Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, April 8, 1990 TAG: 9004080042
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B4 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Larry Lineberry
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
In its most basic form, tennis is entertainment, and most people play it simply because it is fun. But I have found that "fun" means different things to people. There is the player who hits the ball only 150 times in an hour-and-a-half of doubles. There is another player who hits the ball 3,000 times in the same period, gets sore legs, blisters, soaks three shirts and loses 5 pounds. A lot like work, right? Well, guess what? Both players had a very satisfying experience.
It is critical for me, as a teaching professional, to understand the different definitions of fun and to deliver that to each student with whom I work. Sometimes that means helping to make a serve faster, or working on a top-spin backhand crosscourt, or teaching a player enough self-control that he doesn't break all of his rackets and hit all of his balls into the woods. But my most important role as a coach is to help a player keep an overall perspective of his tennis goals. Many times that help comes despite the player.
Several years ago, during our club Junior Championships, a 13-year-old girl was playing very hard and having a close match with her opponent. She won the first set. I didn't see much after that, but about 45 minutes later, she came running down the steps and into the tennis building crying. When I asked her what was wrong, she said, still sobbing, "I lost the second set," and more tears. I said, "It's OK to cry if you lose. But you don't cry when you're even!"
She went on to win the match, and afterward it was as if the second set had never happened. Did she have fun? Yes. Did she know she was having fun? No. She had to learn that what she was doing was fun. After all, how can one be crying buckets of tears and still be enjoying the game? The answer is that she didn't have perspective. When the overall picture was explained to her - the match was even, not lost - she was able to regroup and perform well. Sometimes in the heat of battle, a lost point, set or even the match is difficult to keep in perspective. All real winners I have known, in any sport or profession, have the ability to keep what they're doing in perspective. They still lose sometimes, but they learn from the loss and don't let it deter them from their overall goal.
As a tennis player, your goal should be enjoyment. You want to keep that goal in perspective, especially when things are not going your way on the court. If you are behind, your best chance is to mentally lessen the pressure on yourself by asking, "What is the worst thing that will happen if I lose this match?" Your family will not love you less, your employer won't fire you, and you will not become physically ill. If you win or lose, the important things in your life will remain the same. And, a year after the match, who will even care who won?
Winning is a tremendous thrill, but only in the right set of circumstances. I mean, if you really have to win, pay your opponent to throw the match or smash his kneecap on the change-over and win by default. How much would the win mean to you then?
I share these thoughts because, as I look at 20 years of coaching, my most important task has been to help keep my students' games in perspective with their overall lives. From a tactical aspect, it is the soundest principle I can teach, because the player stays more relaxed. From the happiness standpoint, perspective is a necessity.
So next time you're out there slugging it out with your archrival, grab hold of some happy thoughts and enjoy the fact that you simply are competing. Let the winning or losing take care of itself. You may find that your on-court performance will improve. I'm dropping a note to McEnroe in the morning.
\ TIP: Power comes from below the waist; control comes from above the waist. Don't ask your upper body to supply both.
\ PET PEEVE: I hate it when a televised match is over and the camera doesn't show the handshake, a time-honored tradition in tennis. This is particularly irritating after big matches such as the Davis Cup or the Grand Slams. I think I'll write the networks.
\ PREDICTIONS: Jennifer Capriati will be in the top 15 of the Women's International Tennis Association rankings by the end of the year. . . . Roanoke tennis will be making some big strides in the next 18 months.
by CNB