The Easter Bowl at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden is now underway for all the age groups. Growing up playing junior tennis in Southern California, I have spent a few weeks a year in Indian Wells all my life. During my competitive tennis days in the juniors and the pros, I had many weeks a year training with Tommy Tucker at the Mission Hills Country Club. My days in the desert are geared more around golf than tennis these days, but I still make it over for a few days of the BNP and the Easter Bowl. 3 Tips for…
This weekend starts the 2018 Easter Bowl at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden. It was a quick turn around after the finals of the BNP last weekend. For many young juniors, especially for their first Easter Bowl, the larger professional site can be overwhelming and intimidating. Caroline Dolehide, a young American up and comer on the WTA Tour, just finished a great run at the BNP reaching the 3rd round, taking Halep to a third set. Before she left the Tennis Garden, Caroline gave me a few tips for success to the younger players as they prepare to play in…
Back injuries are a big part of sports and tennis is no exception. I asked Dr. Kamshad Raiszadeh (Rays-zuh-day) to write an article for us on back injuries in young athletes. Dr. Raiszadeh has a unique perspective because not only is he a dedicated spinal surgeon, non-invasive spinal specialist and author of “Take Back Control”, but he also played competitive tennis himself and is a parent of junior tennis players. I first met the Raiszadeh family 13 years ago when our children played in a pee-wee tennis class together. Working with their eldest daughter…
I look at this next young generation of upcoming tennis players with mixed emotions… the excitement of knowing what they will experience and the heartache of knowing what they will experience. Some of my very best memories of life are from junior tennis… traveling the world, amazing friends, tough competition and yes, most of all, the high of winning. Junior tennis was also one of the toughest times for my parents, my family and myself.
We all know as parents, parenting isn’t easy, isn’t always fun and rarely goes according to plan. Count on that in spades if you are parenting an elite athlete, especially one in an individual sport like tennis. It is safe to say that the children who are able to walk on a tennis court by themselves, with no teammates and no coaches, perform in front of family, peers, strangers, agents and recruiters (in tiny skirts and tops no less), make all the strategic decisions by instinct, deal with the integrity of calling their own lines under pressure, deal with the lack of integrity of an opponent calling their own lines, the emotional drama (or trauma for some) of playing a friend, attempting to keep their emotions in check when things go poorly (which they will) and then the kicker… to deal with you, the parent when they come off the court (Yeah, you didn’t tell them all of that when you talked them into their first lesson did you?) … this takes a unique child. I can honestly say… there is nothing normal about us and get ready for a bumpy ride, because we can be hell on wheels to raise!
So here are my TOP TEN TIPS FOR TENNIS PARENTS… from Marianne Werdel, the 14-year-old girl, ranked # 1 in the country, fiercely independent, intensely competitive, cunningly smart, somewhat (or very) precocious, driven and determined to be the best…
DO Act calm and confident during the match Make your child be responsible for preparing for their match (equipment, warm-up, food, hydration) Emphasize the process of developing their game over the outcome Keep success in perspective Keep losses in perspective Encourage multiple sports when possible Hold them accountable for their behavior on court Model a healthy lifestyle and positive competition Hold them accountable to their goals Be supportive and loving regardless of the match outcome DON’T Criticize your child about their tennis Give feedback about the match immediately after they come off the court Put pressure on…