Learning & Coaching

Every now and again I think of my role as a coach, and the role of a coach in general for the learner of tennis. Being a teacher in school, it's important for me to reflect on my practices, but seldom do I reflect on my experiences as a coach. Because coaches aren't perfect either.

I first look back at how wonderful a job my parents did as my coaches, through the tears and fights and sweat, that made me a champion, and that continues to make my mindset and work ethic stand out from amongst my peers in many aspects of my life. I think about the passion they have for tennis, and the passion they vicariously instilled in me.

I think about what I've done as a coach, the students that I've taught, the shots I've made better, and I realize it's so much more than a shot or the game of tennis, just like in the classroom it's so much more than a novel or a good poem.

So I've complied a list. You know I love lists. But this list isn't just for you, it's reminder for me also, a reminder for me that I coach for a reason bigger than myself, and I hope one day it'll be a reminder for others who are in charge of children's learning and growing, so that they will always come out as a positive role model in someone's life.

Here it is; the list. A coach:

1. inspires a child to play tennis.
2. motivates; it's always easy to motivate a good player or a well-behaved child. But it is the one who struggles and who may have outbursts that needs the most motivation.
3. teaches discipline and routine; the child learns what is expected of them and what consequences await them if they do not follow through. Many believe that this may be strict or unfair, but it reality it gives kids wanted structure.
4. says the right thing at the right time, even if that right thing is saying nothing at all.
5. is a good listener.
6. is a role model at all times.
7. supports not just the player, but also his or her family and support system, and helps steer that support system to be a positive influence in the player's game.
8. notices the little things, whether it be a new haircut or a child's deteriorating attitude.
9. just once throughout the day, makes the child smile, and reminds them that tennis isn't everything.
10. is positive the majority of the time, and only negative when absolutely necessary.
11. let's the little things go.
12. loves what they do.
   

Doubles Blog

Hello world!

I know, I know, I'm a day late. Sorry! But I have a good excuse. I sat and graded 8th grade projects from 1 to 9 pm. Yeah, my brain was fried. Now it's unscrambled a bit! :)

Some doubs tips:

Your initial reaction when someone else is on your side of the court is “Get off my side of the court, fool!” However, if you’re playing doubles, this may turn slightly problematic if you kick your partner off the court. Now you have to tie the hypothetical umbilical cord and remember that without teamwork, you pretty much stink at doubles. Being aware of where your partner is beneficial, say, if they decided to throw a short lob to the opponent’s volleyer and your still at the net. Movement together is essential- two volleys are scarier than one, and two people in the back allows for a better grapple at defense. Yes, grapple is a not only an awesomely cool word, but it also happens to be a fruit- a cross between a grape and an apple- there’s your fun fact for today.

Back to grappling (even more awesome than grapple!) with doubles. Let’s talk positions. I couldn’t tell you how many times I’ve seen someone (usually girls, sorry) hugging the doubles alley, knees shaking from fear. The partner in the back has to cover about 80% of the court- don’t worry, your partner’s got that other 20% on a leash (Not so good metaphor/attempt at anecdote)! Truth is, there is not only “holy” position in doubles when the point is being played out- actually, it would be more honest to say that the “holy” position would be none at all. The more you move at the net, the more pressure the opponent feels to hit a better shot, and the higher the chance that they will make a mistake or that you (the volleyer) poaches. Yes, like an egg in boiling water. Or illegally hunting game (I guess that’s a bit better than an egg).  Never really understood why they (tennis-terminology inventors) called it poaching, but nevertheless…

Back to grappling (!) with the volleyer’s positioning. Again, there is no set place to stand for the volleyer during the point, but there are rules to help you make the most of doubles when your partner’s serving or returning. When your partner’s serving and you’re at the net (and you better be- don’t you dare go to the baseline, even if your partner’s serve travels 2.7 mph), you should be smack in the middle of the box. I hope I don’t have to tell you what box I’m talking about, partially because I’d feel silly explaining (the little one?), and partially because you’re just plain silly yourself for not knowing what I’m talking about. So there. Anyways- help your partner choose where the serve is going- if out wide, be ready for the down the line shot, and if body or T, be ready to poach (like an illegal hunter J). Encouragement is always nice- no one wants to hear “Can you hit the ball harder than 2.7 mph?” or “Your serve is frankly quite terrible.” You laugh, but there are people who actually say those things.

The returner’s partner. So say you’re at the net and you’re partner’s returning. It’s okay if you’re at the net, but if the opponent has a good serve, and the opponent’s partner likes to poach, you’re shark bait (or illegally hunted meat?). It’s okay to say back on the first serve to avoid that situation, but if you have a partner who has an awesome return, you should be standing a tad bit to the right and back of the middle of the box (the small one). So, you should be about a step from the service line and to the right of the middle of the box. This position does a couple of things- it puts pressure on the server, and it puts pressure once the returner hits back to the server- it allows for you to poach more easily as well. Try this position out in practice- your partner should be comfortable with you standing there before you try it out in a match, because you would potentially be in the trajectory of the ball if your partner can miraculously angle the ball off of a serve. You’ll be fine, don’t worry- you have to reassure your partner of that too. Calling the return is also a good doubles tactic- knowing where the ball is going off of the return can help you feel more comfortable at the net, especially if the return is going down the line. Speaking of which, some coaches believe that going down the line is taboo, but keeping your opponent honest (think illegal hunter) is a good doubles tactic. That being said, there is a reason why it’s considered taboo sometimes- it’s hard to hit and easy to react to once you expect it. Once every game is plenty enough. As the returner, it’s important that a high percentage of returns go crosscourt- this is a high-percentage play and involves your partner at the net into the point more.      

Say you’re the server- high percentage first service is key. If you have to kick your first serve, do it. Kick serves, by the way, are essential for doubles play. It allows you to have enough time to get to the net for a serve and volley and is consistent yet aggressive. Make sure you stand wider on the baseline and identify the weaker side early one. A body serve cuts off any angle that the opponent can hit, so lots of body serves can be used. Stay tuned for more “advanced” positions like the “I” formation and the “stack” formation. 

 Remember, don’t be the person cowering in the corner of the court and letting your partner do all the work for you- man up and make like an egg! 

Core

Hey world!

Let's get straight into our new blog, working on abs!

I have never met someone who decides that they are okay with being an oompa-loompa. Considering mass advertisements with flat abs and good-looking bodies, the American mind has been warped by media and what the body “should” look like. Athletes in particular are expected to have bodies that fit to a T, or at least fit into a t (J).

Flat abs are particularly tied to how you eat- those late night purges on snickers bars and Coke will probably not help you out much. Now if you want to get abs like an athlete, diet is not enough. A strong core (abs and back) is essential for tennis- without it, you’re simply not up to par with your highest potential. So I’ll provide you with some not-so-fun-but-necessary-and-helpful core exercises to tone your muscles, sleeking them into the physique that is worthy of a magazine ad and aiding you in your tennis game (best of both worlds-really!).    

These exercises are not only ones you should be doing, but they do target your lower abs, which is where the dreaded belly bulge settles (more often on women then men- don’t get me started female/male comparisons, obviously I’m a little biased).

1.)  The bicycle

The bicycle keeps all of your body moving, but at the same time can isolate all of the muscles in the lower belly to continually pump your legs back and forth. Keep your fingers on your temples (otherwise you’ll start moving your neck and back, which defeats the whole purpose) and move your elbow to your opposite knee. The pace is up to you- you’ll feel the burn regardless, but a good starting point is 30 seconds on, 30 seconds off three times through.

2.)  The crabwalk

The crabwalk again keeps your body moving, and works on your balance as well as your abs. This exercise gets all of the abs working, including your upper abs that usually get toned quickly through crunches and a lot of other simple abs exercises. Facing your belly towards the sky, alternate touching your toes with your opposite hand while on all fours.  

3.)  No-idea-what-to-call-this AKA “Partner toe touches”

You know, explaining abs exercises through words is actually quite tough- glad that there are players around to torture with some extra abs routines and video at the same time. J This next one, although it does say partner, can be done without one. If you do have a partner, lie on the ground flat and grab your partner’s ankles. Your arms should be straight up. Pick up your legs to your partner without bending your knees- they should touch your feet to signal you to go down- NEVER touch the ground in this exercise. To make it more intense, have your partner throw your legs down instead of touching- this keeps your abs burning throughout the entire exercise (burn, baby, burn). Without a partner, grab hold of something that won’t fall on you (a railing, for example) and do the same thing.

4.)  Scissor kicks and up-downs

Very clever names, I know. Lie flat on your back, hook your arms underneath yourself, and pulse your legs up and down without touching the ground. Hence, up-downs. Keep going about 20 times, and then switch to scissor kicks- same position, crossing your legs over each other back and forth (sideways). About 20 times, then rest. And again.

When you’re doing abs, it’s extremely important to complete back exercises as well- the most dangerous thing (other than a good-looking front and a not-so-much backside) is to not strengthen your back as much as you strengthen your back; this causes a disbalance (yes, that’s a word in tennis lingo spell check!) that can end up in an injury.

5.)  Superman

It’s a bird, it’s a plane, it’s a bunch of junior tennis players training their backs! Lie flat on your stomach, stretch out your arms and legs, and lift your arms and legs simultaneously off the ground, and come back down. Point your toes when you do this, and lift up as high as you can. The more you wait up, the more your back works. About 40 will do.

6.)  Alternating superman

It’s a bird, it’s a plane, it’s a bunch of junior tennis players that are attempting to coordinate the alternating superman! Same thing as superman, but now you’re lifting your left arm and right leg at the same time, then alternating to the right arm and left leg. About 40 will do.

7.)  Weighted back lifts

Same position but your legs will lay flat the entire way through this exercise. Grab something with a little weight- if this is your first time doing this, do it with your racquet. Once you get better and stronger, you can add 5 or even 10 pound weights to this exercise. Place the weight behind your neck, holding onto it with your arms. Lift your upper body with the weight. Do about 15 of these, then rest and do it again.      

8.) I’ve saved the best for last- the plank. The plank is known to be the best ab exercise there is for abs and core strength.  Fold your hands together, lean on your elbows, and lift the rest of your body up. To make it harder, put your feet together—to start off, keep them apart. Start off holding on and off for thirty seconds, but if you can handle that just fine, do a minute on and off. You’ll feel the burn. 

A week in pictures...preparing for the fall

Hey guys!

So I'm teaching all day on Fridays throughout the fall (8th grade Language Arts, in case you were curious) and will be attempting to post each Friday but otherwise you should expect a post on Saturday. Hence, today, we have a new post! Yay!

For Leon County Schools and most other schools in Tallahassee, you've completed your first week at school- congrats! Now its time to get into the flow of the fall, including coming to practice from 4:30-6:30 Monday through Wednesday and 3-5 on Thursday to work on your game at Seminole High Performance.

Its always nice to reminisce on the past times, and so we'll spend this blog reminiscing our summer camps!

The summer started off with our beginner quick start camps- the kids had a lot of fun learning how to play tennis. These three girls above were so adorable- they reminded us of the three girls from "Despicable Me!" 

The quick start camps were held this year at the Holy Comforter school tennis courts. These three are taking a quick break in the shade to get ready to compete!

After each day, we reviewed what we learned that day. The kids went home tired and happy! 

Week two of camps our coaches took the dorm campers to fun station. We had some fun with the kids go carting, playing mini golf, arcade games, and batting some baseballs in the batting cages. All Andres had to do for the kids to listen was to point at his shirt! :) 

They were supposed to take a serious face picture, but they started laughing once I took it! 

One of our coaches attempting the 70 mph batting cage. A swig and a miss! (I chickened out at the end and went into the 60 mph batting cage instead)

Week three of camps and we're with another group at fun station. They all got these drinks and ended up with blue tongues.

Some of our girls posing for a photo op!

Some more campers hanging out waiting for their pizza!

It always is nice to go back and think of all the fun times at camp. We'll see you soon for Seminole High Performance clinics and next year for more fun weeks of summer camp!

Till next Friday, tootles!

 

Volleys

Hey there!

A multitude of sticky note to-do's later, I have gotten to updating this blog. So, I'll keep the intro short and sweet; volleys are another shot that a lot of juniors (and college tennis players) have trouble with, so here are a few pointers.

Common sense question for you: if you’re at the net and someone is hitting a forehand at you, say, at 100 mph, would you want to think about changing your grip from your forehand volley to your backhand volley? I think not. I think, that you’d probably rather not get smacked in the face with the ball, and maybe even be able to get it back over the net. So, I win the argument on whether you should change your grip from your forehand volley to your backhand volley.

Just to reiterate my point, DON’T change your grip from volley to volley. Not only could this be hazardous to your overall health (i.e. getting hit in the stomach, face, groin, ect.) but it also is not part of the overall philosophy of volleys in general: KISS. No, not kiss the volley, although that would be entertaining to watch, but Keep It Simple, Stupid. The more movement you have at the net with your flailing arms/hands, the worse the outcome. So, flip flop your racquet face instead- volleys are instinctively played on instinct (Yes, you read that right- I’m trying to keep you on your toes here!). In other words, because the ball is coming at you fast (assuming) and you have less time to react to it (since you’re at the net, not at the baseline), the volley game is mostly stationed on how you instinctively react to the ball.  

On those terms, remember that the more you do at the net, the worse it is. AKA, less is more. Less swing is better than big swing- the general rule is that you don’t want to let your racquet get behind your shoulders other than on higher volleys. The difference of how you hit a lower volley compared to a higher volley is again less is more- simply scoop/slice the ball a bit more on the lower volley (pretend that you want to scoop a bit of ice cream out of the carton with your hands- that’s what your wrist should be doing sort of on the low volley). On a high volley, you should be hitting a bit flatter, with no scooping of the ice cream at all (Whack a mole coming into mind, but more like a sideways whack a mole).

Now that we know what to do with our hands, let’s talk about legs. Remember to keep the center of gravity of your body (belly button) lower to the ground on volleys- bend your knees. Unless you’re reacting to a ball hit straight at you, your legs should follow the ball on contact- if you’re hitting a forehand volley, your left leg should come towards the ball (a tad bit diagonally), while on a backhand volley you’re right leg should come towards the ball a tad bit diagonally.

 Now that you’re an expert on volleys, go against a wall (yes, wall) and hit volleys against it. This is a good training routine to not only to train good volleys but also work on your reaction time and keeping your wrist firm, as well as keeping your grip the same. Watch Cara Black as she does this work out, and then tell me if you could possibly do that switching grips on the volley (yes, I’m assuming your still not quite sold on that point yet- until you watch the video and agree with me).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_cThQIhFSZk

Now check out the Brian brothers doing a “Romanian Volley Drill;” notice how their feet move and how simple their volley stroke is.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nH2l9khi5RU

Now go out there and try it yourself- don’t forget to keep it simple! 

Strategies

Happy Friday everyone! It's been a crazy week. Finals week for me, term papers due, and my brain is, well, mush. But not mush enough to forget about how important strategy in tennis is! :)

I have mixed feelings about scouting before a match. On one hand, you can come out knowing how your opponent is going to play, already anticipating something and knowing what the previous player did wrong to lose to your opponent. Then, there are some special people, me included, that will let that opponent plant a tiny seed in their brain and let it fester- by the time you come out onto the court, you’re too burnt out thinking to play. I think it depends on the person whether you should be scouting or not- your coach can always scout for you. Or, you can just think for yourself and play the opponent that day the way they’re playing- again, you never know if they changed their game that particular day to better suit the player they were against. 

That being said, there are strategies that you want to use again specific types of players. You have to know your game well enough to be able to adjust slightly to each player you play against. That being said, always stick with your A-game. If you’re a grinder, grind. If you’re a hitter, hit. But what sets apart good players from great players is the ability to read their opponents. 

I.e. pushers. Pushers are grinders without aggressiveness. They are annoying, I know. They might have the most atrocious technique or/and the most nonathletic body, but boy are they just tooth and nail when it comes to tennis. They will work their little (or not so little) butts off to get to every single ball they hit. It’s like when you accidentally step on an ant pile and all the little ants run around seemingly aimlessly- this is what a pusher does to a players brain; they’re everywhere. But no matter how aggravating these players are, they somehow get the job done- they make even the saner implode. So instead of gossiping about how awful pushers are, I’ll let you in on a strategy. Unlike what it seems, the pusher cannot physically get to every single ball if you pull him/her off the court enough. Because it takes half an eternity for the ball to come over to your side, the pusher has a chance to come back to neutral (middle of the court) after every ball. Taking away that time is the most effective way to play a pusher. As soon as you see the ball going into a lob, step in and rip the ball out of the air- doesn’t have to be a winner, but an aggressive shot will set you up for high volley or an overhead. BE READY. Like superman, sometimes pushers find a way of getting back balls that you would have thought were long gone. It may take two or three volleys to finally put them back in their place (I wonder where that would be…)

I.e. hitters. Hitters will blast the cover off of the ball at any chance they get. Often playing very flat and very hard, they make the sport look macho. They also are very sporadic. They may hit four flat out winners, but then hit seven shots into the fence. The quicker the point ends for a hitter, the better. Thus, your strategy is to drive them bonkers. The longer you stay in the point, the harder the hitter will try and hit (the harder the hitter will hit- say that five times fast. I’m obviously making use of my vast vocabulary.), eventually overhitting and smacking it into the fence or the bottom of the net. BUT, you won’t get very far if you keep it in their zone of hittage (lol! Not a word, sorry). If you didn’t quite catch that, here’s another way of saying it- stay out of their hitting zone, aka hit low or high. This messes with the contact point and a hitter hates adjusting to low or high contact points. A deep slice or a heavy spin lob does wonders against hitters, turning the macho superstars that hit winners left and right into stupid tennis players who keep making the same mistakes over and over. 

All I got for today, folks (reminiscing the childhood “that’s all folks”). Remember that you always have to maintain your own identity on the court, but still play smart. Don’t let anyone, including your opponent, make you step out of your plan A game- dictate the play and you’ll always be successful, even if you don’t win. Yes, that’s possible.

Overheads!

Everyone is eagerly awaiting the new post this Friday; or at least that is the way I imagine it in my mind. Week's been good. We finished the last and final Seminole High Performance on a great note and sent kids home tired but ready to dominate on the tennis court. Something that I noticed during team competition was that a lot of kids set up the point really well but then miss an easy volley or overhead. Thus, today's blog is about overheads! Ahem...

As you creep up ninja-like to the net, alas the ball sails over your head. Of course. Now you have to hit an overhead. The most important thing about overheads, and really tennis in general, is your footwork. Gluing yourself like a statue to the court will probably not work out for you. 

Two important things to remember on the overhead are

Numbero uno: Standing sideways, trophy stance, not belly facing the net

Numbero dos: Reaching up to the ball rather than waiting for it to smack you upside the head

Honestly, I could finish writing right now. Those are the two major things that you’ll need for your overhead. But some players insist on spiking the ball as hard as they can into the court, and other mini players wish to do the same but don’t know how. Spiking your overhead into the court hard enough will ensure that the player on the other side does not touch the ball at all. The spike overhead necessitates a lot of wrist action in addition to the numbero uno and numbero dos rules. You can practice by standing on the service line and trying to hit the ball into the box in front of you, making sure that the ball spikes into the court and then continues moving over the net. Keep in mind thought that the spike overhead is allowed only when the ball is a pathetic attempt at an overhead and is very close to the net as well as high enough for you to snap your wrist on. All other overheads require more extension (aka getting it over the net with follow through). Deep lobs (not so pathetic attempt at lobs) are the hardest overheads to hit because oftentimes the initial contact with the ball will be not above your head but slightly behind it. This requires extensive follow through for it to go over the net, and also equilibrium of balance between strength and depth. Hit these balls with all your might and your chance of getting it in the court is 10%. Of course that’s a scientific statistic! I’m in grad school after all!

It’s hard as well to keep your body sideways on the deeper lobs. Scissor kick overheads, where you propel yourself with your legs to not only finish with your body forward instead of stumbling backwards but adding follow through by using your whole body, are an option for more advanced players.

The most frustrating overhead mistake for both players and coaches is the butt-out-I-don’t-know-if-it’s-really-an-overhead-or-a-volley overhead. This is the ball that sails haphazardly over the net just high enough to be an overhead and still low enough to be a volley. Most players hit this as an overhead, eventually sticking their butt out and hitting the ball at such an angle you could slightly imagine them being a part of the dance routine “Stop, in the name of love!”

So, what do you do? In that split second of panic, do what’s good for you and either let the ball bounce and do whatever you please with it or hit a volley. For the love of anything fine in this world, please do not hit an overhead. Just as a reminder, for it to be called an overhead, it has to be, like, over your head.