By Jorge Capestany, RSPA Master Professional & PTR International Master Professional.
It may be the oldest question about sports…
Do sports teach character or reveal it?
Some would answer both or even neither, but after coaching for more than 40 years now. I have come to a conclusion based on more than 65,000 hours of teaching tennis on the court.
Sports CAN teach character, but only if it is intentional.
The coach needs to have character as one of the pillars of his teaching philosophy.
Studies show that sports participation does NOT in and of itself teach character. In fact, studies show that the more time and energy athletes put into becoming elite, the more likely they may be to justify cheating.
Just looking at the professional world of sports, you can see many examples of this happening, from using illegal performance-enhancing drugs as an obvious example.
Today, we have a multitude of players who feel like they are failures because they don’t win as often as they think they should. A big reason is that players have been taught by peers, parents, and coaches that winning is the ultimate goal.
Instead, we need to recognize that tennis is a nearly perfect vehicle for teaching players the many life lessons that are so important for all champions.
Below is a list of these core values that tennis COULD teach, if the coach is intentional:
1. CHARACTER: Through the responsibilities each player has to call the lines on their side of the court, keep score accurately, and give the opponent the benefit of the doubt, tennis offers a great opportunity for players to build character.
A player’s character can also be seen in the way they keep score during a drill or even by their line calls while they drill. Good coaches can be very helpful if they can get players to realize that their self-worth as people has nothing to do with how well they strike a little yellow ball.
2. COURAGE: Tennis allows players to play through tough times. The one-on-one style of competition certainly requires the guts to put it on the line. Few other sports require as much courage from their youngest athletes as tennis does in this area. Another example is when players feel compelled to confront or question someone cheating them.
How many times have we seen players avoid that uncomfortable job, only to wait until the match is over to tell the entire world how their opponent was the biggest cheater on the planet? Think of it, aren’t those skills the exact ones that will best serve the players in their adult life? It’s all about how you look at the situation.
Some will think this is an awful burden that no young player should have to endure, while others recognize it as a great opportunity to teach an important life lesson and skill.
3. HONESTY: Tennis is one of the only sports where the players make calls on each other’s shots. Can you imagine a Little League game where the batter calls the balls and strikes? Although this huge responsibility in the hands of immature competitors can and has caused problems, no other sport allows for the development of honesty like tennis does.
Parents and coaches can facilitate the development of this core value by seeking out opportunities to compliment players when they get it right.
4. SPORTSMANSHIP: Like in other sports, tennis players will play opponents who are jerks and try to cheat. In the short run, this is uncomfortable for players and parents, but it does give young kids the chance to start to develop coping skills with these kinds of people.
I know many competitive junior players are more mature than their peers in this area simply because they have had more opportunities to practice these skills than non-tennis players. Parents should view these episodes as opportunities and resist the urge to get involved and “save” the child.
5. INTEGRITY: More than any other sport, tennis has the potential for “retaliatory” calls because it allows for your opponent to make calls that directly affect you. There will be times when people get cheated, whether on purpose or by honest mistake. How a player reacts in these times offers them a chance to test and prove their integrity.
Will they get even, or will they do the right thing despite the opponent’s actions? Refusing to retaliate will teach players to avoid situational ethics by not getting even “because he did it to me first”.
Players who succeed in this area can have a profound sense of satisfaction, even if they lose the match, provided a coach or parent is dedicated to seeking out and rewarding their successes.
6. COMMITMENT: Reaching the highest level of tennis requires a great deal of commitment on the player’s part. The lessons of self-discipline and delayed gratification are valuable and will surely serve the player later in life.
Even within a player’s game, they will need to make decisions to try new techniques that may hurt them in the short run. Commitment to these new techniques is critical for future tennis success and teaches a valuable life lesson that players will surely benefit from as adults.
7. HUMILITY: Through competition and partaking in drill classes, players soon come to realize people do not look upon arrogance very highly. Tennis offers players the chance to learn the difference between arrogance and confidence.
Team settings and class settings are the best arenas for players to learn this. Parents and coaches should take responsibility to let players know when their behavior is disrespectful.
8. EXCELLENCE: I believe the practice court is the best arena to teach players to strive for excellence. Many players find it difficult to practice at the proper intensity after a long day at school.
These challenges are similar to those they will face in college, ultimately in the workforce, and as parents. The ability to work hard when you don’t feel like it is a major life lesson in striving for excellence.
Final Thoughts…
If we can produce players who strive to excel in these areas and view tennis as a vehicle to become better people, then they will have learned valuable life lessons and, in the process, experience less stress in competition.
This is because they will no longer view the “win” as the ultimate goal. Instead, they will be aiming at a more important target.
Almost every tough loss in tennis can be a victory if the player is attuned to the life lessons tennis offers.
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