Sonya Elliott – Page 37 – Back on the Court

PeaceLoveBasketball Friday: Knowledge is Power

My tennis lesson this week was a reminder in coaching. A reminder on how important it is to understand what level you are coaching, and to coach to that level. Don’t assume that all your players know what you are talking about, especially if they are new to your program, or camp, or training. Be sure to ask questions and explain the little things.

Make sure that everyone is on the same page.

When using sport specific vocabulary take extra care. Yes, kids and adults can usually figure out what you’re talking about on their own. I figured out that the service line was not the line that you serve behind this week at tennis and when I was a kid I eventually learned what sideout meant when I joined volleyball in high school (though this one took me a while), but help your players out, build their knowledge. When coaching, try to read your players, if you notice a questioning look, address it. There may be others who learn from that teaching moment.

Take care not to bore player with long explanations. There is nothing worse. Eyes will glaze over and players will tune out. I know what I am asking is not an easy task, and I was not perfect at it (you can ask some of my players). Just do your best to keep explanations short and to the point, but get them in there, and then keep your practice moving.

Remember knowledge is power.

Monday’s Pen to Paper: Try Something New

I had my first tennis lesson today. This is new for me, because although I volley with my husband for exercise on occasion during the summer, I’ve never officially played the game. And though I’ve managed to get by with athleticism and my junior high school PE class knowledge, I thought it would be nice to step up my game (and get a good workout in the process).

Originally I was thinking about signing up for road races, but I’ve been fighting false sciatica for almost a year and have a hard time running. So I landed on tennis as a good option. It would be competitive (which I like) and since I’ve got a lot to learn, I have room to grow, to get better. Do I remember how to score? Kind of. Love,15, 30, 40, Duce, add in/add out, game? Something like that. Do I know how to correctly hold the racket? Not exactly. Did I know what my instructor was talking about during the lesson? Some of the time. But when she asked me to go to the service line, I went to the baseline thinking that’s were you serve the ball. Right? Wrong. But even though I looked a little lost and more like a basketball player, not a tennis player, I held my own.

My racquet is another story. It was given to me by my boyfriend over twenty-five years ago. The instructor checked it out and then loaned me a different one, but the new racquet was so light I kept missing the ball. I went back to my weighted Pro Kennex and, with relief, was able to hit. Although now I’m typing with ice on my shoulder (maybe the lighter racquet would have been better).

The good news […]

PeaceLoveBasketball Friday: Bring on The Luck!

The team that I took to the State Tournament last year got a terrible draw for their Regional game this year. After going undefeated in league and placing in Districts they are one of the top teams in the state, and for their Regional (looser out) game, they drew last years State Champion, which is still ranked number one. This means that after this regional matchup, one of the best teams in the state will not be at the State Tournament.

This sucks.

Going to the State Tournament is a big thing. It is an experience of a lifetime. An opportunity for teams who have worked hard all season, (and during the off-season) to play competitive high level games and spend a final weekend together as a team. (Not to mention have a few bragging rights.)

Last season we drew this very same team going into the state tournament, which meant, if we didn’t get that first round win, there was a good chance we would place behind other teams who we’d beaten during the season. This is exactly what happened. We placed 6^th in State, a great accomplishment of course, however two teams (who we’d beaten every time we’d played them during the season) placed above us. I was proud of the girls and thankful that they could compete at the State Tournament. Still, it had been a bad draw.

This, as we all know, is life. Life is not always fair.

Do I think there should be a better way to match teams up in the future? For sure. Does that help the situation today? No. That’s one great thing about playing sports, you learn life lessons. Both good and bad. You learn how to go on and do […]