The cost of tennis ...

[hockeyscout]

http://edition.cnn.com/2016/10/18/tennis/tennis-academies-simona-halep-madison-keys/index.html

I just read this here ... $79,500 to go to IMG. And, I will guarantee this - it likely runs into $100,000 + a year (mom - dad flying in, kids spending money, flights home and all the rest).

[don_budge]

http://edition.cnn.com/2016/10/18/te...eys/index.html

I just read this here ... $79,500 to go to IMG. And, I will guarantee this - it likely runs into $100,000 + a year (mom - dad flying in, kids spending money, flights home and all the rest).

I read that yesterday and I thought of you and your situation. Daddy Big Bucks. This is where your experience in professional sports is going to help you with he learning curve.

[hockeyscout]

If you have to pay to attend it means you are not good enough to attend in the first place. Unless the academy is offering a full ride scholarship or the agent is willing to pay the whole freight (and not expect to be paid back for it) - not worth it.

All of Daddy's $$$ and great facilities will never develop a world class athlete.

The dilapidated clay court, wall, local players who are older, kids on the challenger tour - I think that is all woman need to develop.

I look at my girls - my ten-year-old is okay, and she can hold her own against advanced senior level players. A guy like klacr or don_budge could take her 6-0, 6-0, 6-0. She is 5'11, and big enough and mentally mature enough from MMA training to hold her own somewhat, and the games against the local senior guy here who is 45 and a top twenty kind of player in seniors. She is starting to win a game here and there and it is 6-0, 6-0 and 6-1. This week she won 22 percent of the points. So, if I get 1 percent improvement a week, that would be super. She gets 2-3 aces a match as she serves very well, but, he beats her with smart tactics over and over. He kills her coming to the net, serve and volley, mixing up his service game, drop shots and slicing. No restrictions.

She watches video of it, learns from it, and hits the practice courts. I think I am seeing massive improvement.

However, EVERYONE says it is a mistake. Kids are focused on national rankings, Orange Bowl, Academies, trips to France, tournaments in Germany, traveling, winning tournaments and finding sponsors.

I am not sure going to France to play tournaments is going to make a kid better.

A few years ago in hockey I pointed out that kids at 13 were playing more games than NHL players in a season. It made zero sense to me.

Generally, I find accomplishments between the ages of 5 to 15 matter for nothing, and all these players who have followed this money model have failed for the most part.

The ones who just play, play, play, have fun and ignore all this specialized stuff generally seem to emerge as the better players in the long haul.

As soon as cash enters the equation, I think development stops.

I will never allow it to be a factor with my kids.

There is a Challenger tour that comes through here every year in our village. Guys from America, Czech and Italy come here. Why? It's crazy. And, they are always moaning about how they need a sponsor. It's a convenient excuse. Locally in the USA there are a lot of tournaments to attend, and if you are good enough things will fall into place. Every player always has some excuse about why they did not make it and it always comes down to, "I ran out of money." I watch these athletes play, and I see they cannot ball. They can't play. But, they believe there failures were all money related, and don't take much accountability. And, then they attempt to coach with this attitude, and that is a disaster in itself.

Money - its inbred into tennis players by these associations, tournaments, agents, event organizers and all the rest - you need a lot of it they say to win, and advance. I've had so many tennis pro's and other parents snidely comment to me, "You're kid will be a superstar ... she is big like a man ... her daddy is rich." It is comical to me.

I am not buying into the scheme.

My girls will stay at home, compete and if they are good enough for a national stage that will play itself out in time one way or another if they are serious about putting in the work.

If they want to go to an academy, well, that institution had better want them in the worst way and be willing to pay the freight.

If they want to work outside my system, and get coaching, then they will need to develop their skills so coaches line up wanting to work with them for free.

I'm realistic. I've coached. The best athletes never pay. If you're a real coach you want to apply your skills to the best in the world, and it's not about money (or, it shouldn't be). Guys like Rick Macci go into it with world class players like the Williams sisters knowing in the back of their mind they will never see a dime. But, it's helped his business that association.

Handing a kid the keys to an $80,000 a year academy is not the way to go in my opinion.

A good player should always take from the system, not donate dad's money to it.

The system needs good players, it thrives off them. And, if you have to pay $80,000 - all that tells me is you haven't put in the work, don't possess the talent - genetics and would be best advised to stay at home, work hard, develop at your own pace and put that money towards to better use.

Everyone these days wants to develop in the "spotlight," and I am not sure that works except for the special few.

Want to work with elite coaches - (?) - I'd suggest that is a right you need to earn the hard way by becoming a highly projectable player with real developmental upside - possibilities. Players want to skip to many steps and jump to the professional people, and it wastes everyone's time when they are 50 steps behind.

[nickw]

If you have to pay to attend it means you are not good enough to attend in the first place. Unless the academy is offering a full ride scholarship or the agent is willing to pay the whole freight (and not expect to be paid back for it) - not worth it.

All of Daddy's $$$ and great facilities will never develop a world class athlete.

The dilapidated clay court, wall, local players who are older, kids on the challenger tour - I think that is all woman need to develop.

I look at my girls - my ten-year-old is okay, and she can hold her own against advanced senior level players. A guy like klacr or don_budge could take her 6-0, 6-0, 6-0. She is 5'11, and big enough and mentally mature enough from MMA training to hold her own somewhat, and the games against the local senior guy here who is 45 and a top twenty kind of player in seniors. She is starting to win a game here and there and it is 6-0, 6-0 and 6-1. This week she won 22 percent of the points. So, if I get 1 percent improvement a week, that would be super. She gets 2-3 aces a match as she serves very well, but, he beats her with smart tactics over and over. He kills her coming to the net, serve and volley, mixing up his service game, drop shots and slicing. No restrictions.

She watches video of it, learns from it, and hits the practice courts. I think I am seeing massive improvement.

However, EVERYONE says it is a mistake. Kids are focused on national rankings, Orange Bowl, Academies, trips to France, tournaments in Germany, traveling, winning tournaments and finding sponsors.

I am not sure going to France to play tournaments is going to make a kid better.

A few years ago in hockey I pointed out that kids at 13 were playing more games than NHL players in a season. It made zero sense to me.

Generally, I find accomplishments between the ages of 5 to 15 matter for nothing, and all these players who have followed this money model have failed for the most part.

The ones who just play, play, play, have fun and ignore all this specialized stuff generally seem to emerge as the better players in the long haul.

As soon as cash enters the equation, I think development stops.

I will never allow it to be a factor with my kids.

There is a Challenger tour that comes through here every year in our village. Guys from America, Czech and Italy come here. Why? It's crazy. And, they are always moaning about how they need a sponsor. It's a convenient excuse. Locally in the USA there are a lot of tournaments to attend, and if you are good enough things will fall into place. Every player always has some excuse about why they did not make it and it always comes down to, "I ran out of money." I watch these athletes play, and I see they cannot ball. They can't play. But, they believe there failures were all money related, and don't take much accountability. And, then they attempt to coach with this attitude, and that is a disaster in itself.

Money - its inbred into tennis players by these associations, tournaments, agents, event organizers and all the rest - you need a lot of it they say to win, and advance. I've had so many tennis pro's and other parents snidely comment to me, "You're kid will be a superstar ... she is big like a man ... her daddy is rich." It is comical to me.

I am not buying into the scheme.

My girls will stay at home, compete and if they are good enough for a national stage that will play itself out in time one way or another if they are serious about putting in the work.

If they want to go to an academy, well, that institution had better want them in the worst way and be willing to pay the freight.

If they want to work outside my system, and get coaching, then they will need to develop their skills so coaches line up wanting to work with them for free.

I'm realistic. I've coached. The best athletes never pay. If you're a real coach you want to apply your skills to the best in the world, and it's not about money (or, it shouldn't be). Guys like Rick Macci go into it with world class players like the Williams sisters knowing in the back of their mind they will never see a dime. But, it's helped his business that association.

Handing a kid the keys to an $80,000 a year academy is not the way to go in my opinion.

A good player should always take from the system, not donate dad's money to it.

The system needs good players, it thrives off them. And, if you have to pay $80,000 - all that tells me is you haven't put in the work, don't possess the talent - genetics and would be best advised to stay at home, work hard, develop at your own pace and put that money towards to better use.

Everyone these days wants to develop in the "spotlight," and I am not sure that works except for the special few.

Want to work with elite coaches - (?) - I'd suggest that is a right you need to earn the hard way by becoming a highly projectable player with real developmental upside - possibilities. Players want to skip to many steps and jump to the professional people, and it wastes everyone's time when they are 50 steps behind.

Seriously good post. Why do the vast majority of tennis parents and coaches not see it this way? I guess the parents have the excuse of ignorance, but the coaches....

Anyway, very glad the distractions of the election circus, fishing, and far too many tins of cherry skoal, weren't enough to stop you penning this.

[hockeyscout]

Thanks Nick for the great feedback!