this routine was her way of keeping her mind busy and calm. It's very important
to recognize these routines and rituals, especially in female athletes. This is a
way for them to calm their mind and keep relaxed. It is also a way for them to
stay in the moment. Whether it's as simple as listening to their favorite songs
before practice or competitions or taking a cold shower right before a match,
these simple rituals go a long way in helping them reach the optimum level of
output. In fact, embrace them and help them fine tune their routines.
when you are coaching female athletes. As coaches, our first reaction is, "Why
do I have to explain everything? Just do what I am asking you to do." This simply
does not work. This is a major difference between male and female athletes.
week for practice, conditioning and lessons. Before each lesson and practice,
I explain what we are doing, the goal of each drill, and how these fit into the big-
ger picture of match play. In dual match seasons, I give the lineup the day before
each match. I take the time to explain to the non-starters how valuable they are
to the team and what they need to do to get back in the lineup. Being valued and
having hope are critical for them to stay motivated and engaged with the team.
tally prepare to accomplish each objective. They seek clarity and don't like sur-
prises. While they thrive on a structured environment, it is very important to give
them ownership of themselves and the team. The Vince Lombardi motto, "My
way or highway," is not an effective approach to coaching female athletes. While
it is time consuming, it`s sure rewarding at the end of the day when you've gone
the extra mile to be organized and have a plan that details the goals and objec-
tives for your practices, lessons and eventually for matches and competition.
There is an initial push back from female athletes while implementing structure,
but when there is consistency, they buy into it and take pride in it. Ultimately
they thrive in it.
setting. I once heard a team builder tell our team, "All great organizations and
teams face conflict. In fact, it is necessary, and when directed positively can
take the team from good to great." This is very true and most of the time it's the
little things that cause conflicts.
results in misunderstanding. Men might resort to a shout fest or even a fist fight,
but the next day they will be having a drink together or playing a game on Xbox.
Typically, women athletes hold on to their anger and grudges a little longer. Like
a dentist who treats cavities immediately, it is important to resolve conflicts
sooner rather than later. Otherwise you are looking at a root canal that is more
painful and complicated to treat. The best way is to bring the athletes together
and have them talk and hash it out on their own. There are times you need to be
a moderator and guide the discussion, but always stay neutral and keep the emo-
tions in check.
team told me they did not want to play together any longer. Dane Joubert was a
sweet young lady from South Africa with very good hands at the net and a terrific
doubles player. She was a gentle soul and deeply religious. Ilona Serchenko
was an intense player and fighter from Ukraine. She was aggressive from the
baseline and was great at setting up her partner at the net. The two contrasting
personalities and styles made a lethal combination; the perfect yin and yang.
The only problem was that they could not get along. Ilona's direct Eastern Euro-
pean way of communicating did not sit well with Dane, who had a softer upbring-
ing in an affluent South African home. I knew they were a critical piece to
winning the championship, but I couldn't force them to play together.
were the most dominant team for the season and why the team would
have a better chance to win the conference championship with them to-
gether in the lineup. I told them to go to my office for 15 minutes and that
I would respect their decision, as long as both of them agreed, to play or
not to play together. This was a bit of a risk on my part, but it was very
important that I gave them that power and ownership. Fifteen minutes
turned into 90 minutes and still no sign of them on the practice courts.
After the two hour mark, I went back and knocked on the door. There
was heated conversation going on that could have gone on forever. I told
them that they had five more minutes to come up with a decision. Minutes
later they came out and said, "Coach, we want to play together." The
next week they won all four matches together to win the championship.
help reach a higher level of trust between teammates. Tension is neces-
sary to have an edge, but it needs to be funneled positively to accomplish
an optimum level of performance.
continuing education during designated three year cycles. The
most recent was the three year period that ended December 31,
2019. The new three year cycle started January 1, 2020, and con-
tinues until December 31, 2022.
What does that mean to you?
If you did not complete 12 hours of qualified continuing education
during the last cycle (2017-2019), you must do that before you can
accrue 15 hours of credit for the new cycle (2020-2022). You need
5 hours in the new cycle by October 1.
FREE & Easy
PTR offers free online education so you can earn continuing edu-
cation credits without leaving the house. Visit www.ptrtennis.tv
to take advantage of a myriad of interesting and relevant presen-
tations to fulfill the continuing education requirement. PTRtennis.tv
automatically records your continuing education hours and adds
them to your record. There are additional ways to earn continuing
education. For more complete information, click the Education tab
on www.ptrtennis.org