Doesn't everyone want the coach who kicks it on the court? When you do find one, they're inspiring and sometimes humbling. But they're not easy to find because our standards have sunk. Instead of expecting student excellence, we're willing to deal with apathy and convenience. The results are the creation of idols of indifference - people afraid to push themselves and others in favor of the consistency of a paycheck.
Show Notes
Everyday, all across the world, tennis pros are teaching tennis to thousands of children, teenagers, and adults. Every time they walk onto that court, like a rock star walking on stage, they make a decision about how they want to "show up" and "represent" the face of tennis.
Fans expect rock stars to show up and represent the face of their music and in the image they have established to the world - their brand. When the rock star shows up and represents their brand, their fans know it, love it, and live for it. They are a model for what a rock star should be.
Tennis students expect the same thing but what are they getting? Are they getting the girl or guy who shows up as a rock star or someone who shows up indifferent? Ideally, like the actual music rock star, the tennis should pro walk on the court, model movement and introspection like someone playing a slam. But most of them don't and that's a problem for students because it sends mixed messages - YOU (the student) are supposed to be and play a certain way - when the coach isn't flying the flag of the tennis brand as best as they can.
Dr. Albert Mehabrian, who focused on the communication of human emotions, found that people (your students or a rock stars audience) will interpret most of the emotional content of your message by interpreting your nonverbal communication rather than by what you actually say.
So, if your coach is yelling at you to move a certain way but can't or won't do it themselves, how are they showing up? What about a coach whose feet never leap off the floor and always feeds out of the cart? Are either of these people flying the tennis flag? Are they showing up as a rock star or as an idol of indifference?
In this episode, we take a look at the effects of idols of indifference and what it would take to start making a change in who shows up on court.
Thanks for joining us on our journey!
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What is Tennis Rockers?
Are you ready to re-imagine and reconstruct the way you realize not just the game of tennis but all the other ways you compete in life? Tennis Rockers pull together beliefs, concepts, ideas, people, and values from a cross-section of multi-disciplinary fields for the purpose of doing things a little different. Tennis Rockers don't just want to change the game, they want to help people think about changing how they see and live their lives.
Coach Claude and coach Sully cordially invite you to put the pedal to the metal and join an unconventional conversation on tennis and life. Nothing good comes from standing still.