The Greatest Match Ever Played!

I was privileged and lucky enough to see something so special this past weekend at one of our tournaments. One of our players had such an amazing breakthrough, one that will shape him as player and as a man. It is not because he ultimately won the tournament, but rather because he played the best match of his life. You might be thinking he hit winners left and right as he was blazing across the court, which he did at times, but rather his mental game was where he shinned. He was able to bring a title home, but most importantly, he acquired peace and happiness with his tennis.



We talk to our players about reaching IPS (Ideal Performance State) all the time. This is the state where there is no thinking as the mind and body connect and do exactly what you want them to do. Some people call it "being in the zone" or "treeing". We all strive to achieve this state and we all, at one point or another, been able to do it. The question is not if we can, but rather, how long we can maintain it. Players, coaches, parents, psychologist, etc all study and analyze how we can there. I, for one, attended training in this matter to help our players and it has been an amazing tool. This was evident this weekend when David, one of our players, realized why he played tennis and was able to reach IPS, not for a game or a set, but rather for an entire match. This match will shape his tennis career and hopefully his life.

Going into this tournament, David had been working hard at his mental game; we made it the number one priority. He has always been a fantastic young man off the court and on it he was and is respected by his opponents because of his intensity, skill, and common respect. David is a perfectionist which tends to lead him into not accepting good or even great, but rather he wants everything to be perfect. This is why, he sometimes does not enjoy his good shots or great victories, providing much stress on the court and in his life.

At every practice leading to our tournament we spent considerable time talking and doing written exercises that would help him on the court. At first, he really resented the time spent doing these as he saw himself only getting better by hitting balls. What he lacked was the realization that tennis training is more than working on technique and tactics.

"You can have all the parts to build a house, but without a blueprint you will have nothing more than scattered material."

We sat down every practice session, working on his mental game and he kept making forward progress. By taking those mental tools to the court, he was able to enjoy more and more of his tennis. There were some days better than others, but overall it was an improvement. The more we sat down and looked at tennis as a vehicle to life, the more he realized how he had to maintain this "vehicle". He wanted to enjoy it, treat it right, build unto it to make it the best possible vehicle out there. Tears and emotions that were not heard before were shared. Realizations of how hard he was on himself came through and it brought it to a point, a defining point, that he ultimately met this past weekend.

The Greatest Match Ever Played

Going into the final, David had played two solid matches. He had handled himself very well mentally, but as usual, had a couple of breakdowns on the court. This was an improvement from the past, but it was not where we wanted it to be. His opponent in the final was a very good player whose serve is very powerful and can create rhythm problems for any player. I knew this match might be the most challenging one for him, not because the opponent had great skill and over matched him, but rather the lack of rhythm could frustrate him enough that he would be abundantly tested mentally. As the points went by and David confronted the opponent's big game, a sense of calm set in. Game by game went and even though games were long battles, he displayed a serenity that I had never seen before. The first set was a blowout with David controlling every aspect of the game. He was not playing his best; it was not the best technical or tactical match I have seen him play, but his mental game was at IPS. There was nothing that would ultimately change his course. A course that was navigated through his mental blueprint and would carry him through the entire match.

The second set was much more of a battle. His opponent picked up his game and tested David's skill. At no point did David waver from his IPS. His mental game was here to stay. Even though the games were long, with multiple deuces, it did not affect him negatively. He enjoyed the battle. He loved the moment. He welcomed the feeling. This is why, he was able to overcome his opponent that day and more importantly THE OPPONENT he has had since the first time we worked together at age 11, he is now 17.

After he received his trophy, we took our pictures, and did all the post match procedures, we went into the van to go home. He sat there for a bit, contemplating what just happened and he said the words that will resonate with me forever...

"This trophy is nice, but the way I played today...I had fun. It means a lot more to me to play this way and to enjoy myself more than any trophy or tournament win I will ever have"

I could not have been any prouder at that moment as a coach. All the hard work we had put in came to fruition. Most importantly he realized that it was ok to NOT be perfect. Of course, strive for it, but if he enjoyed himself, if he loved the battle, he would be successful. Because of this, it was the greatest match he ever played.

I want to thank the Human Performance Institute for their training, our ACE players for their hard work in their mental toughness, and David for realizing that the game is to be loved!