The next great American player, Gabby Price?

[hockeyscout]

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.

To bad to hear.

[hockeyscout]

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.

Thanks for these specific thoughts Don_Budge.

[hockeyscout]

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.

I will add this to her school reading list tomorrow. Always nice to hear your thoughts Geoff, and pass them on to the kids and hitting partners.

[hockeyscout]

And, with that, a story.

I won't say the name, but a certain big name superstar tennis player (a former world top 10) was here coaching a player. My young one asked him if he'd mind rallying with her for 5-10 minutes. He acted very rudely, said no and lets just leave it at that.

When I got home I let my young one read this story:

A lesson to all NHL stars who balk at signing autographs for a kid: you never know what that kid is going to be when he grows up.

As a 14-year-old in 1983, Brendan Shanahan approached Leafs star Rick Vaive for an autograph.

Vaive turned the kid down.

And the snub would stay tucked away in Shanahan's memory.

"When I was 14 years old I was skating in the summertime at a rink in Toronto," recalled the Mimico native. "Rick Vaive happened to be skating at an adjoining rink and we were actually in dressing rooms that were right next to each other. I went in when he was sort of settled and asked him for an autograph. I didn't get the best response from Rick Vaive at that time."

Retelling the story to the Newark Ledger and NHL commissioner Gary Bettman's radio show, Shanahan never forgot the snub.

His career rocketed, with the Devils selecting him in the first round in 1987. He'd eventually meet up with Vaive four years later, the two lining up for a faceoff in Buffalo when Vaive was finishing out his career with the Sabres.

"Fast forward four years later and Rick Vaive is waiting for a meaningless faceoff in Buffalo," Shanahan said. "He's now playing for the Sabres. He's lined up next to some 18-year-old kid from New Jersey. When the puck dropped, I attacked Rick Vaive.

"It was a quiet, uneventful game. He couldn't believe the rage I had, not only in attacking him, but it took two (linesmen) to restrain me afterwards and throw me in the penalty box."

Vaive hardly knew what hit him. He approached former teammate Jim Korn – then with the Devils – to find out what was wrong with Shanahan.

"He said... `By the way, what's wrong with that kid and why was he coming after me?'" said Shanahan. "Jim Korn said, `Apparently he asked you for an autograph when he was a little kid and you weren't that friendly to him. So he's harboured those feelings since then.'"

Vaive approached Shanahan about three years ago in Toronto and introduced him to his 14-year-old son – with different results.

"I signed the autograph, took a picture and gave him a piggy-back," Shanahan said. "I didn't want karma to come back and get me."

[klacr]

Sports doesn't build character, it reveals it.

Kyle LaCroix USPTA
Boca Raton

[stotty]

Sports doesn't build character, it reveals it.

Kyle LaCroix USPTA
Boca Raton

Excellent point...

[GeoffWilliams]

And, with that, a story.

I won't say the name, but a certain big name superstar tennis player (a former world top 10) was here coaching a player. My young one asked him if he'd mind rallying with her for 5-10 minutes. He acted very rudely, said no and lets just leave it at that.

When I got home I let my young one read this story:

A lesson to all NHL stars who balk at signing autographs for a kid: you never know what that kid is going to be when he grows up.

As a 14-year-old in 1983, Brendan Shanahan approached Leafs star Rick Vaive for an autograph.

Vaive turned the kid down.

And the snub would stay tucked away in Shanahan's memory.

"When I was 14 years old I was skating in the summertime at a rink in Toronto," recalled the Mimico native. "Rick Vaive happened to be skating at an adjoining rink and we were actually in dressing rooms that were right next to each other. I went in when he was sort of settled and asked him for an autograph. I didn't get the best response from Rick Vaive at that time."

Retelling the story to the Newark Ledger and NHL commissioner Gary Bettman's radio show, Shanahan never forgot the snub.

His career rocketed, with the Devils selecting him in the first round in 1987. He'd eventually meet up with Vaive four years later, the two lining up for a faceoff in Buffalo when Vaive was finishing out his career with the Sabres.

"Fast forward four years later and Rick Vaive is waiting for a meaningless faceoff in Buffalo," Shanahan said. "He's now playing for the Sabres. He's lined up next to some 18-year-old kid from New Jersey. When the puck dropped, I attacked Rick Vaive.

"It was a quiet, uneventful game. He couldn't believe the rage I had, not only in attacking him, but it took two (linesmen) to restrain me afterwards and throw me in the penalty box."

Vaive hardly knew what hit him. He approached former teammate Jim Korn – then with the Devils – to find out what was wrong with Shanahan.

"He said... `By the way, what's wrong with that kid and why was he coming after me?'" said Shanahan. "Jim Korn said, `Apparently he asked you for an autograph when he was a little kid and you weren't that friendly to him. So he's harboured those feelings since then.'"

Vaive approached Shanahan about three years ago in Toronto and introduced him to his 14-year-old son – with different results.

"I signed the autograph, took a picture and gave him a piggy-back," Shanahan said. "I didn't want karma to come back and get me."

Now that's a story written like a pro. Wow. Rings truer than a police siren pulling you over for a red light run. Even serial killers don't run red lights.

The basic truth is, every era is always ending, and the kids coming up are the ones ending it! I understand the rage felt from a typical pro snub. It's the abnormals who don't.
In 1986 I was at the back door of the old Cow Palace, the old site of the now defunct Transam tournament, the year McEnroe and Lendl made:"The winning edge.", by Jy. I was at the players entrance, talking quietly with Harpreet Singh, who was working the door. Mac came up. He was wearing a purple sating warm up suit with the frame bag over shoulder. I said, "Hey, Mac!", and he gave me one of the dirtiest looks and head bobs, ducking aside, and dodging me I've ever seen anywhere, any time by any one. So, during the match, to get even, as he was playing Vitas Gerulaitus, (the best commentator ever), I began to give out howler monkey calls when Mac lost a big point! He began to scream at my general direction,
"You and your mother, pal!" The ref, Norm Chryst, ignored it all.

"Hooo, hooo, hoooo, hooooooooo!", at about 150 decibels! It upset Mac to the point, he wasn't thinking about his match anymore, but about my monkey calls! Ha, ha. I miss you Vitas, the only guy with enough on air balls to call Michael
Chang the cheater he was.

[hockeyscout]

Mr. Don_Budge, thanks so much for your thoughtful post yesterday (the one that explained the technical aspects of what you were seeing in this girls on court performance). It was certainly an eye opener for us.

[don_budge]

Tangential Reasoning...

Mr. Don_Budge, thanks so much for your thoughtful post yesterday (the one that explained the technical aspects of what you were seeing in this girls on court performance). It was certainly an eye opener for us.

Oops…sorry hockey. I got a little distracted there. Didn't mean to interrupt your "bromance".

[GeoffWilliams]

"My friend lived in an apartment about a block from the Don Budge park along shattuck and some guy was stabbed to death (literally, he died) out side her doorstep. Also if you are parking along shattuck keep in mind that it is a high traffic area. Once getting out of my car some guy decided it would be funny if he accelerated directly at me and then swerved out of the way at the last second, I was just like, okay , that might have been slightly less funny for both of us if I were killed and you spent the next decade in prison for vehicular manslaughter but, whatevs."

"I would not even sell my dirt weed there."

The latest comment about Don Budge park in Oakland, where I played yesterday with Marcus. Three shot there so far. A basketball court, always more populated than the tennis courts, is right next to the courts. A place for the thugs after and before dark. Courts have lots of dead spots and cracks, and people who come on, and just steal your balls while their pants are dropped down, around their ankles for style. What they don't realize, is that style originated from prison to signal readiness.

[don_budge]

Bromance...

I love this word…it's already in the dictionary.

bromance |ˈbrōˌmans|

noun informal
a close but nonsexual relationship between two men.

ORIGIN early 21st cent.: blend of brother and romance.

[hockeyscout]

I love this word…it's already in the dictionary.

bromance |ˈbrōˌmans|

noun informal
a close but nonsexual relationship between two men.

ORIGIN early 21st cent.: blend of brother and romance.

And, what does that have to do with Gabby Price?

[lobndropshot]

And, what does that have to do with Gabby Price?

Who is Gabby Price?

[hockeyscout]

Who is Gabby Price?

the player we chatted about at the start of the thread

[hockeyscout]

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

An eye opening post (in a real good way). I take away a lot from it, the more I read it.