The Well-known Secret that Motivates Tennis Coaches

Many years ago, under the leadership of Tim Heckler, the USPTA (now RSPA) sent out information to all its members, including a self-promotional package. The package guided coaches on effectively reaching their local newspapers and communities to draw attention to their accomplishments. At the same time, they also put together a marketing campaign to reach the national tennis community with a message emphasizing the importance of hiring “Only the Best,” teaching pros certified by the USPTA. It was a struggle in those times to reach the entire tennis world, and with no help from the USTA, it did not get much traction.

Recently, the RSPA sent a notification to its members, asking them to submit a brief summary of their accomplishments, which will be presented and recognized by the entire association. This action demonstrates that the RSPA recognizes the importance of praise and recognition. At this time, it appears that this recognition is to be shared with fellow members of the RSPA, which is a very welcome additional perk. Hopefully, the next step of reaching the entire tennis community will take place as a follow-up.

Why is this topic so important? Think about how much information has been provided about how best to motivate students, especially those who aspire to become high-level players. However, when looking at the complete package needed to develop motivated top players, it all has to start with a motivated coach. Combining an aspiring student with a knowledgeable, experienced, and motivated coach, along with a supportive family, has always been a major part of the process needed to help optimize the performance of any student. So, it only seems like a natural step to find ways to help motivate coaches.

In the workplace, the acronym used to describe a highly motivated and accomplished person is called SMART. SMART stands for specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound. These qualities are classic for most typical occupations, but in the sports world, especially with tennis, coaches become energized by adding to that list, praise, recognition, and for some, even fame. Making someone “Employee of the Month” would be great if that organization were the source of the income, but that is obviously not the source of income for most tennis coaches.

Now, the secret, yet a well-known reality for most of the over 160,000 teaching pros in the world, their accomplishments often go completely unrecognized, which for most of them is not an issue. They recognize that they just do not have the time or motivation to pursue building their reputation. They may be very content with the praise they receive from their students and their facility. For many, that’s enough, but when addressing motivation, there is never “enough.” There is always emotional room for more praise and recognition.

Today, especially with social media, creating exposure through the internet or other media requires an investment of time and money. Often, because of these two requirements, most coaches are likely not to self-promote their accomplishments to be recognized. The good news is that the major coaching organizations have been far better in sharing information about many successful programs being created by their members. But it will always be a difficult task to reach many fine coaches to show their accomplishments and their contributions. It’s not a matter of being slighted, but rather a result of not being able to interact with the vast number of coaches in the sport. It’s a disconnect that RSPA is addressing aggressively with constant email updates and announcements about seminars and lectures.  

Fortunately, most coaches feel their success is best measured by the results of their students' progress. They know that they are doing their best when their students, families, and community provide recognition of that progress. What is nice about this recognition is that it is not associated with their level of play; it's mostly about the enjoyment they are experiencing as a tennis player.  

As for those who choose to seek more recognition, there are many sacrifices to be made. It could be the amount of time lost to enjoy personal activities, or the loss of time they can spend with their family. Family first is always tough for anyone investing time in obtaining more recognition and popularity. But that is the reality and consequence of campaigning and publicizing one’s image.

Another conflict in trying to become well recognized is that it can result in a coach always having to portray a persona that others want to see, giving them little chance to evolve in new directions. Despite these hurdles, there have been and probably continue to be new coaches finding and enjoying the spotlight as a result.

Every coach needs to decide how they want to create their legacy, and just as they often motivate their students by explaining the importance of their journey, where they are, how they got there, and where they should expect to be in their future, a coach can use that same roadmap in evaluating their career. Maybe the best motivation for any coach is the hope that when they finally hang up the racket, they will have no regrets…only fond memories and a history of students whose lives they have positively influenced.