Parent Resources for a Competitive Junior

Parents play a pivotal role in their child’s development in any sport. This fact is amplified in tennis because of the individual nature of the sport. From my days playing and now as a coach, I have learned to understand that many parents struggle to find the right balance between providing support and placing too much pressure on their child. Often, the desire to see their child succeed comes from a good place. However, at times, it can take away from the child’s enjoyment of the activity or even hinder their mental toughness and athletic development. Therefore, I have accumulated a few resources to help aid parents in making their child’s tennis journey a positive experience.

• Parenting Your Tennis Playing Child
  Below is on of my favorite videos that highlights the role of parents and promotes positive involvement. These USTA Development Coaches discuss the importance of the role of parents and the state of American tennis.

• Sport Parents’ “Do’s and Don’ts.”
  This article highlights findings from the Institute For The Study of Youth Sports at Michigan State University found 10 things a parent should do and should not do to positively influence their child’s career in sport.

• Changing the Game in Youth Sports.
  The Car Ride home is often considered the worst memory for former junior athletes. This is not the time to critique a match or practice. John O’Sullivan finds that 7/10 junior athletes quit youth sports by age 13. “I loved watching you play” is all O’Sullivan recommends you say after watching a match or practice.