiquette and even common sense are not as
important as the junior player and I couldn't disagree more.
The dignity and integrity of the game itself is vastly more
important than the junior player, or any player. It's true that
players change both the way sports are played and the character
of the sport itself, but while tennis has seen great changes in
the former, there has been little change in my lifetime in the
latter. In the seventies the legendary John M. was dropping F
bombs on the court over line calls but that did not become the
norm for our sport. Players still shake hands, we still offer
first serves to our opponent when a distraction warrants it,
among many other examples.

The etiquette of our sport, has remained unchanged, but it could
change depending on our juniors. This is why, as a high school
tennis coach I teach and expect proper etiquette from my players.
No player is more important than the integrity and dignity of the game.

As I said, I could be way off the original topic, but the responses
seemed to need further response so I sent in my 2 cents.


Mike Rush
The Tennis Guy
www.mikerush.usptapro.com
rushm_at_vilonia.afsc.k12.ar.us

 
Received on Thu May 01 2003 - 14:15:41 CDT