Can Your Child Work Through Their Frustrations Without You?

child tennis frustration

As a parent, have you ever wondered why some coaches don’t allow parents to assist in the tennis lessons their children take?

Parents can be protective of their kids… If the child gets injured or falls or something doesn’t go their way, the kid looks for comfort and understanding in the arms of their parents.

We, the parents, want to help our children… However, as a tennis coach (and parent), I have witnessed many young players misbehaving on the tennis court. Oftentimes, it is just a simple error that triggers the frustration or meltdown.

Consistently, the children tend to be more “dramatic” when parents are present; the parents’ good intentions ultimately create future setbacks.

Sometimes it is easy to forget that the mistake (or problem) can actually teach our children a whole lot more in the long run. If they miss a shot or lose a point, they tend to seek comfort and understanding from their parents by looking at them. Or, on occasion, pretend that they are sick or perhaps injured…
When parents are not present, kids learn to understand that when problems occur, the only way to deal with them is by handling these problems by themselves!

So what is my point?

Parents, whether in a tennis practice or a match, allow your children to make mistakes and errors… Let them fall and learn how to get back up by themselves! Let them get frustrated and learn that being “down” is their chance to find solutions and overcome problems.

Allow your kids to succeed on their own.

Cosmin Miholca

Cosmin Miholca

Certified Tennis Coach

Check out my work at WebTennis24 where I share with you my best video tennis lessons, drills and tips for players, coaches and tennis parents.

If You Can’t Deal with Frustration, You Cannot Play Tennis

getting rid of tennis frustration

As beginning players, we are very happy to learn to strike the ball and even happier to be able to rally with the coach or a friend.
When things get better and we realize that we can play higher-level tennis, we expect more from ourselves than simply hitting the ball back and forth over the net.
And the more we expect, the more frustrated we become…

Why the frustration?

Because in tennis, you cannot play your best ALL the time!
Our expectations grow faster than our physical capabilities. We want results today, and we want them right now…
Well, this is not always possible; therefore patience is one of the biggest qualities that tennis teaches us.

One of my favorite pieces of advice I give my students is that instead of dwelling on the fact that they missed a shot, they should become problem solvers and find ways to prevent that mistake from happening again.

You cannot play tennis without making errors!
You have to accept that.

The better the player, the better their understanding of creating solutions and overcoming obstacles!

Then…success will follow.

Cosmin Miholca

Cosmin Miholca

Certified Tennis Coach

Check out my work at WebTennis24 where I share with you my best video tennis lessons, drills and tips for players, coaches and tennis parents.