ParentingAces
Archive for March, 2012
Are Junior Rankings Truly An Indicator of Future Success?
81 year ago
Rafael Nadal
I read a very interesting post this morning on ZooTennis.com showing the top 10 men and women currently playing on the pro tour with their highest junior ITF rankings. Here is an excerpt from the article:
Now it would be interesting to see a study on how many Top 10 ATP/WTA players over the past 15 years were never top 10 in the juniors. I’ve done a tiny bit of that research on the current ATP/WTA Top 10s and here’s the numbers, with the player’s highest ITF singles ranking in parentheses.
1. Novak Djokovic (24) 2. Rafael Nadal (145) 3. Roger Federer (1) 4. Andy Murray (2) 5. David Ferrer (-) 6. Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (2) 7. Tomas Berdych (6) 8. Mardy Fish (14) 9. Janko Tipsarevic (1) 10. John Isner (93)
1. Victoria Azarenka More >
When Hard Work Leads to Lucky Breaks
71 year ago
My son to his high school tennis coach (after not being in the lineup for 3 consecutive matches): “Coach, when you put me in the lineup last week, did I do what you asked and expected of me?” Coach’s response: “Yep.” Son’s next question: “What do I need to do for you to put me in the lineup again?”
That conversation happened about 2 1/2 weeks ago. Since then, my son has been in the lineup for each subsequent match. What changed? The same 13 boys are still on the team. They all show up for practices and matches. So, why has my son had the opportunity to play these last few matches?
When my son met with his coach, the coach thanked him for taking the time to talk then told him what to do to get back into the starting lineup. My More >
If the Pros Do It . . .
61 year ago
A while back, I wrote an article about watching the pros play in order to improve your tennis game. Well, what about watching them in order to improve your tennis parenting skills?
As y’all know, I was lucky enough to get to go to the BNP Paribas Open last weekend in Indian Wells and see some amazing tennis. In two of the matches – Isner (Go Dawg!) vs. Djokovic and Nadal vs. Federer – the higher-ranked player lost. And, in my non-professional opinion, they lost not only because their opponent played a better match but also because they just weren’t 100% on their game that day. They were missing shots that they would normally make in their sleep. They were a half-step slow in their movement around the court. They seemed a bit out of More >
Tom Walker’s Call to Action on Proposed USTA Competition Structure
21 year ago
Tom Walker’s Call to Action on Proposed USTA Competition Structure
Share this:A Little Tennis in the Desert
21 year ago
My husband and I are headed to the Left Coast later today, making our way to Palm Springs for the BNP Paribas Open this weekend. I am beside-myself-excited!!!!! I’ve been wanting to go to this tournament ever since my oldest daughter moved to Los Angeles to attend USC five years ago. And, now, finally, I’ll be there to see the Quarters, Semis, and, hopefully, Finals – how awesome is that?!?!?!
I will be tweeting from the tourney, so be sure to follow me @ParentingAces. I’ll post a summary here with photos next week.
And, if you’re watching on tv on Friday, Saturday, and/or Sunday, look for the woman with the huge grin and the little red phone – I promise to wave if the camera comes my way!
Share More >Meeting a Legend
51 year ago
in Parenting
It’s not often in life that you have the opportunity to meet a legend. Lucky for my son, it happened this past weekend when Ivan Lendl just so happened to be coaching one of the players in the tournament my son was playing.
My son was on court playing his semifinal match when I spotted Mr. Lendl walking up the steps. At first, I couldn’t figure out who he was though I knew he looked very familiar. Then, the caffeine kicked in, and I realized it was Ivan Lendl – WOW WOW WOW! I was beyond thrilled to get the chance to see him and talk to him (well, to say hi and ask if he would mind posing for a picture)! I mean, how many times have I watched him play on tv, in awe of his incredible tennis skill?
Those who know me know that I’m anything More >
Why Tennis?
61 year ago
In recent years, there’s been a lot of talk about the demise of American tennis. We haven’t had a Major champion on the men’s side since Andy Roddick won the US Open in 2003. Of course, we’ve seen Venus and Serena Williams win several Majors since then, but Wimbledon 2010 was Serena’s last Major title, and neither she nor Venus has won one since.
USTA is doing its darndest to find the Next Great American Tennis Champion. In fact, Patrick McEnroe’s mission, plain and simple, as the General Manager of USTA Player Development is to ensure more Americans are in the second week of the US Open. That’s it. That’s his job. And, he says, the best way for him to accomplish that mission is to get more kids playing tennis so there’s a wider More >
Mom’s Weekend Off
31 year ago
This past weekend, my husband took my son to his tourney, and I took the weekend off. It’s not the first time my son and his dad have gone without me to an out-of-town tournament, but it IS the first time they’ve gone without me when I had no commitments other than to catch up on some much-needed alone time.
On Friday afternoon, after finishing the laundry and picking up the necessary groceries, I watched as my two guys packed and loaded up the car then headed off to Alabama (my son finally got directly into a Southern Level 3 tourney, bypassing the dreaded Alternate List altogether!). An hour later, I was in my jammies watching a replay of the Dubai semi-final matches, eating popcorn and Oreos for dinner – HEAVENLY!
And, while I did More >