Applied Coaching Research Journal Vol. 6 Research Journal 6 | Page 39

APPLIED COACHING RESEARCH JOURNAL 2020 , Vol . 6
Abstract Coaches , parents and players often overlook character building and individual development when assessing the benefits of sport and what it can teach us . We are so focused on winning ( destination or outcome ) that we miss the learning ( journey or process ). This article discusses what broader life lessons young players can learn through their participation in sport and the vital role and responsibility coaches have in helping them learn these lessons . Tennis teaches much about the social and psychological skills any young person will need for the challenges they will face , both on and off the court . I have closely studied the behaviour of aspiring and young professional tennis players for nearly 40 years and I would like to share some of the things I have learned about how playing the game can help prepare them for life . I will illustrate with examples from my own journey and , in particular , will highlight the importance of developing self-belief as the key to facing the challenges of sport and life with clear purpose and confidence . I demonstrate through my Clear Links Model of Self-belief how a heightened selfawareness can help to build the self-belief we all need .
Keywords Coach , self-belief , visualisation , memories , behaviour , narratives .
Introduction ‘ Do you think this junior is going to make it as a professional ?’
If you coach talented children , this question is asked regularly . A coach recently commented to me that we don ’ t look for fruits on a recently planted sapling , but we are asked this question of young players when their tennis careers will probably mature a decade later . We also know that only a handful of those thousands of children who started tennis a decade ago in the UK , are now in the top 200 in the world .
When returning from a tournament , do we ask players what they have learned or do we ask , did you win ? Are we focusing on the lessons learnt along the journey or purely on the outcome ? To do so may encourage parents to sign their children up to the sport , enjoy the experience more , rather than trying to constantly push them to become future stars . The role of an ideal tennis or sporting parent is indeed a balancing act . You have to sacrifice a lot of time , effort and money whilst being an unconditional , non-judgemental observer who provides social and parenting support . Actually , the reality is that most successful youngsters achieving at the highest level are very selfdriven .
It is so important for youngsters not to tie their own self-worth to the amount of trophies they have in their cabinet at home . A few of my highly competitive juniors get so demoralised if they don ’ t win a particular tournament . We need to emphasise the value of character development , improved self-discipline , goal setting and other important skills these young people have to master at a relatively early age .
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