One of the most difficult tasks for coaches from the development level to the professional tours is seeing that their athletes develop in a consistent and progressive manner. This process involves many decisions such as what is the appropriate level of off-season physical training, how much on-court training do they need, and how often should players compete in order to reach their developmental goals. The latter issue, namely, tournament selection, may be the most important issue because competition is the bottom line in a tennis player’s life.
Why Responsible Tournament Selection?
Responsible tournament selection is critical because the competitive season is very long and physically demanding. This problem was illustrated recently by a touring pro who, in one year, played in almost 50 tournaments and exhibitions and attained a high world ranking. Unfortunately, the next year he slumped considerably and developed a chronic injury that has sidelined him indefinitely.
Playing too much can cause fatigue, produce burnout, and, as demonstrated above, result in injury and illness. This is especially important because many important tournaments are at the end of the year. It is all too common for players to say “I can’t wait for this tournament to be over with” or “The season is almost over, great”. This is not a good attitude to have entering key tournaments. Rather, players need to maintain their attitude, motivation, and health in order to perform well to the very end of the season.
When to Play
Players should only compete when a tournament meets certain criteria. As a general rule, tournaments should serve a specific purpose in fulfilling players’ seasonal goals. More specifically, first, players should compete when they need more tournament experience. Second, they should play for qualification purposes. Third, when they have the opportunity to compete against their peers or to gauge their progress. Fourth, competing is advisable when players need some matches under their belt before an important tournament. Finally, keep in mind that tournaments should provide positive learning experiences for the players that benefits their development.
When Not to Play
Players should never compete to build their confidence. Confidence does not come from competing, it comes from sound preparation. Typically then, players will come out of a “confidence-building” tournament with less confidence than they had before.
Players should never enter a tournament because they know they will win. This is, in fact, a no-win situation. If they win, little is gained because they are expected to win. If they lose, it can be a severe blow to their confidence.
Players should never compete unless they are totally prepared to play their best. If they are not totally prepared, either mentally or physically, they will not play well and the experience will hurt them.
Players should never enter a tournament to break out of a slump. If a player is in a slump, competing is not the way to get out of it. The pressure they place on themselves to break out of the slump will almost ensure that they will not play well. Rather, players get out of slumps by relieving themselves of the pressure, understanding why they are in the slump, and, through proper training, progressively raising their level of play.
Finally, players should never compete for no reason, just for the sake of playing. Invariably, motivation will be low and poor play will be inevitable.
In sum, coaches should, in planning a player’s tournament schedule, consider these criteria and carefully select tournaments that will facilitate the player’s long-term development. Ultimately, coaches should follow one basic rule: players should only compete when they have more to gain than lose.
