Fostering the Concept of Sportsmanship in Today’s World of Tennis

February 12, 2016 | By Whitney Kraft
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The first tournament for a young tennis player is oftentimes quite daunting. Most kids start playing tournaments because they've been deemed "good enough" or “tournament ready” by a coach or parent, and come in with an expectation of success. As we know, success in terms of "winning it all" is extremely rare for tennis competitors, whether novice or professional, and based on traditional formats, is possible for only one member of the field. This "99 percent failure rate," coupled with the incredibly intimidating environment tennis can pose for a young player, would seem to explain the tendency we see in first-time tournament players never competing again. If we are going to reverse this trend, we must focus on de-stressing the competitive experience for our young players.

At the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, we focus on our culture and environment. Our 10 & Under Program utilizes the "NTC Player 5 Core Promises" as well as the “Player & Parent Code of Conduct” form for all participants and their parents. The value of the 5 Core Promises and the Code of Conduct cannot be overstated, as they provide the participants with realistic expectations of the program and their results. Even if players and parents come from a different area or program, these documents clearly address what we expect from them and what they can expect from us. The most important aspect is that success is framed not by wins and losses, but in terms of effort and sportsmanship. This allows the players to relax and enjoy their court time, knowing that their ability to be successful is 100 percent in their control.

Parent behavior is also clearly laid out in our literature. This is helpful to parents who may be unfamiliar with tennis match etiquette, helping them to better understand what is appropriate and what is not. When players are able to feel safe in the knowledge that adults won't be yelling at them or their opponent, another potentially scary element of uncertainty is eliminated. Speaking of parents, another important aspect of creating a positive environment and tennis culture is engaging parents in educational opportunities. Even parents with many matches under their belts may need reminding of the “good things to say" and the "not-so-good things to say" after matches. Not-so-good things like "did you win?" or "why didn't you ..?" are things that parents want to avoid, and instead, focus on things related to effort like, "you played so hard!" or "head sweat check!"

If culture and environment are properly addressed, your work is more than halfway done. Another way to de-stress the competitive experience is by taking advantage of non-traditional formats. For example, especially for our more introductory or intermediate play events, we focus on timed round, maximum encounter, round-robin formats. These give every player the opportunity to grow in their confidence and experience, regardless of their match results. Round-robin formats are great, but they can be difficult if you have a large number of players or a small amount of court space. To minimize waiting when our numbers get too large, we use a "four per court singles" format. This is done by having Player A and Player B play two points while Players C and D wait at the back of the court or act as their ballpeople. After the two points are played, Players C and D rotate in and play their two points. Points are continued to be played in groups of two, and players keep track and continue their game scores after rotations. This allows players to socialize and make new friends, as well as relieve some of the stress of being one of the two very small people on one very large court.

Using court monitor volunteers is also a great way to help kids get comfortable and enjoy the competitive experience. An adult on court making sure players call out scores before every point, resolve disputes at the net rather than by shouting across the court, and help with rotations should the need arise helps make players feel confident in their abilities to take part in something like this again.

Line call disputes and "cheating" have long been a sticky wicket for tournament directors, parents, and players since tennis competition began. To help alleviate the negatives, it's necessary to utilize innovative solutions for a problem that isn't likely to go away soon. New technology is making it possible for players to solve line call issues in real-time with the help of courtside technology. Something we've had success with is allowing each player a "no questions asked" overrule per match. This has had an interesting overall impact as disputes actually drop due to players not wanting to waste their overrule!

As mentioned before, if you are able to frame success as effort and sportsmanship, those behaviors need to be reinforced. By recognizing sportsmanship award winners, you are fully reinforcing the message of culture to your players. Recognizing sportsmanship and effort is another way to de-stress the competitive experience because players realize that their success depends on factors they can control. Below is an example from The Forman School in Litchfield, Conn. With their “Honoring the Game” Award, which recognizes one member of their opposing team that best exemplifies good sportsmanship, respect and dedication to tennis.

These suggestions are not a cure-all for every player, club and situation. However, implementing these programs and philosophies has greatly contributed to our participation, growth and young player retention.


Whitney Kraft
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