AM8 International

For the first time in history we have a generation of children (players/athletes) who are growing up without the core skills from previous generations. This lapse in time and of skill development has a roll-on effect to a child’s level of coordination to their ability to grasp the concept of control to multi-directional movements. Whether we’re talking about agility to dynamic balance, these are key skills responsible for developing the aspiring player/athlete into that professional tennis player with the prospects and end-goal of ascending towards the Top 10. But if the fundamentals are not put into place in the earlier years, that child has a much harder time in the developmental process than their peers who have been afforded a level of conditioning that accommodates the ‘art-form’ of skill development that empowers their performance over The Long Game.

To rectify these physical anomalies, which have become our new norm, coaches need to be mindful of these changes and modify players/athletes training loads to ensure these skills are incorporated into their conditioning and overall repertoire. This includes a level of engagement as previously touched on that is personalised to that player/athlete and also leverages their external (non-tennis specific) strengths and uses these to enhance their actual ‘tennis’ performance. Examples range from gaming through to their favourite show they’re currently streaming and how these can be used as themes to optimise their performance.

Thinking outside the box to accommodate the player/athlete as a whole is a win for the player, the coach, their performance and also their overall skill development. Not only will the incorporation of key skills — now forgotten, benefit the player/athlete as a whole, these skills will become even more paramount the greater the demand of a given action/movement becomes as their level amps up.

To learn more about our data, predictive analytics and how to optimise your own performance, head on over to AM8 International. To learn more about AM8 International check out our selection of Books and/or options to join Dr B’s Pack to gain exclusive access to the best in the world. Not quite ready? Head on over to Beyond Top 10 Tennis for free access to 100+ episodes directly from Dr Berge of what it really takes to win multiple Grand Slams to securing that Top 10 tennis ranking with new episodes each week. More? Catch up on our Tips over on TikTok, Twitter, Threads or Instagram for quick snippets to apply in your game, today. 

When was the last time you were engaged in a conversation that was not by phone or on your phone for the matter, giving the person in front of you — in person, your full and undivided attention? Sadly, this isn’t as simple as ‘today’ for most and is carried over onto the tennis court which impedes the overall development of a player/athlete. And no, I am not saying that you are on your phone and/or a screen when coaching your player/athlete. What I am saying is that the associated behaviours around engaging and listening are built and fostered well before you step onto the tennis court and these patterns of behaviour are carried with you — onto the court.

Of course this works both ways for the coach and the non-responsive player/athlete, however if we’re focusing on those looking to progress and advance their performance, this typically isn’t as significant. Why?

Quite simply because if a coach has the capacity to engage with their players/athletes then that’s what draws each player/athlete in and the notion of being distracted to ‘disengaged’ does not as readily occur providing the coach is in tune with his/her players/athletes.

There’s no denying that most people, in particular in western culture, have taken their screen time by storm and in-person conversations to engaging communication is seldom had without a screen in some way — including talking to one person and texting another at the same time. Or one of my favourites, sitting down for a meal where each person has their phone in hand and is talking ‘with’ the person on their phone, opposed to the person actually in front of them! These behaviours have a roll on effect and begin to impact our ability to engage and more importantly, listen to what is being said.

The skill of listening is absolutely fundamental for coaches looking at advancing a player/athlete — whether towards the Top 10 or their first major tournament. It is critical in developing a coaching pedagogy that incorporates and identifies the unique qualities of each player/athlete and is modified accordingly to progress their performance. To get to this point, it is the coaches responsibility to lay the foundations — intently listening to his/her player/athlete on what their thoughts are to how they’re feeling and accommodating these to being mindful of them in each individual session.

It is also important to point out that the coach leads the way — as coaches, you’re the adult in the room being the ‘older’ person in the majority of cases when we’ve narrowed our focus on heading towards the Top 10.

It near goes without saying, if you haven’t developed your listening skills away from a screen or have the capacity to fully engage your players/athletes for the duration of a session, then it’s time for some self-reflecting — intrinsic feedback to amp up those listening skills. And for those of you who say they’re absolutely fine, I’d say think again — there’s always something we can improve upon when it comes to our ability to listen and in turn engage.

To learn more about our data, predictive analytics and how to optimise your own performance, head on over to AM8 International. To learn more about AM8 International check out our selection of Books and/or options to join Dr B’s Pack to gain exclusive access to the best in the world. Not quite ready? Head on over to Beyond Top 10 Tennis for free access to 100+ episodes directly from Dr Berge of what it really takes to win multiple Grand Slams to securing that Top 10 tennis ranking with new episodes each week. More? Catch up on our Tips over on TikTok, Twitter, Threads or Instagram for quick snippets to apply in your game, today. 

On face value this is such a simplistic question that most of us rarely take a moment to pause to ask ourselves and consider our respective milestones to pillars we’ve reached over various timelines. If you’re reading and can relate, you’re not alone. I’d like to say it is systematic but it’s also not ‘really’ the case, however can be argued that due to such a lack of awareness around child development and the importance of value and positive feedback — or witnessing our parents share this, how would we know any better?

This is true for me, anyway. I cannot recall a time when I heard either of my parents proclaim or share with me that they were and/or are proud of themselves. In later years, I faintly recall hearing it a handful of times, but not as a child or adolescent. Unfortunately, it should come as no surprise then that this was also my experience as a chid — seldom told by my parents that they were proud of me. Rather, it was an expectation to succeed and try your hardest. And whilst it would have been nice to know they were proud even when I didn’t get the result I was after on the tennis court, this wasn’t the case. As such, I fell into the trap as a child that my value was tied to my results simply so I’d get a ‘proud’ moment, which was still incredibly rare.

Now I could lay blame on my parents for not sharing this, however this could be a little bit too critical. If they had never been taught the value and power of this form of communication and encouragement to thoughtfulness and sharing this particular positive feedback, how were they to know? Of course it is a very different story when this is shared later in life. If a parent is given the nudge by their child to say “hey, this matters to me” or “hearing that from you means a lot” or a handful of other phrases, you get the gist — there’s no excuse for not showing up and using your words to have such a profound affect.

So where am I going with this? It’s so important to remember that every tennis player is a child in some way, shape or form. Whether they’re an adolescent to young adult, these problems are real. And I’ll say problem because it really is problematic when it crushes a child’s self-belief to impacts on their self-worth when their results are tied to merely their performance.

This is where the coach comes in. Communicating with your players that you are proud of them — from making it to 100 balls in a row or winning three games in a set, it’s the incremental milestones that count and build towards the bigger ones. And if you’re a coach that didn’t experience this as a child, as I’ve shared, let me tell you this — it is even more rewarding to share! But to get to this place, be sure to take a moment, or seven to ask yourself if you’re proud of yourself and get comfortable with sharing those thoughts with yourself. Not only will this better position you to communicate with yours players/athletes, it’ll also start to have a profound impact on your own self-worth to self-belief. In other words, either way — you’ve got this!

To learn more about our data, predictive analytics and how to optimise your own performance, head on over to AM8 International. To learn more about AM8 International check out our selection of Books and/or options to join Dr B’s Pack to gain exclusive access to the best in the world. Not quite ready? Head on over to Beyond Top 10 Tennis for free access to 100+ episodes directly from Dr Berge of what it really takes to win multiple Grand Slams to securing that Top 10 tennis ranking with new episodes each week. More? Catch up on our Tips over on TikTok, Twitter, Threads or Instagram for quick snippets to apply in your game, today.