So this issue of shouting across the net, we have to understand in the context of, people do not like being embarrassed. Keep in mind, most of the beginnings or best beginning players, especially if they are adults, group lessons, have not played sports in years; particularly women but the men also.
Key number five will sound so basic you may wonder why it merits any explanation at all, yet this key is the number three complaint that our 150 surveyed adult students expressed about their group lesson experiences. Let's listen in again to the workshop and see if we won't get a deeper understanding of this seemingly simple point.
Okay. Yaya, you are ready, here we go, let's see that forehand. Great shot. Now, I will bet you are one of those guys that hits in the net a lot, aren't you? You see what I mean. If you use that kind of approach; and I have heard it day in and day out from pros across the country, even in Europe, that you find the mistakes, you point them out in a public setting, right away his defenses are up, he is not comfortable.
Okay, now you might be saying, point made, let's move on, but actually the most important point within this issue has not yet been covered. The question is, why are we as coaches and teachers so critical in the first place? Let's listen into the workshop again to get at least part of this important answer.
Why would I think like that, critically as soon as I walk on the court? You know why, because our mindset as teachers is that we are being paid to find mistakes. Think about it. If you don't correct and criticize people you think you are not working. You are getting paid to find mistakes. Whereas the mindset better would be to find people doing things right, and then in a very private setting make the adjustments.
Now, if you are watching this tape and are still saying that corrections and helpful criticism are sometimes needed, don't worry because you are right. The question is, how to make those corrections, how should we make them, what is an option to shouting across the net?
Right away his defenses are up, he is not comfortable. Whereas if we had them feeding to one another, partnering up, and then I could go over to Yaya or Jason and work with them and encourage them privately, giving them little quick tips.
Say, you are doing everything great, except maybe one small thing, and if you do this it will really help you get to the next level, that is a whole different perspective, rather than shouting across the net, often criticizing. Even if you say, well, I only criticize half the time. That's a lot, think about it.
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