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 Mental Notebook |
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 | | Sampras' mixed emotions |  |
Tennis is a mental game
Competitive tennis involves a mental challenge against the opponent and sometimes, against the player himself.This challenge is considered interesting by some players while others regard this kind of mental challenge as extremly frustrating.
Any way here are some psychological characteristics of tennis that make it potentially frustrating :
- It is an individual sport. These type of sports generate more stress than team sports.
- It is a difficult sport that requires a high degree of co-ordination and as such can be very frustrating.
- The player has to take thousands of decisions in very short periods of time.
- There are lots of "dead" time periods ( between points and during changeovers).
- No long time-outs and no substitutesare allowed.
- In certain shots ( i.e. serve and smash) the player has time to think before hitting.
- At certain levels, there are no umpires officiating the matches. You depend on your opponent making honest judgement as to whether the ball was in or out.
- The scoring system means the player is never safe.
- No coaching is allowed in most tournaments.
 | | Winners And Losers |
- Knock-out system of competition. There is usually no league, consolation or last hope.
- At the professional level : weekly competition, a great deal of travel from one city to another, or from one continent to another and all year round season.
- The varying conditions are exthausting: different types of courts, balls, playing formats,etc.
- You never know when the match is going to finish. There is no clock.
- Often you never know at what time you will start to play , since competitive tennis is scheduled in a "followed by" matches basis.
- Professional players must devote a significant portion of their life to tennis ( training 4-6 hours per day, playing, travelling, etc.)
- Parents are often overly involved in the player's career.
 | | Sampras waves goodbye after his loss to Safin |
TEN THINGS PARENTS DON'T GET ABOUT KIDS AND SPORTS
-During car rides to games or practice, kids don't want you to tell them how to do this or that.
("I am not stupid," or "I know how to play the sport I play," are typical responses.)
-Kids can get psyched for a game without parental help.
("I hate it when my parent says, 'Are you ready? We're going to win,' like they're the one playing." )
-It's your duty as a parent to sit quietly and watch your kids do wonderful things.
(Kids get bummed out when you miss games or yak it up too much with friends in the stands.)
-If you don't know what you're talking about, kids don't want you to talk.
(Typical comments: " Parents think they know the rules, but they don't." "My mom asks annoying questions.'' And ''I hate when my mom tells me to do things even when she doesn't know the first thing about sports.")
-Even if you do know what you're talking about, kids don't want you to talk.
("I hate when parents tell us to do the exact opposite of what the coaches say," "If your parent isn't the coach, he or she shouldn't try to be one.")
-Kids wish parents would practice what you preach about sportsmanship.
("My dad always wants me to he a 'good sport,' but a lot of the time he blames the loss on the ref." "Arguing with the refs is not only embarrassing, but it takes up time." )
-Kids often can't hear a parent yelling when they're concentrating on the game.
(Sometimes, they can. Either way, they don't like it. "Parents yell advice a player doesn't hear because they're so into playing the game."I feel embarrassed when my parents yell so loud that the whole town can hear," and "They yell and scream and look like dorks.")
-After they lose, kids don't want to be told it doesn't matter.
( Typical reactions: ""I hate when we get knocked out of the playoffs and parents say, 'You'll get them next time!" "When parents try to cheer you up after a loss, all they do is remind you of the score." )
-After they lose, kids don't want to be told that it does matter.
("Parents take losses harder than we do". You win some, you lose some, no big deal! "Get over it!")
-Kids just want to have fun. Parents just don't get this. kids say.
--From the Diocesan Handbook concerning sports, parents, coaches, etc
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