tennis psychology

When determining the underlying factors which lead to every athlete’s struggle there is a common mistake seen among much of the athlete community. This mistake if not understood early on may lead to an increase in poor performance by the athlete and in worse situations, complete burnout of the sport. As I write this article to you, I write this not out of judgement but out of compassion to help improve your role as an athlete, parent, coach, or caretaker. 

Ever get so overwhelmed before competing that it causes you to underperform? Sometimes it’s more about distracting yourself before competition than focusing on it. Distractions can serve as useful tools in protecting our mind from becoming overwhelmed before competing. As athletes, we often experience overwhelming thoughts and feelings due to our fears of failure, disappointment, and expectations from our self and others, and even that once in a lifetime shot at achieving our dreams.

  As a junior tennis player looking to maximize your game the last thing you want is to let your passion turn into anger. Anger is a type of emotion that often translates into poor performance and has a positive effect on improving your opponent’s confidence as well as turning college coaches away from considering you as a serious candidate for their team. Think of getting angry on the court as an injury to your mind. Like a physical injury, your mind needs time to heal.