Blog: Change in Scope (Again)

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).

The real Super Bowl lesson wasn’t about revenge - The Boston Globe

The real Super Bowl lesson wasn’t about revenge - The Boston Globe

This article nicely captures my feelings about the New England Patriots' incredible come-from-behind win over the Atlanta Falcons in Super Bowl LI. As a Pats fan it was sweet to have them win despite Brady's suspension for the first four games of the season due to allegations that the Pats lowered the pressure in their footballs.

But the satisfaction of getting this win (with properly inflated balls) pales to the spectacle of watching the Patriots methodically, relentlessly and calmly chipping away at the Falcons' lead. Meanwhile the Atlanta team could have easily added a field goal to put the game even further out of reach but succumbed to some head-scratching decisions. There easily were half a dozen or more plays that would have thwarted the Pats' comeback if any one of them had not worked in the Pats favor. 

It seems that everything is politicized these days. We know that Robert Kraft (the team owner), Bill Belichick (head coach) and Tom Brady (quarterback) are Trump supporters. We know that some of the players have said they will not attend the team meeting at the White House for political reasons. Yet it's great to see that both sides could set aside these differences (at least publicly) to work toward a common goal.

It was as if everything our parents, our teachers, our coaches had tried to teach us transpired in the last 18 minutes of this magnificent spectacle, this Super Bowl. In the end, it wasn’t about revenge. It was about not giving up, about perseverance, about not panicking, about having a backup plan if the original plan isn’t working, about believing in yourself and your ability and in one another.

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The roots of the comeback were embedded in another of our parents’ mantras: that you lay the groundwork for success in ways you often can’t see, simply by persevering. Even after they had fallen behind by so much, the Patriots were controlling possession and running the Falcons defense ragged. In the fourth quarter, and especially during the winning drive in overtime, the Atlanta defenders were gassed, exhausted. 

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So many of us had assumed that Tom Brady wanted to win this game so he could rub it in Goodell’s face. But it turns out he really wanted to win the game to put a smile on his mother’s face. There’s something much stronger, sweeter, and more satisfying than revenge. It’s called love.

Resilence and Choking: Federer vs. Cilic Wimbledon Match

Yesterday Roger Federer narrowly avoided being eliminated from Wimbledon at the hands of Marin Cilic. He was down two sets to none and even had a couple match points against him. Yet he prevailed. We think that Roger has nerves of steel and therefore never chokes but he did shank several balls, revealing that, yes, even Roger is human. In fact, I read a book on Federer recently that reveals he was very temperamental as a junior player. He had temper tantrums that made John McEnroe look mild. If he lost a match he would cry and pout for a while afterwards. Roger made a conscious decision to change his ways and become more Stoic.

This post by Allen Fox talks about how Roger handled choking by not panicking.

I should add that if there was anything to learn from this match it was that you can choke and still win as long as you don’t get rattled about it. And the topic of “courage” comes up when people think about choking. In my opinion, it doesn’t show courage to not be nervous and make the big shot on the big point. It takes courage to choke on the big point, not get upset about it; fight your way to another big point; and finally come through, either by making a good shot or your opponent missing.

Fox's point can apply to other situations beyond sports. That it's OK to tighten up under pressure as long as you recognize it and keep trying to do your best.
 

Late To The Ball: Tennis and Relationships

I just finished reading Late To The Ball by Gerald Marzorati, a former editor of the New York Times Magazine, in which he tells his story about taking up tennis in his early 60s and the lessons he learned, both in terms of technique/tactics and lessons about himself. I liked his book (and the clever title) very much. He started playing singles competitively but toward the end of the book he shifted to play doubles. He quotes an email from his wife on the differences between singles and doubles that I like.

“Singles is a fearsome struggle for independence at best; at worst it is a denial of the other’s humanity. But doubles is different. A devoted team can help each other grow so much. You’re talking about fellowship, and the delicate, intricate, wondrous balance between autonomy and dependency.”

I think her description of the dynamics of doubles actually applies to relationships in general whether it’s friendships, family or marriages.

I also think her depiction of singles is a bit harsh. I’m sure many people who play competitive singles do indeed want to impose their will on their opponent. I lean more toward Tim Gallwey’s idea that a goal of playing tennis, whether it’s singles or doubles, is to bring out the best in yourself. To do that you need the best from your opponent. Therefore playing ultimately is a cooperative exercise. I figure if you’re playing on the professional circuit your goal is strictly to win, rise in the rankings and make enough money to survive, without being concerned how your opponent feels about losing. The same for playing in USTA amateur leagues and tournaments. Yet, I noticed at the very top of the pro ranks (Djokovic, Nadal, Federer and Murray) there is mutual respect and appreciation for a well-played match. Even in the mixed doubles USTA matches I played this winter (for the first time in my tennis career at the age of 65!), there usually is mutual respect. Most of my opponents were fair and friendly. A few resorted to gamesmanship in an attempt to get into my head. (Good luck finding anything in there!) But overall all four of us on the court were looking for a competitive, well-fought match.

Getting back to Marzorati book, you could also take the title to mean arriving late to a ball as in a formal dance party. Whether or not this double meaning was intentional I’d say the second meaning of the “ball” is appropriate too. Playing tennis can be thought of as a dance.

Chi Running: How It Has Helped Me After Major Knee Surgery

In the fall of 2002 I was playing in a men’s Sunday morning soccer game. While playing outside left fullback a ball was struck in my direction but was way over my head. I thought I could head it by jumping. No dice. The ball was so far over my head I would have needed a ladder. As I came down my leg was straight and my body was turning. My cleat did what it’s supposed to do and firmly grounded my left foot. Unfortunately the rest of my body turned and put a lot of pressure on my straight leg. An explosion of pain rippled up through my leg and I landed on my side writhing in agony.

To make a long story short an MRI revealed that I had blown the ACL, MCL and PCL. Plus a hamstring detached as well as the muscle bundle at the top of the fibula. I ended up having 6 hours or surgery to install cadaver ligaments and to reattach the muscles. The surgeon also had to sever my quadriceps to repair something behind it. I had to wait a month before starting the 7 months of PT to ensure that the reattached muscles were grafting back to the bone. In addition, the surgeon told me that the replacement MCL couldn’t be made as tight as factory-installed MCL so my leg has a slight instability even with the strengthening exercises I did and continue to do. I need to wear a custom-made ACL brace for tennis, refereeing soccer and skiing. But at least I can continue to do them!

Why am I telling this story? To talk a little about a running technique that I found during my rehab. I found that traditional running where the heel hits first put a lot of pressure on my repaired knee even with the brace. I happened to be at a party shortly after my rehab was completed and started talking to a fellow who was a fellow technique geek. He told me about the Pose method of running which uses a different running technique. When I read the book on it I happened to stumble on ChiRunning and Danny Dreyer’s book and DVD on this. http://www.chirunning.com/ I’m probably not doing ChiRunning justice in my description of the method involves having the landing leg staying under the body as opposed to reaching out and landing on the heel. My landing foot stays directly below my center of gravity. It also involves leaning my body forward so that it almost feels like I’m falling. My lower legs lift behind me almost as though I'm trying to kick myself in the rear.

I’m not guaranteeing I’m doing the ChiRunning 100% correct. But I can say that what I’m doing now has helped significantly reduce the pain in my leg while also lessening the pounding my body feels. It also seems to take less effort to run this way.

Inner Game of Tennis - 40th Anniversary: Some Thoughts

Tennis magazine recently ran an article on the 40th anniversary of The Inner Game of Tennis. While I’ve been a big fan of Inner Tennis I have to admit that I still struggle knowing exactly how to apply Gallwey's ideas or if I’m even interpreting them correctly. I recall that he tells stories in his book how he helped beginners learn how to play by not doing what traditional coaches do. I know he believes traditional coaching has players over-focus on the details of the mechanics. I recall Gallwey had the student watch him execute, say, a forehand several times then had them do it. Or he has the student swing in front of a mirror. While I think Gallwey’s approach is valid I also think there is time when it is appropriate to be aware of the mechanics and work on them until they become automatized.

Here is a recent personal example. I’ve noticed that the many of the pros hit the ball on their groundstrokes with their racket tilted slightly forward by several degrees at impact. This produces a somewhat flatter shot but still with topspin. So I started trying it by consciously setting my racket with a slight forward tilt. Eventually I didn’t have to think about doing it; it became automatic.

In his second book on inner tennis Gallwey even mentions the idea of not consciously choosing targets but letting the Self 2 figure out where to put the ball. I do apply this especially on certain shots. The one that comes to mind is when I’m on the ad court in doubles and the cross court opponent is coming to the net. One of my favorite shots is to hit a short crosscourt ball that just clears the net then dips sharply and lands in the outside alley. Yet I can’t describe exactly what I’m doing different with my stroke to make the ball to that. I just know that’s what I want to do and let the rest happen. If I think about how to make that stroke I’m more likely to miss. Maybe that’s an application of Inner Tennis.

The compromise I’ve developed is when I’m trying a new tweak to a technique I’ll focus on it until it becomes automatic. If I’m not working on any technique in particular I then focus on weight transfer, the point of impact and trying to watch the ball hit the strings from behind the racket (i.e. looking at the impact point through the strings). My tendency is to let the ball come in too close. One of these days I’ll get it right! ;-)

What Does It Take To Be a Soccer Referee?

Last Sunday I took my annual referee recertification course, a requirement for referees like me to maintain our United States Soccer Federation badge. Without this certification I would not be in the state referee data base and would not get game assignments. I don't know how many parents or coaches know what is involved in maintaining a referee certification. Here is a summary.

Every year Mass State Referee Committee holds recertification classes in various cities throughout the state. As a referee you log in to your account to register for the class that is closest and is at a convenient time. They're held on the weekends and typically run from 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Once you register for a course a link becomes available online where you log in to take a 50 question test. To pass you need to get 75% correct or 38 questions. If you fail you can take the test again as many times as you want. (Last year it took me two tries. This year I got 92% on the first try.) When you pass the test the referee web site then lets you print a letter proving that you passed. This letter is presented to the instructor at the end of the class.

The classes are taught by referees who have officiated for many years. This year the instructor for my class had been involved for 20 years and refereed high level matches. In years past the first thing the instructors would do is hand out another test consisting of the questions that were missed the most often. After taking the shorter version of the test again the instructor picks participants to give their answer and their explanation for their choice, after which the instructor gives the right answer. This year was different in that we skipped this step.

We did cover offside, a call that many parents, players and coaches do not understand. We watched about a dozen videos of simulated match conditions then voted if we thought the attacking player was offside. The instructor then showed the clip again in super slow-mo. We got many of the calls right but also missed a bunch too. The point being made: our brains deal with motion of objects by skipping ahead in anticipation. Sometimes our brains get it wrong.

We then discussed the process of completing game reports. After every game referees are supposed to fill one out, usually online. In 99% of the games it's just a matter of recording the scores at half time and at the end, the field conditions and the weather. However, if there was a serious situation involving disciplinary action such as a red card the game report calls for a detailed description of what happened without getting polemical. It's "just the facts, ma'am." Game reports can become important if the offenders need to be sanctioned or if they challenge the referee's decision. In extreme cases the game report can become a legal document if the courts get involved. Therefore the referee needs to be factual and accurate!

I won't go into all of the rest of our agenda other than an exercise in which we reviewed an actual game video of a youth soccer game in which two players got tangled up and fell down. The first player to get up stepped onto the thigh of the opposing player who was still down. We discussed what decision the referee should have made. (In this case it was a red card which means the player is ejected from the match and can't be substituted, causing her team to play one player down.)

I hope this description shows what is involved in being a referee! If only coaches had to go through the same kind of certification! Naturally this is unrealistic because coaches at the youth soccer level are parent volunteers. I know referees can take a lot of heat while working. I know there might be lazy referees out there but in my experience the ones I've dealt with all want to do aa good job and not influence the outcome of games with bad calls. So, anyone out there who reads this and has a kid playing soccer, I hope you now have a better idea of what those nameless officials running with the kids have to go through in order to be out there.