Comments on: How to Coach Your Kid

By: stephwn waymire

stephwn waymire — Mon, 17 Sep 2012 14:01:43 +0000

Great idea. I teach little kids tennis. I stree the importance of throwing and catching. I tell them that throwing and catching are developmental skills for tennis. The better u throw and catch the better your tennis.

By: Ed Bielski

Ed Bielski — Fri, 14 Sep 2012 20:45:04 +0000

I have struggled with coaching my son and daughter. This is especially true as they have react poorly to my intruction. In particular I struggle with trying to instill a sense of passion (which I was able to use as a substitute for hand eye coordination for most of my life). I now have anew plan for the weekend. Great article Dan!

By: Doc

Doc — Fri, 14 Sep 2012 16:48:55 +0000

Great Post. The dad was getting it about what coaching really is. Would add that on a number of occasions when I haven’t been able to get my coaching point across I would get one of the teammates to come over and I would tell them to explain it and usually they can.

By: Phil

Phil — Fri, 14 Sep 2012 09:04:10 +0000

What I particularly like is the clear illustration that lots and lots of practice may not be changing anything. A little quality practice might make a big difference.

By: Craig

Craig — Thu, 13 Sep 2012 23:24:06 +0000

Kid has a great coach…and Dad!!! Too many parents reliving their childhood through their kid’s lives. Great lesson for all ages!!

By: Eric

Eric — Thu, 13 Sep 2012 17:29:47 +0000

As a high level tennis coach its hard for me now that my daughter is getting to the age of starting. I have definitely seen way too many kids that hate the sport (and can’t compete in tough moments) because of their parents.

I really like the gentle guidance and to let the kid “figure it out” more on his own. Definitely talent-codeish!

By: Rob

Rob — Thu, 13 Sep 2012 16:16:51 +0000

Great post Daniel! I use this technique in my coaching with my tennis players. The goal is to get them to understand the feeling you get from doing it correctly.

By: Mike Davis

Mike Davis — Thu, 13 Sep 2012 16:04:15 +0000

I love this. One of the best pieces of advice I got from a parent years ago was to “shut up and hit more balls.” I still probably could talk a little less but I’ve definitely hit a lot more balls. The girls know when they make errors. They don’t need us to remind them of that constantly. They need encouragement and guidance so THEY can realize how to correct the issues.