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Need advice. Kid and sports related.


Alicia64
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IME, city tennis coaches cast a wide net for league players, and then make it work with the players they get. It's a totally different experience from your typical team sport... Just throwing that out there because I don't think it's obvious that your coach misled you. Tennis coaches really have no way of knowing who's going to register/follow through, what skill level they'll be, etc. It's possible the coach had a variety of players who showed up in the beginning, but who dropped (thus the kids coming/going at the beginning)... leaving you all, and him, in a lurch.

 

It would matter to me how long the session runs. If we're talking 8 weeks, I'd use your position to your advantage... "My kids are poorly matched for the skill level represented on your team. We'll stay if you bump up training instead of just sending them out on the court to knock balls around."

 

ETA: Also, the matches are where you should expect to see your boys playing at by skill level. Have they played a match yet?

Edited by Doodlebug
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IME, city tennis coaches cast a wide net for league players, and then make it work with the players they get. It's a totally different experience from your typical team sport... Just throwing that out there because I don't think it's obvious that your coach misled you. Tennis coaches really have no way of knowing who's going to register/follow through, what skill level they'll be, etc. It's possible the coach had a variety of players who showed up in the beginning, but who dropped (thus the kids coming/going at the beginning)... leaving you all, and him, in a lurch.

 

It would matter to me how long the session runs. If we're talking 8 weeks, I'd use your position to your advantage... "My kids are poorly matched for the skill level represented on your team. We'll stay if you bump up training instead of just sending them out on the court to knock balls around."

 

ETA: Also, the matches are where you should expect to see your boys playing at by skill level. Have they played a match yet?

 

:iagree:    Ask the coach for extra support for your boys. Tennis is a very mental game, and you boys have psyched themselves out already. With some added confidence and a different mind set (e.g., I belong here, and I'm going to just get better!), it changes things drastically out there on the court. Beginner players often bring the level of play down when playing more skilled players, so the shots are going to be slower than when they watch 2 skilled players against each other. They really have to gain some experience before they can say they're going to lose every match. 

 

Hope it works out well in the end. 

 

There are some great tennis biographies and skills training books out there, that might be fun for your boys. Winning Ugly, by Brad Gilbert, is awesome for giving some good mental cues and things to think about. The Inner Game of Tennis, by Timothy Gallwayis also a great read, and it keeps things very simple - I'm always reminding myself "Bounce and hit. Bounce and hit." 

Edited by wintermom
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