Junior Tennis Clinic Blog

How to be a successful New England Junior Tennis Athlete?

[fa icon="calendar"] May 18, 2016 1:36:14 PM / by Ransom Cook

 

new england junior tennis athlete  

Answering this question requires a junior player to define what “success” means for them. Do they want to turn professional? Do they want to play in college, or for their high school tennis team? It’s important for them to be clear about their goals not only to keep the sport in perspective but also to determine the kind of development program they pursue. Being a successful New England junior tennis athlete takes a lot of work and demands sacrifice. As Grand Slam tournament winner Tracy Austin says about the sport, “It’s so much more time-consuming than baseball, lacrosse, all these other sports. You cannot take a week off. The drive has to be so strong, the fire. Nobody was going to stop me.” There has to be an absolute desire and hunger to excel. On-court practice, off-court physical training, learning mental toughness, eating the right foods, all require real dedication to the desire to be good, to be “successful” – and sometimes committing to all of that means sacrificing free time, hanging out with friends on weekends, or just taking time off.

 

A key element of success for a New England junior tennis athlete is parent commitment and involvement. Supportive tennis parents are a real factor. Parents who are able to find the right balance between being supportive and not ‘living through their child’ can really make a difference for a junior player’s success on the court. (see Junior Tennis Tips For Parents – Some Do’s And Don’ts).

 

When it comes to on-court training for a New England junior tennis athlete, there are a variety of recommendations. A junior’s age, their goals and their nature will determine much of what their training program involves. Below is a training formula designed by the International Tennis Federation (ITF).

 

- For 6-8 years olds: 3-4 sessions a week, each session no longer than 45 minutes. Group lessons, practice on mini court. 50% tennis – 50% other sports. Soccer, handball, basketball, swimming, etc.

- For 9-11 years olds: 1 hour, 3-4 times a week. 70% tennis – 30% other sport.

- For 12-14 years olds: 2-3 hours a day, 4-5 times a week of group lessons. 85% tennis – 15% other sport.

- For 15-16 year old (intermediate level): 3-4 hours of training a day, 4-5 times a week.

- For 16-18 year old (advanced level): 3-4 hours a day, 5-6 times a week.

 

Mental toughness is a real determinant for a junior player’s success in matches. During tennis competition, as with the other sports, positive emotions help but do not guarantee good play. This fact tends to confuse players because they often find that they still lose matches even after disciplining their emotions positively. So, they begin to think emotional control has no value. While good emotions do not ever guarantee a victory, negative emotions often guarantee a loss. Emotions only set the stage for the quality of play that follows, but they don’t control it. Positive emotions make good play more likely but do not guarantee it.

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Becoming a top New England junior tennis athlete takes time, effort, commitment, training, fitness, good nutrition, mental toughness, talent, and a truckload of desire and drive. Roll all of these elements together, and success should follow.

 

Click Here for Your: Sample Tennis Training Plan   

Ransom Cook

Written by Ransom Cook

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