Never Let Good Enough be good enough!

Over 55 years ago I got out of the United States Air Force and decided to go to college. Those were weird days for me as I had been in Europe from 1966 to 1969. I used my leave time to visit Europe and experience life in other countries rather than coming home. It was about that time I set a goal to play college football. I was small and slow but I loved football and I did try so I had that going for me. Where am I going with this autobiography? The football experience I had at Brockport …

There is an old football saying, “The hay is in the barn”. I guess it would be a rural football saying but basically it means we have prepared the best we can (the hay is in the barn so farmers can weather the winter storms). We can apply the same thought to racquetball match preparation. Think about this. Most matches are won way before the game in a tournament or league. Once the preparation is done, it is too late to do much more. There might be a few tweaks you can make on your serve but other than that, …

Here are 6 common return of serve issues I run into with my athletes at all levels! 1. Wrong stance-Bent at the waist too long–you will have to make a move to make a move 2. Too wide of a stance-remnant of 1980’s coaching-wide stance may work for tall athletes but not short ones-also with a wide stance one has to pivot on the leg to the side the ball goes. With a shorter stance the athlete can move either way effectively. 3. Being able to hit a return when you get to the ball-big one-if you drop your racquet …

When you coach long enough, athletes will come into your program and athletes will leave. From day one, I explain I am teaching an athlete how to coach themselves during a game and make adjustments. Once you understand the mechanics of body movement and footwork you can make those game time changes. Back to the athlete leaving my coaching. This hurt is misunderstood. It is not about money or self-validation for me or my coaching. It is about commitment and the vision I had for that athlete. I saw where they could go and what they could accomplish. This path …

Cliques! I hate racquetball cliques! Back in the day when I was top dog in the club I would play anybody and everybody who was close to A level and above. I encouraged everyone to play anyone. Then I moved to Syracuse, NY and a local club went bankrupt. They all came over to our club but refused to join in our play. They would only play each other. In modern day racquetball I was told of a situation where a bunch of guys belonged to a text group and kicked one guy out. Why? He was beating all of …

Junior racquetball tournament play can be a mine field for parents to walk through! Here are some tips to help you navigate: 1. Not all Parents are “nice” during their child’s competition but that does not mean you can’t be! 2. Not all opposing coaches are “nice” either but see rule 1. 3. Keep priorities in mind-#1-Spiritual and family development, #2-Scholastic obligations and grades, and #3-doing cool “kid things”. #4 is racquetball!! 4. Seeding-is supposed to be fair-it might not be, but I wouldn’t let it ruin my day. As an fyi, I coach several of the best players on …

Wow-a friend of mine just sent me some video analysis from another pro. I will say this about that pro-They are good at teaching fundamentals and are excellent in teaching technique. A few things I noticed- 1. Big holes in the analysis-some of the issues were discussed, but I saw many more. 2. In defense of the teacher, some coaches focus on only one or two things so their students do not get “overload”. 3. The illustrations were difficult to understand but I have to say using some of the over the counter telestration devices are not easy. 4. I …

Bear with me here because there is a lesson in this post for all of us junior coaches. Recently read an article about what high school coaches want from parents. One Coach said something like-“go the stands, sit down, shut up, and do not be rude!” (the rude thing, maybe a little ironic after that comment to parents?) I did a clinic with another national coach and we were asked what input we wanted from parents. This coach stated, “nothing, I coach, they parent. It is that simple.” I have never looked at it that way. Probably because I worked …

Great conversation with a very good player a few days ago.This little back and forth can sometimes show why just practicing vs organized practicing can make a huge difference. Player: “Other than the serve I am just not improving that much!” Coach: How are your practices? Player: I work on shots until I feel comfortable. Coach: Do you work on all shots the same? Every part of your game? Player: Yes, except for the serve. I keep stats on how many good ones I hit. Coach: Just for the serves you keep stats? Player: Yes! Coach: What is the strongest …