Wimbledon.com caught up with Tim Henman to find out his tips and recommendations for parents involved in tennis...
Tim Henman, the former world No. 4 and HSBC Ambassador, has been involved with the Road to Wimbledon tournament for 13 years.
A four-time semi-finalist at Wimbledon, Henman returned to the AELTC this week to talk to players about all aspects of the game but what is his advice for parents involved in the game?
IMPLEMENTING THE RIGHT VALUES –
“There have obviously been instances of parents getting too involved.
“Speaking as a parent, I have three girls of my own, I think the opportunities are important, to give them as many different experiences as I can but also to install the right values.
“Success isn’t necessarily about winning, success is maximising your potential and the only way you can achieve that is by giving 100 per cent.
“So if parents and players can understand competing and trying their best, then that is the most important value across the board. If you give your best in everything you do then you’re not going to go too far wrong.”
LONG TERM VIEW -
“‘It’s difficult to find the right involvement as it’s a little bit like saying ‘what is the right style of play?’. It’s very individual for the child and the parents to discover what works best for them.
“Some parents really enjoy watching, some have a true understanding of the game and some really want to get involved. Other parents might want no involvement and utilise a coach’s experience.
“I think especially at this age, if they are wanting to have a career in the game, then it’s crucial for the parents to take a long term view. That results at the age of 10, 12, 14 are not the be all and end all. If you’re trying to develop a child’s game, it’s about getting the right foundation, the correct techniques, learning what is going to be an effective style of play for the stage at 18,19,20 when you’re perhaps trying to go professional, that’s when you need to be winning. You don’t want to just win at this level, with a style of play that’s just effective in the junior game, to the detriment of your game in the long term. So it’s important parents take a long term view.”
PRACTICE MAKES PERMANENT -
“It’s a cliché but definitely quality rather than quantity. If I was doing practise sessions with kids for ages of 10, 12 and even up to 14, the maximum they would be playing would be two hours a day because If they’re were practising properly, that is all they would be able to manage. Spending in the region of four hours a day on the court without practising properly I would argue hasn’t got the right intensity.
“Practice makes permanent, practice doesn’t make perfect. If you’re engraining bad habits then they can become permanent. So it’s vital that you engrain good habits. That’s physical, mental and technical. I think that’s a very powerful message.”
ENJOYMENT IS PARAMOUNT -
“It’s so important that the child enjoys the game. If they can have fun on the court then they will get a lot more out of it.
Learning how to compete, learning how to win and lose. Even if you’re one of the best players in the world, then you’re going to lose a lot and it’s important that you learn from that to use it as a motivating factor to get better.”
BE RESOURCEFUL -
“It can sometimes be a challenge with the travel, equipment and coaching, but I would say to be resourceful. The best example is playing against a wall. I can remember on trips abroad and at tournaments in this country where warming up against a wall was a huge help. I’ve never had a wall miss when I’ve hit against it! There’s a perfect opportunity where you can work on shots.”