Districts 3.09

Hi ladies,

As much as I would like to take credit for what you ladies accomplished in the regular season, I can't. Simply because you ladies were the ones putting in the work and making things happen out on the court. As you mentally prepare for the playoffs, you must remember that you won't see anything different from what you have already faced from the teams you played this summer. It will come down to how well you ladies execute your shots and how badly you want to win. You have to want it more than your opponents. Forget about a players record, how well they hit the ball or how smart they may or may not be. You have to believe that once you step onto the court, your game is good enough to compete with anybody, anywhere, anytime. Don't put any added pressure on yourselves. There is no need to. This is the time that you ladies trust what you have done up to this point. The question was brought up at practice about how do we hold on to leads when we are up? The best way to handle holding on to a lead is to continue doing what you were doing to get the lead or win the set. Yes, you should expect your opponent(s) to play better and make adjustments throughout the match. You should expect your opponent(s) to fight back and not throw in the towel. The only way you can get your opponent(s) to throw it in is to keep the pressure on them point after point, game after game. Once you're able impose your will on your opponent(s), they will crumble. Your confidence should grow more and more with each game you win. After taking the first set or being up a break of serve or two, you have to tell yourself, " I've got them. keep doing what's working and don't let up!" In most cases your opponent(s) isn't going to make many adjustments simply because they will be uncomfortable changing up their style of play. You have to realize that there aren't too many players that have the ability to change their style of play midway through a match and be comfortable and totally confident with their plan B game. Just be patient and make shots and you will be fine. Make them earn every point. So what if they win a couple of games. You can't allow a small momentum switch to get you all out of sorts and fall apart. Recognize what changes they have made, keep your cool and continue playing your game. Don't ever play your opponents game. There will come a time when you have to play their style for a couple of shots here and there, but the moment you get the opportunity to take control of the point, you have to take advantage and take control of the point. Try not get caught up in your own feelings when playing. Focus on the ball and your opponent(s). The more you focus on yourself and the mistakes you're making, the more clouded your judgement becomes. Then it becomes harder for you to see what your opponent(s) see doing to you. Your opponent(s) will have one or two go to shots. Pay attention to how they set up for the shot and where they place the ball. Pay attention to their position on the court when they hit that particular shot. It's normally a combination of two shots when they try to set you up to get the ball they want. You will recognize it after they do it a few times and have some success with it. Once you get a feel for what they want to do, you can anticipate what is about to happen. Knowing this, you move into position faster or run to the spot where they want to hit the ball before they hit the shot. Similar to how it is when some of you play with me. You always say," oh he's so fast, how did you get that shot? Or I thought you were going to be over there, so I was going over there with my shot." It's because I'm paying attention to each and everyone of you when I'm on court with you. I watch how you prepare for each ball and I pay attention to your patterns and where you like to hit certain shots wherever you are on the court. That is why I'm in position for your shots most of the time. It's not so hard, but you first have to stop worrying about missing your shots. If you prepare early for the ball and meet the ball early out in front of you, less can go wrong. Focus on preparing your racquet and getting your body in position for the ball rather than being fixated on the ball that you know is coming your way. Focus on the positive and not the negative and you will be fine. Another way of saying that is, ignore the consequences and your game will improve and grow, succumb to those consequences and you will never reach your potential.

Have a game plan going into your matches. Start with knowing what you do best and what you don't do well. Watch and pay attention during the warm up and first couple of games in the match to what your opponent(s) do well and what they struggle with. This will allow you to set up a game plan on how to attack your opponent(s). Remember that they will be just as nervous if not more nervous than you. Trust me, These other teams have heard about you ladies and they know that we consistently put out strong teams. They know that we go deep into the playoffs each year so they have more to worry about. Be confident from the moment you meet your opponent(s). Let them know you mean business from the moment you make eye contact with them. Take your time when serving. Focus on making a high percentage of return of serves. If you get nervous when your opponent(s) rushes up to the net, drive the ball at them with pace so they don't have much time to react to your shot. The more time you give your opponents to hit the ball, the more trouble you will find yourself in. Trust yourselves when you have a ball that you can drive up the middle of the court in between your opponents instead of lobbing the ball. Don't be afraid to move up to the net when playing singles. Hit your approach shots up the line and follow the ball. Use drop shots from time to time to bring your opponent in to the net, then lob them or hit the passing shot by them. Keep your opponent on the move. If they are moving you around, hit deep shots up the middle of the court to take away their angles. The more tired they get, the easier the match becomes for you. Remember that there is no time limit. No matter how long the match might take, don't give up and fight to the end. As crazy as it sounds, you can lose more total points in the match and still win the match.

Always believe,

Shaun.