To the Parents

To the parents... Part 1 Adolescence in and of itself is a minefield unto itself .. Certainly families who channel great resources into their child's pursuit of tennis excellence do not have a monopoly on unhealthy family dynamics Correlation is not causation.. One can plug any sport or activity in to the equation in place of tennis and unhealthy outcomes are everywhere as far as the eye can see.. But as tennis professionals, our experience as junior tennis players and now as coaches and parents leads us to conclude that the all encompassing nature of high level competitive junior tennis is an incredibly unique environment to rear a child. We can not state this emphatically enough.. If you have not lived the experience, you do not and can not fully grasp the emotional turmoil that so many young uber talented and competitive children of yours are grappling with.. We don't care how well you think you know your child and how well you may think you have matters under control.. The harsh reality of our sport is the foundation you feel you may have built beneath you now from which you feel you may have a good grasp on current events. That foundation is often a mirage.. Your child is growing up.. Fast.. 12-14 14-16 16-18 Each of those two year cycles you have essentially a different person standing before you, to say nothing of all the changes you yourselves as aging parents are experiencing as career ebbs and flows and the increasing stresses of our modern pace of life make your own foundations also an ever shifting mirage.. With sharp upturns of success or prolonged struggles with slumps and injuries or apathy or the ever inevitable changes in interest and desire in your Childs once rock solid quest to work his hardest to become the best.. All of these changes in circumstances bring on whole new challenges within your family dynamic.. Challenges if not addressed and confronted with a rational unified informed message can mark the beginning of a cycle where the proverbial wheels begin to come off... Wheels you have invested tremendous capital, financial emotional and sacrificial.. To achieve excellence in tennis, you have to be all in from a very early age, for our sport demands a full time commitment from all parties for many many years. High level competitive junior tennis is not a hobby.. If you are treating it so, find something more enjoyable and less demanding... You have to eat sleep dream and breathe our sport if you want to make it, anything less one will soon not be playing it That is why we are so insistent that you hear our message and educate yourselves such that you do this right, for as we have stated repeatedly, this ain't no dress rehearsal, if you don't have the time to do this right, we ask again, when are you going to find time to do it over..?