The role of the coach is a complex job. We have to be skilled to teach forehands and backhands so we are teachers. We have to be able to understand players and solve their problems so we are psychologists. We have to push them to cross the limits so we are motivators. And let’s not forget that we have to believe in them and support them every time so we are …

Marcin Bieniek

When we start coaching careers we have perception that it is only related to tennis skills. How to hit the ball, where to send my defensive forehand or how to achieve more power while serving. The more time we are in the world of coaching we understand that these are important things but not the ones that will guarantee success in sport.

To constantly improve and achieve great results players have to be motivated, believe in themselves, think positively and be able to cope with difficulties. Nobody is borned with these skills but everyone can learn these abilities. We, as coaches, have to make sure that we consider these factors during training sessions and tournament experiences. Players who are left alone with problem will rarely respond to it effectively. That is why it is crucial to offer help when the moment arises.

So when is it the moment that the light should go on and prepare us for action? Here are three moments that all athletes would like to see coaches next to them:

Losing few matches in a row

One lost match is not a failure. It is not a big problem for player too. It is an experience and opportunity to show individual coping and motivational skills. Player can be on his own, try to learn from the last encounter and find solution that will help him play better during the next game. Losing few matches in a row is a completely different story. Player’s confidence drops. Self-doubts start to emerge. Player needs support to change this negative environment. Coach should offer own time and help by talking to player and making him understand what he can control and what he should focus on. Only focusing on process with patience will lead to skill improvement and when the skills are higher it is much easier to beat the rival.

Having problems outside of tennis

We are sport coaches but we can’t take care only of athletic career. Human being gets on the       court and human being leaves the court so coach has to always remember that many things happen in life outside of the tennis world. Player can have problems with friends. Family can struggle financially. Player has to make really important decision according to direction of own education. All these situations put a lot of pressure on mental side and as we know mental well-being is crucial in achieving high results in sport. If you want to help your players achieve success in sport you have to help them not only after mishit forehand. Be available when they struggle in life and offer communication which mostly is the only thing they need.

Big success

Paradoxically players can have problems not only when they lose match or when something goes not as expected. Many times positive result or big success can be the first step to big collapse. Why is that? After big result players are happy. Players feel confident. They think everything will be like that from now on. That’s a trap.

Firstly, athletic career is a roller-coaster so you can’t expect to always have great training sessions, to always win tournaments.

Secondly, you got to this place by working hard and if you want to maintain this position you have to work even harder because now demands are much more challenging. Coach should be the person who quickly makes player realize why he is where he is and what he has to do to stay on the top. Without this knowledge and daily reminders one success can be the only success player will achieve during whole career.

No one can achieve great things just on their own and tennis is no different. To win tournaments, to achieve dreams players need many people and coach is one of them. Having broad knowledge and teaching players how to effectively execute tennis strokes are crucial things in tennis development but in the whole career it is much more important how coaches deal with players as human beings. Recognizing specific moments and offering word of advice are simple steps that can help our players achieve great results so it is our responsibility to do it every time our player can be in trouble.

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