The next great American player, Gabby Price?

[hockeyscout]

This is the next great American player Gabby Price (not me saying this, what everyone else says). Her coach said in the past she was further along than Jennifer Capriati at the same age. God, I love how she moves from next to next. She's so flipping small, however, her transitional game is so nice, hit, flow, go, move and always on the move.

So, her is her video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JJLEXE3nKDc

What do you guys think?

[klacr]

She was training at Macci's for awhile.
https://www.youtube.com/results?sear...+price+tennis+
Saw her around town in Boca . Heard all the normal stuff, she's the next (insert great player's name here) and she was unstoppable. Then I never heard her name again. Until that video you posted.

Kyle LaCroix USPTA
Boca Raton

[don_budge]

Next? …not.

What do you guys think?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1i-eH1qbXRA

Meet the parents…mediocre talent at best.

[gzhpcu]

Actually, I can't remember of any kid that age who was heralded as the "next great player" ever having made it. Does anybody?

[hockeyscout]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1i-eH1qbXRA

Meet the parents…mediocre talent at best.

Don_Budge, can you share you thoughts on what you're seeing (parent comments aside). This player recently won the Orange Bowl. In a results oriented model she's in right now, she is producing, and her coach obviously has an impressive track record of working with world class talent (Rick Macci). Reason I am asking? That's the future of USA Tennis, and players in every small country are wondering, what are the American's seeing? And, I don't mean that in a negative way of course. Just curious what everyone likes (or doesn't like), and see's.

[hockeyscout]

Actually, I can't remember of any kid that age who was heralded as the "next great player" ever having made it. Does anybody?

Tennis has a great track record for players living up to the hype. Better than the other major sports. Williams, Nadal, Capriati, Kournikova (injuries derailed her), Sharapova, Agassi, etc. I sure like this Felix Auger Aliassime, reminds me so much of Yannick Noah. He's going to be a hell of a player (if he grows of course). Amazing what he is doing with a kids body in a mans game.

[johnyandell]

She is an intense kid. I filmed her at the Easter Bowl this year. She won the 12s. Her swings are pretty explosive. But the things her dad said in that clip I thought were too much. They seemed to be causing the kid emotional pain. I've been at Bollettieri's and in the past and heard Nick talk about this kid or that age 12 at the time or whatever and now I can't even remember what their names were... Being on youtube won't be the key to her success.

[don_budge]

"(parent comments aside)"...

Don_Budge, can you share you thoughts on what you're seeing (parent comments aside).

hockeyscout…what do you mean by "parent comments aside"? That's all that I see here…her actual tennis game is of absolutely no importance here. Certainly not at twelve years old. She still has such a long way to go in terms of life. But the parents happen to be a huge part of the equation…in any child's world. Rick Macci makes this point in the video that I posted. What is the point in assessing the future possibilities of any 12 year old in terms of earning potential? Isn't that what you are asking? Aren't you yourself asking for validation for the potential net worth of your daughters? Writing checks…well it is all about business these days, isn't it? Silly me…still operating on the "Tennis for the Bloody Fun of it" principle.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1i-eH1qbXRA

It's a business isn't it? The children become pawns on the chessboard of life in the parents dreams and ideas. It can easily become a convoluted mess…things can easily get derailed. This girl is hardly going to be a world beater. Anybody can see that. I predict that her star burns out probably before she reaches the age of 16 or so. That will be her ten year limit…her 10,000 hours. Her fifteen minutes of fame.

Parents and coaches alike make a common mistake in placing too much importance of their idea of success for a child at too early of an age. The idea is to have them peak in their late teens or their twenties even. Too much too soon. The sport is a business…as you well know. Apparently you made a business of hockey. You know what happens to most of these kids…they are only meat for the grinder. You only have to look at the parents to understand what the common thread is in many of these cases. I think that parents must constantly look at themselves in the mirror in these cases and do a reality check.

You listen to what these two have to say in front of the camera. She says…"we don't want it for her" and then he says, "correction…I want it for her". They probably have more difficulties agreeing on the simplest of things when the camera isn't rolling. He is overweight and out of shape. He sure is talking the talk isn't he? Saying all of the right things. But they are empty words…and the kid knows it. Deep down inside she knows it. She's like a parrot…mimicking the words of "Slick Rick" and "Papa Bear". An empty shell inside.

We'll just have to wait and see how it all turns out. It's too much pressure for a sensitive kid. She has been desensitized and programmed. But is her egg shell mind going to be able to withstand the pressure? From what I glean I would hazard to guess…not.

Parent comments aside.

[hockeyscout]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1i-eH1qbXRA

Meet the parents…mediocre talent at best.

I was just wondering why you thought it was mediocre talent at best?

[don_budge]

The fruit and the tree….

I was just wondering why you thought it was mediocre talent at best?

The fruit usually doesn't fall too far from the tree.

[don_budge]

Mediocre talent...

I was just wondering why you thought it was mediocre talent at best?

Looking at the clip that you posted it looks to me that she struggles to get in position for every single ball. She never looks to me as if it occurs naturally to her…as if she was born to do this thing.

Her natural instincts for the ball and the shot seem to be all rote and learned. Such an awful effort on the simplest of shots. A true prodigy or "Mozart" makes it look effortless. Effortless power. Does anything she does look effortless to you?

She never truly gets her feet under her. If she never gets her feet under her…subsequently she will never get her hips into position or get her chest on the ball. Her stroke technique looks rote and learned. It's a pseudo sense of feel or touch. It is impossible to maintain this kind of stroke production under pressure…the kind of pressure that she will face through the years.

Gabby's a good kid. She has several things going for her. But an extreme dose of talent isn't one of them. Rick Macci makes an analogy between her and Jennifer Capriati. You mention her yourself. Ouch…kiss of death. Jennifer was one of the pioneers of the dreadful effects of being a "child prodigy". She was a train wreck waiting to happen. And wreck she did. Children are children…they are best left to experience their childhood dreams and fantasies…without the parents playing the cards of future for them.

Gabby's early success has been a financial gambit for the parents. The best that money can buy. Unfortunately…money can't buy you love. Love for the game…or genuine love for your very own child for that matter. It's an old fashioned concept. Misunderstood by many these days…these modern days.

[hockeyscout]

http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/smashed-1600274.html

Very interesting article on Capriati.

[GeoffWilliams]

Some players, whether in tennis or not, as they become world class, develop character problems. They believe they deserve things not earned. They believe they deserve to step on anyone not as good as they are. They believe the laws don't apply to them as much as others less talented. They don't thank anyone. They steal. They lie. They stomp on normals.

It's the "I'm not normal, I'm so much better!.", syndrome.


If you wish your world class daughter to stay normal, teach her to be thankful for anyone hitting with her, and to look them in their eyes, while shaking their hands, and say, "Hey, _________, thanks so much for hitting with me. I appreciate it!", while meaning it from her soul, and she will never stray. Hand to hand contact is necessary as it conducts emotion, soul, character, and intention through the skin.

Thankfulness is the essence of good character. Because it cannot be felt without empathy, and humility, and gratitude. For every coach/parent out there, it would behoove you to do the same for your child's sake. Children are much better at learning this than adults are, as they have not been as wounded yet by the cruel world.

[johnyandell]

Hockey Scout,

I met Stefano when we were shooting instructional videos at Saddlebrook when Jennifer was coming up. He always had a racket in his hand but I never saw him hit a ball. He carried it around in front of him the way you would hold an ax if you were about to hit someone with it. A small detail but it seemed telling.
Jennifer seemed sweet and had just cut her hair and wanted to know how it looked.
As for Marc Levin. He was an SF kid. The warning signs were there long before he ever went to Saddlebrook or Palmer and I think his parents tried to use his misery to extort money (think it wound up in court) after he really went off the deep end in Florida.
The dad had business problems and they were looking to Marc as a possible cash cow. That was truly crazy because he was a decent high school player at best, had a low sectional ranking, never a national ranking.
He was an angry kid and once in an intercamp match with some of my kids got in my face and started screaming about what I am not sure. Really wanted to smack him. The whole situation with Marc and his family was the height of delusion.

[GeoffWilliams]

Delusion is the hall mark of bad character. Very prevalent with better players and their parents.