The Keys to Keeping Juniors Passionate About Tennis
As a former junior player, I fully understand the ups and downs of playing tennis consistently. You love it when you are winning, but lose interest when losing. Passionate when the weather is perfect, but frustrated when conditions are unfavorable (wind, sun, heat). The key to keeping juniors passionate about the sport of tennis is to keep the game fun.
Playing tennis seriously or recreationally needs to remain fun, always maintaining a smile and a laugh to retain your love of the sport. Let’s say during your drills, you finally complete a goal of 10 consecutive forehands beyond the service line. Celebrate your goal with a smile or a fist pump. It may have been a long, arduous road to 10 forehands; however, when you keep the drill tough but rewarding, you can reflect: “I worked hard, I gave everything, I accomplished 10 consecutive forehands, and now I can smile and be happy with the process.”
In another scenario, maybe you are in a long, grinding point in a match. Your opponent hits the top of the net, and it rolls onto your side of the court and you lose the point. Smile and congratulate your opponent even though you want to be frustrated. Remember, you worked hard and gave everything, you can be happy with the process and bring that desire to win to the next point. I have broken rackets, screamed, and pouted losing points like that. I eventually learned that the joy of tennis is harnessing your passion. It is easy to express frustration and get upset, but my love of tennis and desire to win kept me in the sport. When I stopped letting the negativity into my tennis world, I began to truly have fun, drilling, competing and training.
Sometimes, finding motivation to play may be an issue. Perhaps you are drained or are “just not feeling it” on a particular day. It is times like these where you must dig down and find that motivation. What is it that gets you onto the tennis court? Why do you compete? Whatever the motivation may be, you must channel it into a positive and use it to drive you forward. Make the tennis court your favorite place to be and use that to drive you to meet your goals.
In terms of goals, tennis is a sport where we can set a series of small goals to build upon in achieving bigger and better things. Set your goals, as lofty as they may be, and continue to work toward your ultimate prize. Start small and work on things like a particular shot or refine your footwork, and then advance these skills to the next level as you progress forward.
No matter your motivation or goals, the bottom line is to keep it fun when on the courts. Are you a recreational player? If so, make the best of your time on the court, know your limitations and use the sport of tennis to have a great time while getting in a good workout. Do you have more of a competitive spirit? Even the most competitive of players find fun in the sport. It may seem like it’s strictly business on the exterior, but what drives this competitive spirit? Sports are designed to be fun, so look past the wins in the “W” column and losses in the “L” column and rediscover why you picked up a racket in the first place—a love for the game that should endure despite one’s record.
So get out there, enjoy the game and remember … tennis is designed to be fun!
