This blog originally started out sharing my experiences in
coaching youth soccer at the recreational and club level. It morphed a bit when
I gave up coaching to focus just on refereeing. However the scope of this blog
will change once again. Due to issues with my knees I chose to take a year off
from refereeing (and might not resume in 2018). On January 1, 2017 I also
retired from my full time job of 43 years, which means I’m playing tennis more
than ever. Six to seven times a week! So the scope of this blog has changed
with my life changes. While earlier entries talked about coaching soccer or
refereeing, going forward it will share what I’ve learned and observed about
playing and coaching tennis or how the mental/psychological aspects can be
applied to playing other sports.
I say “coaching tennis” in the above paragraph because in
the spring of 2017 I got to coach the junior varsity boys’ tennis team for a
local private high school. It was a rewarding and interesting experience! And
it allowed me to share what I’ve learned both in technique and tactics from
playing tennis for more than 40 years. (!) While my NTRP (National Tennis
Ratings Program) rating is 4.0 based on input from coaches when I’ve taken
lessons and I might never reach the 4.5 level due to my age and other
limitations, I believe my understanding of tennis is more advanced than the
people with whom I play. Being an analytical engineer helps!
For me studying tennis is almost a full time job. (Ask my
wife!) This study consists of reading books, analyzing slow motion replays of
the strokes and strategies of professional players, taking lessons every year, buying
courses such as Craig O’Shannessy’s Brain Game tennis or the Bryan brothers
videos on playing doubles, visiting instruction forums and subscribing to many
instruction newsletters. I’ve found that no one source provides everything you
need to know about this fantastic and almost infinitely deep sport. To capture
this information I’ve filled notebooks with handwritten notes, scanned key pages
of books and articles and keep a spreadsheet with tips. When the TV is on 90%
of the time it’s set to the Tennis Channel.
I like to think that this study has paid off. Why? Because
I’m playing better tennis now at the age of 67 than I have ever played. People
with whom I play comment on how my game continues to improve. I think becoming
a better and smarter player has helped me compensate for the affects of aging
(and somewhat arthritic knees).
