Middle development – a ‘tight-rope-walk’
View(s):In tennis, middle development for competition has only two possible outcomes. It is like a tight-rope-walk without the safety net. 
Succeed and you are among the elite, if not, you fail and possibly give up tennis. This is the reality. For those who survive this hurdle, the sky is the limit.
In any sport, to achieve and sustain an effective international standard has been and will be the biggest challenge. Right now our cricket, even with its mass popularity, is experiencing a bad patch and it is affecting the game’s future.
The big change
The William sisters
In Middle Development, the realities change drastically. Play will not be for FUN, but to WIN. The entire development work spectrum changes from technique oriented closed sessions, to tactic-oriented open sessions. The environment becomes competitive and winning will be the only goal. The need for these changes will have to come from all quarters: administration, schools, homes, coaches and event organizers. These will make boys and girls fighting men and women. Their age and development will make them assert more, it is a difficult and complicated development to handle. It is a big change and a different ball-game.
What are open and closed situations?
What is the severe change which occurs to send more than 50% of beginners out of tennis? As beginners, fun in Tennis comes from closed-situation training. They are corporative by nature. That is, challenges are known to players and are limited. Open-situation is competitive and the challenges are unknown and unlimited. This is why the entire training structure has to change.
Open events
In Middle Development closed age-group competitions are like playing hide and seek. It is not unlimited competitive sport, only in the open-events competitive spirit develops. Some of the biggest names in modern tennis did not play age-group competitive tennis; the William sisters, Sampras, Becker, Steffi Graf and many others. Once a player is 15-years-old, age-group events are like a child getting candy floss to be happy. For maturity it has to be an open event battlefield. Many countries have scrapped age group events for this reason. In the past Sri Lanka had only the under-18 event which is closer to open tennis.
All court open tennis environment
Tennis is an individual sport. Learning to defend and attack using the whole court, is very important for development. Group-training does not provide the whole court. Group training is like parking a car in a parking lot. You will get it back as it was parked. There will be no change. A former player told me that he only learnt the simple forehand and backhand after 3 years of group training.
Middle Development must use the whole court, where activity / space / time / purpose relationships are effective all the time. In other words opponent, strategy and tactics are the issues of open tennis. At higher levels, weaknesses between players are marginal, to notice and exploit them a player must play at least 15 full court sets a week. Only then will all aspects of the game be addressed. Coaches in Middle Development are ‘referents’ with open tennis experience and they cannot be just technique teachers.
What are the aspects of middle development?
Here are some aspects for you to get an idea; Court geometry, game situations, strategies, tactics, weapon usage, individual specifics, setting up points, reading an opponent, a history of winning games, change of rhythm, physical needs, mental focus, leading, floating, fighting etc. By the way I have noticed that in match situation our players are good at fighting when we they are down and choke badly when we lead. Good players are front-runners and they finish fast even when they get a slim lead.
Good development possible in Sri Lanka?
A 20-year record shows that it is not possible to develop well for competition in Sri Lanka. There is too much of group training and too little game-play. Our tennis standard has been subjected to the receding principle for a long time. Now our national standard is the same as the school standard. Our competitions are to beat each other repeatedly. This does not deliver Middle Development.
It is open events that lead us to the top 500 of the ATP. Our best Davis Cup player is made in Thailand. Another well developed player is made in the USA. Since we have lost the elite base we have to venture out periodically at least to train and to complete Middle Development. It is expensive.
Who pays development bill?
Development is education. Who pays the school bill? Same people will also have to pay for this too. Since the development stage has no guarantee, it is a financial risk for anyone else to support the players. What about sponsorship? Development Sponsorship has been the least productive sporting venture world-wide. It has been tried out on individuals and at academies worldwide and the results have been minimal. Tennis is a tough individual sport. Formulas for success do not exist. If there is a guarantee in tennis, it is only the ‘PLAYER’. The challenge is immense with millions taking to tennis every year worldwide. Elite Tennis means a lot of travel, which is the biggest expense.
If you make it you are a star. It is one interesting journey that will make your life rich.–
- georgepaldano@yahoo.com
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