Core Values Tennis Can Teach

 

Taking the emphasis off of winning, which you cannot control, and putting it on things that you can control only makes sense in tennis or in any other endeavor. Today we have a multitude of players that feel like they are failures because they don't win as often as they think they should. One of the reasons for this is that players don't play enough matches as a part of their training regimen.

The other reason is that players have been taught by their parents, peers and coaches that winning is the big goal. While it is certainly nice to win more matches than you lose, we need to realize that tennis is a nearly perfect vehicle to teach players the many life lessons that are so important for all champions, both on and off the court, to learn.

Here are a few of those core values:

Character: Through the responsibility each player has to call their own lines, to keep score accurately and to give their opponent the benefit of the doubt, tennis offers a great opportunity for players to build character. Good coaches can be very helpful if they can get players to believe that their self-worth as a person has nothing to do with how well they strike a little yellow ball.

Courage: Tennis gives players the opportunity to play through tough times. The one on one style of competition certainly requires that players have the guts to put it on the line. Few other sports require as much courage, especially from its youngest athletes, as tennis does in this arena.

Honesty: Tennis is one of the only sports where the players make calls on each other's shots. Imagine little league or an adult softball league where the players called their own balls and strikes. Although this huge responsibility in the hands of the competitors, again, especially for the youngest players, has caused problems, no other sport allows for the development of honesty like tennis does.

Sportsmanship: Like in other sports, tennis players will play opponents that are jerks and try to cheat. Although in the short run this is uncomfortable for players, and also for the parents of young players, it does give players a way to develop and hone their ability to cope with this type of person both on and off the court. If you look at junior players, you will find that many of them are mature beyond their peers in this area simply because they have had more chances to practice this skill than non-tennis players. Parents should view these episodes as the opportunities they are and resist the urge to get involved and "save" the child.

Integrity: Because tennis allows for your opponent to make calls that directly affect you, there are always times when people get cheated, whether on purpose or through an honest mistake. How a player reacts in these situations offers them a chance to test and prove their integrity. Will the player get even? Or will they do the right thing despite their opponents actions. Players will learn to avoid situational ethics by refusing to cheat simply because "she did it to me." Players that succeed in this area can have a profound sense of satisfaction even if they lose the match.