This page is dedicated to helping parents and players figure out what path would be best for the athlete to follow
***Before reading the paths below...please let the path you choose below be 100% your child's decision. Although all parents have wishes for their children, the best path to follow is the one for which your child has a passion***
Path #1: State and beyond
Description: This type of player wants to make the varsity team at Brookfield Central, but also make the state tournament and go deep in the tournament, then go on to play tennis in college when they graduate.
Tournaments (USTA/UTR): Very important. The benefits of playing these tournaments is to teach the athlete to utilize what they have learned in a competitive setting, to allow them to learn on their own (there is no coaching during these tournaments), and to allow the athlete to get noticed by college recruiters.
Private lessons: Very important in order to refine skills and make improvements for competition. Just make sure that between private lessons, work on skills in drills, working with groups and playing matches. Then, return to the private lesson with feedback to continue to refine your skills. If you don't work on a variety of skills between private lessons, you will get far less out of them than you could get.
Match play: Playing matches against high level competition is essential to this type of player. The gains they can make out of such matches will be invaluable to development of their game and performance in high pressure situations such as a state tournament match. If you are competing outside of a formal tournament, make sure play the match as a match with high stakes, and make sure you are competing against top players.
Group lessons: Important, but only if the group is comprised of those who have the same goal and are of a similar ability level.
Hitting with a ball machine: Very important to practice skills learned in lessons, to create muscle memory by establishing many repetitions of the same shot. Make sure you are using proper form, since this type of hitting reinforces the form you use. Done well, hitting with a ball machine can be very helpful since you can easily hit close to 1,000 shots within about an hour's time without overdoing it.
Hitting with friends: Not a major focus unless they are friends with the same goal. Certainly schedule in some fun times on the court, but this workout will not move you towards your ultimate goal.
Path #2: State
Description: This type of player wants to make the state tournament for Brookfield Central and be competitive by winning as many rounds as possible, but doesn't necessarily have formal post-high school plans to play tennis.
Tournaments (USTA/UTR): Very important. The benefits of playing these tournaments is to teach the athlete to utilize what they have learned in a competitive setting, to allow them to learn on their own (there is no coaching during these tournaments). Very rarely do players perform well at the state tournament without having done so in USTA/UTR tournaments.
Private lessons: Important in order to refine skills and make improvements for competition. Remember that for every private lesson you take, you should be playing a tournament, hitting with a ball machine or hitting against a player of a similar ability (ex: you'll get the best value out of your private lesson if you spend a few weeks using the knowledge you obtained from the pro)
Match play: Extremely important. Playing in a competitive environment on a regular basis is very important to success long term at state. The more competition a player engages in the better prepared they'll be for the pressures of a state tournament environment.
Group lessons: Important because you'll be able to practice your skills against players with different styles in a competitive and supportive environment. Similar to above, aim for players at a similar level to you.
Hitting with a ball machine: Important to practice skills learned in lessons, to create muscle memory by establishing many repetitions of the same shot. Same idea as above. Hitting off a ball machine will build muscle memory, so make sure your form is correct. If you can run through the machine 3-4 times, you'll have close to 1,000 repetitions, which should help build your muscle memory.
Hitting with friends: Never a bad idea...just make sure to keep your focus. Playing deep into the state bracket is not easy, and although you should never deviate from having fun (that's why you play in the first place), remember your goal...what do you think your future opponents at state are doing right now? Players who want to go to state and do well do have to make some sacrifices in terms of socializing on the court and focus on the grind of improving.
Path #3: Make varsity
Description: This type of player specifically wants to make the Brookfield Central varsity team, no small feat considering only 14 of potentially 80-90 will do so. They don't have their eye on #1 singles, but they definitely want to compete to be on the top team.
Tournaments (USTA/UTR): Can be important, but more than likely play the lower level or club tournaments and see how they go. A tennis team needs 10 solid players, and if you are #10, your point counts exactly as much as the #1 player, so if you only play lower level or club tournaments, that is completely fine.
Private lessons: Can be very helpful, but certainly not essential in terms of a regular activity. Schedule some and then spend a few weeks working on the skills you worked on, then report back to the coach. If just making the varsity team is your goal, a weekly private lesson isn't likely the #1 activity you'll engage in.
Match play: Very important. Focus on club tournaments first, but take advantage of opportunities if groups offer even an informal tournament. Getting players together and having competitions amongst yourselves could also be a great method of fitting in match play.
Group lessons: Very important. A large amount of players fall into this category because group lessons provide a less expensive alternative to private lessons while allowing athletes to receive solid instruction from club pros. Still, make sure you are getting the instruction
Hitting with a ball machine: Important to practice skills learned in lessons, to create muscle memory by establishing many repetitions of the same shot. Make sure you have proper form, but a ball machine is a great way to hit a lot of repetitions in a short period of time.
Hitting with friends: Always a solid idea in order to practice your skills against someone who might have a different playing style than you do. Make sure to keep the focus since the Varsity team is about winning matches.
Path #4: Be competitive, but no real goal of varsity
Description: this type of player wants to improve and get better, but doesn't really have any goals of making varsity.
Tournaments (USTA/UTR): Not important
Private lessons: Not important
Match play: Can be important to help development of skills.
Group lessons: Will be helpful...the more you practice, the better you'll get, but only if you are practicing the right way. Having some instruction in a group will allow you to practice your skills and learn about how to become better so that when you hit on your own you are practicing the right way.
Hitting with a ball machine: Can be very helpful, just make sure it is after receiving instruction so that you are getting better and not just practicing the wrong way over and over.
Hitting with friends: Always a solid idea in order to practice your skills against someone who might have a different playing style than you do.
Path #5: Just in it for fun
Description: This type of player is exactly what the name implies. Their goal is simply to have fun, and that's what you should do. Pick up the racquet in the spring, play and have fun. Learn as much as you can at practices, then close up shop in the winter until it gets warm out again.
Tournaments (USTA/UTR): Not important
Private lessons: Not important
Match play: Not important
Group lessons: Not important
Hitting with a ball machine: not important
Hitting with friends: Since your goal is to play for fun, get out there and have some fun hitting with friends.