Hi…my name is Rufus and I’m addicted to evolve9 and the e9 facebook page. These resources are crucial to all coaches who deal with young kids because there is so much more to Hot Shots / Mini Tennis / QuickStart than just different balls, racquets and courts.
This weekend I was forced off the court but it gave me the chance to observe some other youth sports in action which reinforced how tennis has come along way and how it has a long way to go, in Australia in any case.
I walked past an Oz Kick clinic for ages 7 & 8, for non-Aussies this is Aussie Rules Football, our most popular sport. 8 different games were crammed onto one full sized field with kids “playing” 6 a side. That’s about 100 kids [plus about 100 parents watching and helping] on one field – it was brilliant. The coach / umpire seemed very well versed in how to run the match, with such small teams everyone got an opportunity and those with poor skills the coach / umpire made sure they got an opportunity. I’m pretty sure everyone scored a goal – but I couldn’t see any score being kept. I walked another 500 metres and another Oz Kick clinic was being held on the next oval – we have some stiff competition in Australia for the best young athletes.
The next day I wondered past the same oval where a “full sized” game of soccer was being played between kids no older than 10. 11 a side, although it may as well 3 or 4 with a few big, strong, fast kids controlling the game. The coach patrolled the side line with his arms folded yelling himself hoarse; “Timmy I told you three times, Johnny stay on side – stay on side” he screamed. Aside from the select few there was no skill on display – kick the ball as far forwards as possible with no passing or tactics.
I walked away, still hearing the coaches yelling for several blocks thinking how we can give our young tennis kids a better experience. In the space of 2 – 3 years kids had gone from a modified experience to the full blown struggle – to my coach’s eye the enjoyment level was at polar opposites. This is not dissimilar to general practice at our tennis academy, not so long ago. 1 – 2 years of modified tennis [Aussie Mozzie or Mr Pee Wee] and then straight into to it…want to play competition – “can you serve, rally and score on full court using adult rules?…NO…oh well give it another couple of years.”
I don’t go to junior state and national tournaments much anymore, when I do I see coaches and parents with arms folded as close to the fence as possible, kids just hitting the ball forwards and tournament referees and directors with the most threatening manner. This is the experience we have to avoid and I have many players who as soon as they are exposed to culture are put off [some thrive of course.]
I understand that at some stage the jump has to be made to these cut throat events [this goes back to Ronald’s question of how long can we keep kids on Green balls] – but let’s prepare the kids first, at least so they can pack their own tennis bag! I am suggesting smaller team based events – managed by skilled coaches to get these kids on the competition pathway and sent into the great wide world when they are ready, remembering that chronological and biological age can be a very different thing.
One thing I hate about our sport is a perception [right or wrong] that to make it you have to give up everything else before you are a teenager, call it the Agassi / Sharapova / Kournakova syndrome. If you’re not hitting 1000 balls spat out by a coach with a shopping trolley of balls [or a ball machine called “dragon”] per day you can forget about making it to the pro’s. It is perhaps the individualistic nature of the sport – the battle at a distance – that makes players, parents and coaches so fixated.
This is why evolve9 is my great hope. I believe a player can come through this system building skill upon skill; learning how to play the game; building a love for the game; competing in positive and challenging environments and end up a really well rounded athlete with “normal” parents [who don’t watch every ball you ever hit] and no obsessive compulsive behaviours [bouncing the ball 23 times before serve]. They can have other interests; they can have an off season or at least not play competition every weekend; they can develop their own individual style based on mental and physical strengths and embrace the great role models competing in the sport today and in the past.
I urge you keep adding your thoughts to the e9 facebook page and sign up to the e9 webpage – download “Growing Kids, Growing the Game” [which got me started] and keep giving kids the best chance to love tennis.
My final story I wish to share with you regards two of my best clients. They gave up AFL as they were in a team [18 per side] where no one would pass them the ball, they were often on the bench and the coach ranted and raved to the point where players were left in tears, these guys are 10 year old twins. Now they take lessons, compete and practice their tennis. They aren’t the best athletes – but recently one of them won our “Future Stars” modified competition season [out of over 50+ competitors]. This is a separate issue to performance players which I know many of you are passionate about – but this is a great story for my program!