Tips from the Top – March, 2012

Developing Independence in Developing Tennis Players

In many sports, including most of the football codes, basketball, netball and hockey, coaches can give guidance and advice to their players during a match. They can use messengers, time outs or even just yell out from the sideline. In tennis, with the exception of the college environment and in certain situations on the WTA circuit, the player needs to evaluate the situation by themselves and make their own technical and tactical adjustments. In other words, they need to operate independently.

This independence is not only imperative on court, but off court too. Players spend large amounts of time on their own travelling, organising flights, accommodation, public transport, and tournament schedules. They also need to make decisions on sponsors, coaches, trainers and the rest of their entourage.

Of course, many players do have agents or parents or friends that can help them but even then, it is not all year round. And once they step out on court, they’re on their own.

Research by Marjie Elferink-Gemser shows that successful athletes started taking ownership of their development around the age of 13. It is during this period that they began to want to control more of their program, and independently apply their knowledge to improve themselves.

Gradual Progressive Overload

Unfortunately, independence does not have a switch that one can flick and suddenly have it. It needs to be developed over a long period of time. Parents and coaches should identify this need and cultivate and nurture a culture of independence from a young age.

To do this, we can borrow a principle from the world of Strength & Conditioning called the Gradual Progressive Overload principle.

Breaking it down, think of ‘overload’ as increasing the stress or doing more than you are used to. In fitness terms, this would mean running slightly further to get fitter; or lifting a heavier dumbbell to get stronger.

‘Progressive’ implies that this process is continuing. And implementing this process ‘gradually’ allows the person to adapt to the new stress.

In the context of increasing the independence of the young athlete, a coach or parent can be instrumental in facilitating this process.

The ITF ‘Being a Better Tennis Parent - Guidelines to help the parents of young tennis players’ suggest the player at the age of 12 should be able to prepare their own equipment for practice and matches, including extra racquets, change of clothes and nutritional requirements; and be on time.

By age 14, players should be able to perform an adequate warm up without the instruction or supervision of a parent or coach; enter tournaments on their own; and organise a doubles partner by themselves.

To apply the Gradual Progressive Overload principle to the bag-packing process a parent could do the following:

1) Encourage the child to watch the bags being packed, involving them by asking them leading questions.

2) Encourage the child to take ownership of the bag packing, asking general questions. 3) Ask the child to pack their bags on their own. 4) Remind the child, once, to pack their bags. 5) No mention of bag packing.

This should take a few days, not a few weeks. Each day they should become gradually, and progressively more independent.

Of course, this can be replicated for the expedition of independence in other areas including, entering tournaments, travelling to and from the courts, working out their opponent’s game plan, and input into their own training program.

Initially it may be quite difficult, especially when mistakes may be made, but this is part of the learning process – do not stifle it. If your child is punished by the coach for not having the correct equipment, do not make excuses for them. Also, if your child calls you in a panic because they have forgotten something do not cover for them. Experience has shown that, when the child knows they have a safety net their development is hamstrung.

There is a story that has been passed around the courts over the last few years about Uncle Tony, Rafael Nadal’s uncle and coach. Legend has it that an observer asked Uncle Tony if he was going to stop Rafa from eating the chocolate croissant he had in his hands. Uncle Tony’s reply was something to the effect of ‘No, if I take it away from him he will not learn. If he eats it and loses, it will be a valuable lesson for him’.

This story shows incredible insight into Uncle Tony’s developmental methods. He could have quite easily stopped Rafa from eating the offending delicacy, but what would that have achieved? The next time junk food was on offer, and Uncle Tony was not around, Rafa would have repeated the mistake. However, the memory of the sickly sweet treat sitting heavily in Rafa’s stomach as he struggled to compete would be far easily recalled after he was allowed to commit the blunder.

As the coach and parent continue on the journey of tennis practices, matches, tournaments, successes and failures, remember that developing independence is an important component for the player. In fact, in a tight match, when they are out there on their own, it might be the difference between winning and losing.

Grant Jenkins is the Strength & Conditioning Coach at the National Academy Queensland. He oversees

the physical development and rehabilitation of all the NAQ athletes. He also manages the Sport Science

aspect of the program. Follow him on twitter @Grant_Jenkins.

Tips from the Top – March, 2012

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