When you think about a valuable lesson you’ve learnt or know or have seen and want to share I’m sure you’re all like me and stop… think…. then try to decide where to start. So, I decided to write this and have a relationship with the Australian Open, the players, the coaches and the “TEAM”. Most pros have a “TEAM”. The depth and expertise of the “TEAM” is obviously age and standard appropriate.
Whether you are a high performance, club, community, volunteer, parent, school, traveling, TA, ATPCA, USTA, LTA, ITF, FFT etc (all in no apparent order please) you do not know it all. Shocked I’m sure but I’m sorry you don’t. One of the most important things to me is having access to a knowledgeable group of professionals and people to assist me in providing each individual player a “TEAM” of their own. As coaches, we all have access to the wonderful world of internet to everything needed from technique to medical guidance. Unfortunately, the reality is we are still unqualified in so many areas, but our egos and websites lead us and many future potential players and parents to believe we know it all!
In my experience of 25+ years it is important to know whom you can trust, find people that are not only knowledgeable but passionate, people that you share mutual respect with, people that have a proven record, people that don’t have egos, people that have an opinion but value another’s, people that don’t just tell you what you want to hear and people that want to see the player achieve their best personal results, not their own personal gain. There are so many areas that need to be covered from fitness to technique, self-confidence to diet and so much more. I have found that a player has much more respect for one person in one field rather than one person covering all fields. Asking a lot, yes, it is.
Ultimately as the coach, you are the captain of the ship and you are responsible for all that is involved. The itinerary and bringing it all together, all the outcomes both positive and negative and finding solutions to move forward, weighing up whether its time to dock and rest or full throttle ahead. By now you will realize that being a coach is so much more than making money or running a business. The pride of this captain, the crew, and the extras is the actual ship being THE PLAYER. The player is your number one concern and objective. Both their wellbeing on and off the court and results.
Please note I put results last. I believe that if you surround yourself with the right “TEAM” the results take care of themselves. Let me finish with a great place to start finding your “TEAM” is with WTCA ( good job Sarah Stone ) and ENERGISE HEALTH MANAGEMENT HEALTH & FITNESS CONSULTANTS ( Nathan and Giselle you are the best!). Remember if you don’t ask questions you never learn, if you never share, others never learn, if you think you know it all your player loses.
By Janine Thompson
Janine is a former WTA tour player. She reached a career-high singles ranking of 53 in singles and 18 in doubles. She is currently playing on the senior’s tour. She is a highly sort after coach and has worked with players of all ages and standards including professional players.
Thompson won the 1986 Virginia Slims of Pennsylvania singles title and won doubles titles in Wellington, Rome and the German Open in 1989.