The Only Way to Win: American Junior Tennis

[johnyandell]

Let's discuss Jim Loehr's article, "The Only Way to Win: American Junior Tennis"

[don_budge]

Let's play..."You Asked for It"

Let's discuss Jim Loehr's article, "The Only Way to Win: American Junior Tennis"

First...the transcript from the video:

You know...I have been involved with tennis my whole life and worked with so many players and for all of us it is very frustrating that we don’t have the players at the top of the game that represent USA in the finals of the US Open, the top ten of the players in the ATP or the WTA. We sit back and we wonder...we have such a magnificent country, we have such brilliant coaches, we have everything here.

For me...if I had the authority to do so I would...first of all, I am a very big proponent of getting kids...this 10 and under tennis... getting people involved in ten and under tennis...is a fantas...getting more people involved in the game.

The most serious barrier to getting people involved and sustain the best talent in this sport of tennis...the biggest barrier is money. That young players cannot get started because they don’t have the shoes, the equipment, the cost of lessons, the cost of club membership. What happens is maybe they get excited about it but they can’t continue it...you know it could be as much as twenty to thirty to fifty to sixty thousand dollars a year to be able to stay on track to become this elite world class player.

The biggest barrier for me is that only kids from affluent families can afford this and affluency so often undermines drive so kids are not that driven. So if we could find ways of taking a lot of the USTA money and providing in the form of scholarships or whatever....that would allow them to continue to have their shoes and racquets and lessons and so on and so forth...tournament trips and tournament entry fees paid for so long as they are doing well...and they can use that to pay for coaching or whatever they choose to help them on their way.

That will...if you bring this into the communities all throughout the United States and get them into the lower income communities...where so many kids if they just got...they could fight their way out of the poverty...fight their way into situations that allow them to grow and to develop and become a very positive member of the sporting world which they would love to do...being able to have the chance to be somebody in the world of sports. But that’s impossible. That dream can’t happen unless they have access to funds to make that happen.

I believe that is the single biggest issue...we’ve got to find ways to make it possible for everyone who is really excited and has talent and is really committing themselves and is getting better to help them afford this extraordinary expense. It is really essential that kids have access to the best coaches and the best training...and best shoes and racquets and so forth. To be able to get to the top ten in the world...they need to have a pathway. That pathway involves a lot of money and that I don’t think we have really confronted. If we want to have world class players...all over of this landscape of ranking at the top...we are going to have to get more young people involved to where the best athletes and give them a chance to have the best training, the best equipment and it cannot come from their families because the families don’t have that kind of money.

Coming next...the translation.

[don_budge]

The Translation...

First...the transcript from the video:

You know...I have been involved with tennis my whole life and worked with so many players and for all of us it is very frustrating that we don’t have the players at the top of the game that represent USA in the finals of the US Open, the top ten of the players in the ATP or the WTA. We sit back and we wonder...we have such a magnificent country, we have such brilliant coaches, we have everything here.

For me...if I had the authority to do so I would...first of all, I am a very big proponent of getting kids...this 10 and under tennis... getting people involved in ten and under tennis...is a fantas...getting more people involved in the game.

The most serious barrier to getting people involved and sustain the best talent in this sport of tennis...the biggest barrier is money. That young players cannot get started because they don’t have the shoes, the equipment, the cost of lessons, the cost of club membership. What happens is maybe they get excited about it but they can’t continue it...you know it could be as much as twenty to thirty to fifty to sixty thousand dollars a year to be able to stay on track to become this elite world class player.

The biggest barrier for me is that only kids from affluent families can afford this and affluency so often undermines drive so kids are not that driven. So if we could find ways of taking a lot of the USTA money and providing in the form of scholarships or whatever....that would allow them to continue to have their shoes and racquets and lessons and so on and so forth...tournament trips and tournament entry fees paid for so long as they are doing well...and they can use that to pay for coaching or whatever they choose to help them on their way.

That will...if you bring this into the communities all throughout the United States and get them into the lower income communities...where so many kids if they just got...they could fight their way out of the poverty...fight their way into situations that allow them to grow and to develop and become a very positive member of the sporting world which they would love to do...being able to have the chance to be somebody in the world of sports. But that’s impossible. That dream can’t happen unless they have access to funds to make that happen.

I believe that is the single biggest issue...we’ve got to find ways to make it possible for everyone who is really excited and has talent and is really committing themselves and is getting better to help them afford this extraordinary expense. It is really essential that kids have access to the best coaches and the best training...and best shoes and racquets and so forth. To be able to get to the top ten in the world...they need to have a pathway. That pathway involves a lot of money and that I don’t think we have really confronted. If we want to have world class players...all over of this landscape of ranking at the top...we are going to have to get more young people involved to where the best athletes and give them a chance to have the best training, the best equipment and it cannot come from their families because the families don’t have that kind of money.

Coming next...the translation.

The translation from the text...game over USA.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B2Nk25C6mes

Coming next...the explanation.

[stotty]

The translation from the text...game over USA.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B2Nk25C6mes

Coming next...the explanation.

I am all for a low, flat rate of tax that all must pay...say 12%. Any man earning less than 25,000 per year pays no tax. No loopholes or accountancy trickery to be permitted. Amazon made 4.6 billion in the UK last yet only paid 2.3 million in tax. Apple made 6 billion here last year yet paid less than half a percent of that in tax to our government...work that one out?

We'd all be far better off with a flat rate...

[hockeyscout]

A completely clueless fools thoughts ...

I really hate commenting EVER on this forum, but this article makes me VERY angry. I will share with you my thoughts. But first, I am not trying to be disrespectful or insulting, I am just telling you the way I feel. I am just one of those stupid unqualified tennis dads who's just not "with the system." In fact, my handle should probably be worldsworstathleticmentor

You know...I have been involved with tennis my whole life and worked with so many players and for all of us it is very frustrating that we don’t have the players at the top of the game that represent USA in the finals of the US Open, the top ten of the players in the ATP or the WTA. We sit back and we wonder...we have such a magnificent country, we have such brilliant coaches, we have everything here.

Whats frustrating to parents and players is "tennis people" who turned the game into a "money sport" at the grassroots levels. So many "brilliant" coaches charging exorbitant rates, who've succeeded in making parents, players and administrators believe kids will never make it unless they have funding for unnecessary thrills like daily coaches, shoes, rackets and tournaments. It's wrong.

Back in the day when your country was producing champions the coaches, shoes, equipment, country clubs and all the rest we're not "all cashing in lock stock and barrel."

Pete, Maria, Andre and Venus - dirt poor to barely middle class people could chase the dream. However, when these kids came out of the woodwork of obscurity everyone decided they'd get greedy and cash in on the craze.

The most serious barrier to getting people involved and sustain the best talent in this sport of tennis...the biggest barrier is money. That young players cannot get started because they don’t have the shoes, the equipment, the cost of lessons, the cost of club membership.

See above.

What tennis needs is a Canadian old school hockey development model. Volunteer coaches, people who are passionate about the sport and willing to contribute to it's future legacy. And, they do it for their community, and a game that gave them the skills they needed in life, and shaped their character. We've lost a lot of values in kids sports. And, we've lost hall of fame, generational talents to go with it, as a result.

What happens is maybe they get excited about it but they can’t continue it...you know it could be as much as twenty to thirty to fifty to sixty thousand dollars a year to be able to stay on track to become this elite world class player.

I am reading what Jim has to say here, yet I read between the lines. Basically what this "tennis businessman" is saying is you need to pay us money to make it. Tennis has been radically successful in delivering this message to parents and players, and making them believe it.

Why do people want to kill the spirit of Daddy Agassi's (inserts many other names in here as well) dream of making his kid into a champion. If young Andre played today everyone would tell the father: "You're not a tennis coach. Tennis is unique, its not boxing. Even though your sports credentials are better than ours, you're not a tennis coach. Hire an expert who knows what he is doing, and stop using that ball machine as he needs to be fed balls in a certain way. Andre, wait for the ball, don't be so aggressive! Hit less balls! Back off your line, gee! Step back, get off the court and let us teach little Andre how to play the game. Also, let us teach you how to construct a point, quit being so darn aggressive and impatient kid. And, we don't like those grips daddy is teaching you. And that boxing movement doesn't apply to tennis, tennis running is different young man. Don't worry, you've come to the right place kid."

Or, if Borg played today, a coach would of course need to sit right next to him all day as he banged balls off the garage correcting that awful grip of his, that unusual release on the backhand and teach him how to run like a tennis player." And we wonder why our kids look damn good, but don't have the instincts to win on the world stage?

Tennis has headed down the wrong route.

[hockeyscout]

My completely wacky diatribe continued ...

The biggest barrier for me is that only kids from affluent families can afford this and affluence so often undermines drive so kids are not that driven. So if we could find ways of taking a lot of the USTA money and providing in the form of scholarships or whatever....that would allow them to continue to have their shoes and rackets and lessons and so on and so forth...tournament trips and tournament entry fees paid for so long as they are doing well...and they can use that to pay for coaching or whatever they choose to help them on their way.

That's just a fantastic solution. I don't know whether to laugh or cry. Really.

If you bring this into the communities all throughout the United States and get them into the lower income communities...where so many kids if they just got...they could fight their way out of the poverty...fight their way into situations that allow them to grow and to develop and become a very positive member of the sporting world which they would love to do...being able to have the chance to be somebody in the world of sports

Nice. Touching. Inspirational.

But that’s impossible. That dream can’t happen unless they have access to funds to make that happen.

But, now back to reality. Interpretation - it takes money asshole!!!!!!!

I am sorry, I am not buying into it. Yes, it is possible. I believe it. I know the rest of you don't. That's life. Dedicated kids can play on public courts, and hit against the wall. Coaches can volunteer. Parents can learn the game. Families (and kids) can man-up, control their own destiny, focus, innovate, study, watch, learn, emulate and evolve the game just as so many did before them in the history of the game.

Now, I know I will hear for every Richard Williams, their are 1,000,000 parents who have failed to get their kids Serena William's level.

And that is correct.

However, for every Robert Lansdorf, their are 1,000,000 tennis coaches who have also failed to develop a Maria Sharapova.

It works both ways! The success of parent coaching is pretty good, however, parent coaches aren't really in the industries best interests in terms of money. I like the one article Lansdorf wrote here once where he said, come and see me once a week, then go back with mom and dad and build on what I taught and hit a million balls.

I believe that is the single biggest issue...we've got to find ways to make it possible for everyone who is really excited and has talent and is really committing themselves and is getting better to help them afford this extraordinary expense. It is really essential that kids have access to the best coaches and the best training...and best shoes and rackets and so forth.

I am beginning to see a pattern here in this article. Money, shoes and access. And, even I, am beginning to lose my passion. I get it.

To be able to get to the top ten in the world...they need to have a pathway

I have to ask a hard question, "Based on results does the USTA have one?"

That pathway involves a lot of money

Yes, of course.

If we want to have world class players...all over of this landscape of ranking at the top...we are going to have to get more young people involved to where the best athletes and give them a chance to have the best training, the best equipment and it cannot come from their families because the families don’t have that kind of money.

Ah, money again. The poor families have no money. Yes.

Well I have an observation. Explain to me why (if I was a rich guy) I would put my kids into tennis when the "brilliant" USA Tennis federation isn't producing. What smart "rich folk" would want to join up to be part of a failing enterprise that's getting so much bad PR, and coaches constantly moaning about "we need more money, country club fees, equipment and shoes" instead of fixing the real problems at the rotten core of it?

I will put on my hard ass businessman hat for one minute and tell you what I think is wrong with this whole picture.

The problem with tennis in America is it's been driven by the association, and coach and sales - marketing entrepreneurs .

These two self created entities (association and coaches) have successfully created a perceived monopoly on the industry (it takes money to make it, daily lessons, full time committed contracts, standard coaching protocol, certification, Capriati rule to keep the dream alive as long as possible and of course, mom - dad as far away from the process as possible sitting behind the fence and force the top 0.01 percent into your specific chaotic dogmatic system which wasn't responsible for them reaching world class level in the first place).

Congratulations, you've focused on those important nine elements and have completely forgotten how to make a great product.

The creative genius you're system once had (radical coaches with no tennis experience whatsoever - Bollettieri and bizarre parents who filled in the blanks, stayed on step ahead of their kids and created as they went along on the fly and we're mentored 1 on 1 by coaches who realized their value) are all gone, and replaced with a robotic professional machine.

The true genius' of the game - (Bolletierri, Agassi Sr, Landsdorf, Williams Sr, Graf Sr, Macci and all the rest) we're ahead of their time whether we want to admit it or not. They were craftman, who brought the game to a new level.

I find Jim's article concerning. No where does it mention (1) the product, (2) craftsmanship, (3) the dream, (4) feeling, (5) heart, (6) passion, (7) the backyard rink - sandlot - hitting wall and (8) and teaching our athletes to be entrepreneurial in their thinking.

The USTA is a lot like IBM now. It can't be, and won't be fixed. Facebook, Apple and Google are just to young. I sincerely doubt the USTA will ever develop a Hall of Fame talent ever again. The next great American talent will be developed right off their grid by a parent, or a radical mentor with no ties to the tennis community.

The bottom line for any tennis player and parent in my opinion is, if you can hit a ball like a god (Andre, Steffie, Venus and Martina), put in place a world class program you can call all your own, do it your way, have faith in your approach, possess the passion, practice perfect, and all the rest, the sky's will always open up, coaches will work for FREE for you wanting to be involved, agents will come knocking at your door and sun will always shine despite what the "money men" say.

Have some faith people, and hold onto that dream!

Man, this article disappointed me so much.

[lobndropshot]

I like what you have to say.