Tours - the fast lane to tennis competence!
My first real tennis tour got me hooked. It lasted for seven months, and I remember almost every location as if it were yesterday. In fact it was twenty-six years ago!
My real reason for touring was necessity. I had neither the money, nor the know-how, nor the equipment to go on a tour. In my article on facilities I have already demonstrated that my immediate tennis environment gave me nothing to develop my tennis with, no practice partners, no facilities, no help, no tournaments. I decided that I'd never get all of this in place, but at least I could get a part of it in place.
In those days there was a government scheme to help you become self-employed, with a financial incentive that would last for one year. I registered myself as a tennis coach, and concocted a plan to go coaching around Scotland. I borrowed a camper van off my Godfather, organised a schedule, and set off. I had nothing holding me back.
Scotland
Why Scotland? Although Scotland was a long way away, and is a difficult country to get around, there was a relatively well established tournament circuit that offered a tournament every week from April to September. The tournaments were all along the main routes, the Central Glasgow/Edinburgh axis, and up the East Coast towards Aberdeen. I wouldn't have to go into the Highlands, or the Southern Uplands. So I calculated that distances would not be enormous. The equivalent in England would be less easy to organise logistically, and the tournaments were more varied. I was looking for a traditional week with lots of tennis. I'd get that in Scotland.
Scotland was a revelation. In my school my best friend was a Scot, from I think Perth or Dundee originally, but now living in Belgium. He was the butt of a lot of "There was an Englishman, Irishman and a Scotsman jokes.' Through these jokes we built up a vivid stereotype of a Scotsman that kept them well in their place of the 'auld enemy'. As it turned out the Scots were most welcoming, the clubs were less snooty and formal, and they were fascinated with me being on the road in their country. They hadn't seen that before. I ended up by making a base at the Waverly Club in Edinburgh. I never even had to pay a membership, and I used the showers, kitchen and courts every day. There was a university lecturer there who befriended me, and I wouldn't mind guessing that he did in fact pay a subscription for me. I never did end up giving any lessons. It wasn't discussed. I don't remember there being a coach there either, which was also a surprise. However by the simple fact that I would play with anyone at anytime, I became a sort of unofficial coach. I didn't have a basket of balls. I didn't give tips. I just played and played and played.
The tournaments were within easy driving distance of Edinburgh. They didn't go well. Hardly surprising. I was not a good player in those days. I had no idea how I was going to win my points, and I was anxious whenever the ball came over. I laugh out loud now when I remember how bad I was.
The first circuit is the hard one
For circuits to be done properly, it isn't just about tournaments. It's also about periodicity, that is, developing phases within the programme to allow experiences to be worked through. It's about a coherent challenging ranking list. It's about having suitable practise partners. It's about having help, and management. It's about facilities. It's about target-setting and financial budgetting.
One or two of the principals I set in Scotland back then have remained with me today.
Principals of a tour
Set up a base where you can work with good facilities, with few distractions, with suitable people around you. This base must have access to tournaments, the more the better. All of this was in Scotland, for those few months. Now, all of this is in France, all year round. The missing bits of the puzzle from Scotland, have been put in place in France.
Junior French circuits -
February, April, July, August, November
Tours are not easy to go on. You must work hard, and live in an inexperienced group that suffers many mood swings and youthful pressures. Very few of the young players I've worked with have settled easily into touring. Homesickness is a big problem.
Through creating the right environment you can combat these pressures easily. Going on the road is great fun, challenging and hugely rewarding. For me, it is still the only way to make quick progress.
Tour Coach -
on this site!
