#Get a Grip Newsletter, #14
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Hello friends,
I can't believe how quickly January flew by, and now we are well into February!
We are having a bit of a sports lull in our house with the NFL football season ending, and the 49ers coming up short, our high school basketball season coming to a close, a dose of the flu bug, and the end of the Australian Open. We are ready for the next sport season to get going (and the flu season ending)!
It was so exciting to watch a new up and coming American, Sofia Kenin, win the Australian Open! It wasn't long ago that I watched her win the BJK Girls' Nationals in San Diego. Incredible that 4 1/2 years later, she is #7 in the world and a Grand Slam winner. Back then, I was very impressed with how well she competed and had a full arsenal of shots to move the ball around the court. But, what I remember most was her incredible drop shot! What I would have done for a drop shot like Sofia's! Congrats to Sofia and her team. Well done, and I look forward to watching Sofia climb the last few spots to have a young American at #1.
Thanks for reading and Happy Valentine's Day everyone!
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As a former collegiate and professional tennis player, I know the value of setting goals. I am a huge proponent of setting goals, especially with student-athletes. In my work as a coach and a parent, I know how challenging the process can be! The challenge is finding “their goal, their dream, and what they are willing to do to get there.”
In this book, I outline the steps I use in my work setting goals with athletes. I will attach worksheets and resources to help you with the process. I hope you find it beneficial.
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Why Sofia Kenin May Be the Tom Brady of Tennis
An early coach sees a bright future—and uncanny mental toughness—in the new Australian Open women’s champion
3 Reasons Why Your Athlete Needs Healthy Boundaries
Here’s how and why you should encourage your athlete to take a proactive stance on their overall wellbeing by setting healthy boundaries for themselves.
The Hardest Part of Parenting is Watching Our Teens Make Mistakes
Your son gets caught smoking pot. Your daughter gets suspended from school for drinking at a football game. Your son throws eggs at a cop car (really? a cop car?). Or I guess I should say “my sons and my daughter” but I am imagining you have had similar situations in your family.
College Football Prospects Actually Signing on Signing Day? That’s So 2017
The introduction of the early signing period has proved popular among coaches, recruits and parents. For many programs, February may be too late to sign the top players.
Raising Ski Great Mikaela Shiffrin, and Finding Balance
Her father, Jeff Shiffrin, loved watching his daughter win ski races, but he always said that wasn’t what life was about when raising a future champion.
How Much Or How Little Should I Be Pushing My Child?
What the Hell Happened to Vince Young?
Vince Young is the dude who took the shotgun snap, looked left, looked right, saw the seas part. Run, Forrest, run. Like we on the sandlot. Touchdown. Jump over the cameraman. National champion. Whirlwind. BET. MTV. Jay Leno. Agents. Managers. Managers on managers. Whole life changes.
Vanessa Bryant Shares Heartbreaking Posts On Daughter Gianna’s Jersey Retirement
Kobe Bryant’s wife continues to pay homage to both the NBA legend and the couple’s 13-year-old daughter, Gigi, who died last month in a helicopter crash.
10 Fan Favorite Sports Movies. Did Yours Make the Cut?
How is "Sandlot" not on this list?!
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I recently chatted with one of my fellow professional and Stanford players, high performance coach, and sports parent,
Debbie Graham Shaffer, and asked her,
"What do you do when your child/athlete doesn't want to practice?"
Here are a couple of things Debbie suggests when your child/athlete doesn't want to practice:
- Let them have a few more rest days off than normal.
- Do some fun things away from tennis: go to the movies, beach, etc.
- Let them enjoy a sleepover, without an early practice or matches the next morning!
- Do some baking and cooking with them.
- Mix it up having them do more fun fitness workouts than practice.
I have asked Debbie to write an upcoming article about how she noticed her daughter needed a break, how she handled the break, and the results when she returned to competition. Here is a link to a great piece she wrote,
"5 Ways I Avoid Being
THAT
Tennis Parent."
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"Fiske Guide to Colleges", by Edward B. Fiske
I am in the planning stages for a spring break college trip with my youngest son. Even though there are tons of resources online, I still go back to the old fashioned printed Fiske Guide. The Fiske Guide has been rating and reporting on all things post-high school education for over 36 years. When you don’t know where to start, start here!
Amazon's Description
"The best college guide you can buy."―USA Today
Every college and university has a story, and no one tells those stories like former New York Times education editor Edward B. Fiske. That's why, for more than 35 years, the Fiske Guide to Colleges has been the leading guide to 320+ four-year schools, including quotes from real students and information you won't find on college websites. Fully updated and expanded every year, Fiske is the most authoritative source of information for college-bound students and their parents. Helpful, honest, and straightforward, the Fiske Guide to Colleges delivers an insider's look at what it's really like to be a student at the "best and most interesting" schools in the United States, plus Canada, Great Britain, and Ireland―so you can find the best fits for you.
In addition to detailed and candid stories on each school, you will find:
- A self-quiz to help you understand what you are really looking for in a college
- Lists of strong programs and popular majors at each college
- "Overlap" listings to help you expand your options
- Indexes that break down schools by state, price, and average debt
- Exclusive academic, social, and quality-of-life ratings
- All the basics, including financial aid stats, SAT/ACT scores, and acceptance rates
- Plus a special section highlighting the ## public and private Best Buy schools―colleges that provide the best educational value
Has anyone else used this book or have a great book to share? I would love your thoughts and suggestions in our
#Get a Grip Facebook Group. Or you can
EMAIL me here.
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This issue's
Meaningful Meals
conversation starter:
"What is the nicest thing you've ever done for someone?"
This issue's
Meaningful Meals
recipe:
I am a huge Barefoot Contessa fan. Her recipes are easy, not overly time-consuming, and come out perfectly EVERY TIME! Can't beat that!
This Chicken Piccata Recipe is one of the go-to meals in our house. I serve it over pasta, quinoa, riced cauliflower, or a bed of arugula. The leftover chicken works great for lunch in panini sandwiches.
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Last week we had an SCTA meeting, and I was able to catch up with Hank Pfister, a former top 20 ATP player and one of my coaches when I first started on the WTA Tour. After reading about Amani and Ayanna Shah's work with
"Second Serve", Hank shared the great work the Kern Community Tennis Association is doing in Bakersfield refurbishing used racquets for high school players.
The Kern Community Tennis Association (KCTA) is a non-profit, volunteer-based organization established in 1965 to develop and grow the game of tennis at all levels for both juniors and adults. The KCTA has a particular interest in partnering with high school tennis programs to help coaches and players acquire the racquets and other equipment they need to be successful.
The Kern Community Tennis Association has spent the past several months donating equipment to local high schools boys and girls tennis teams. So far, they have equipped student-athletes with more than 500 racquets, 200 pairs of shoes, and 6,000 practice balls to 26 different high schools.
HIGH SCHOOL BOYS' RACQUET AND SHOE DISTRIBUTION to JV & Varsity teams all over Kern County on Jan. 29, 2020
- 23 High Schools participated in KCTA's first Racquet and Shoe Distribution for 2020
- Approximately 175 racquets
- 150 pairs of (mostly) new shoes
- 4000 re-purposed tennis balls
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I love meeting my readers. Please email me to ask a question and share your thoughts on #Get a Grip.
Do you have ideas for books, recipes, and organizations that we should share in a future newsletter?
If so, click here to email me!
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Thank you for reading!
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