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December 21, 2005
Holding to Higher Standards
As you become a better player, more accomplished, older, and more mature, you have to take more responsibility for who you are on the court and who you are becoming as an athlete. With responsibility comes control. The things for which you are willing to accept the most responsibility are the things over which you are able to exercise the most control. For example you are trying to learn more about patterns. The more responsiblity you take for understanding patterns and practicing patterns, the more control over them you will have when you play.
It may sometimes seem that avoiding responsibility is the easiest way to respond to challenging situations. Yet when you avoid responsibility, it allows other people and events to control your life. And before long, taking the seemingly easy path of avoiding responsibility becomes very difficult indeed. Because when you run away from responsibility, you severely limit your options.
It may seem unfair to have to take responsibility for difficult situations that are not your fault. And yet, it is that very responsibility that will enable you to move positively forward through those challenges. Though responsibility can be difficult and can require great effort, it is more an opportunity than a burden. For with responsibility, you can inject real, positive value into even the most troubling situation. You can take boring matches and turn them into exciting ones by working on new areas of growth. You can take poor conditions and make them into challenges that force you become a better competitor. You can take matches where you are getting killed and work on your body language and self talk and improve it for the next match.
Take responsibility, and use that responsibility to move your tennis world forward. Take responsibility, and take positive control. Talent is not enough. There are lots of guys with talent. College coachs are looking for:
Players who have the game style to be sucessful in college, this including developing weapons
Players who are clear about how they play
Attitude--player who are confident fighters who exude fight and positive fighter image, playes who have great body language and self talk, especially when they are down
Intangibles--players who are team players who can handle recruits who can get along with teammates and coaches
Work Ethic--players who work hard, even in poor conditions or when they are down
Results--players who are in the top 100 in USA
Athleticism--players who can move, run, jump well
I ask ATA Coaches and fellow Academy members to hold you to these things.
I encourage you to work on each one of these, each minute you are on the court getting ready for the upcoming national tournaments so that they will be natural to you when you compete there.
Posted by Jim at December 21, 2005 03:00 PM
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