When I start working with young people, I have one core value, which is at the center. It’s a deep belief that when you work with young people, it’s a sacred trust.
It’s a sacred trust to that young person, even when they’re not old enough or mature enough to understand everything that’s going on.
You have a higher level of expectation and responsibility than just a normal transaction in business. You have a sacred trust to the parents. Now, the parents can be challenging sometimes, but anyone who has had a child understands this is their precious little one. They are entrusting you with their child. That is a very high level of responsibility.
Now, if you start from that premise, then you work your way out.
There are core fundamental life skills and values which in order to teach at the highest level, whether it be with young players or the highest level. I just got off the court with Sloane Stephens and earlier in the day, I was working with two young girls that were 11 years old.
No matter the player the fundamental principles remain the same. You have a commitment to that individual to provide the highest quality training and to be incorporating life skills into the training. You might then say, well that sound nice, but how does that work?
Well, for example, when you’re talking about striking the ball and on the hit, be totally absorbed in the moment on the hit with your target and execute the shot at that moment. You cannot be consumed with the outcome with all the noise in the background. You have to be in the moment. Being in the moment, being absorbed is a fundamental life skill. Letting go off the outcome is another life skill where you focus in on the things you can control. Getting the players to train hard, where they understand that there are good mistakes and bad mistakes. When they’re out there putting in their best effort and they’re really focused and they’re trying to master something, the mistakes that they make, those are good mistakes. They are building blocks. Conversely, if they’re filled with anxiety and they are afraid to execute because they’re worried about outcomes, they cannot control that. Those are bad mistakes.
That’s the way it is on the court, off the court. So, you must always have that young person’s sense of importance and you feel that you have a responsibility to them. If you do, then you’re going to be in good shape.
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