Recognize that making lifestyle changes is always worthwhile, as improving your health and well-being leads to feeling better and consequently living a more fulfilling life.
Recognize that preparation for competition or performance is not just physical but also mental, requiring a clear, focused state of mind to make effective decisions.
Engage in visualization by mentally rehearsing desired actions, moves, or strategies before an event to prepare your mind for what you want to implement.
Put your phone away about half an hour before an important event or task to avoid distractions from messages or emails, allowing you to be fully present and focused.
Target around nine hours of sleep per night, as this amount can significantly aid physical and mental recovery, even if the benefit is partly psychological reassurance.
Be mindful of digital distractions like Netflix or social media before bed, as they can lead to wasted time and delay sleep, even when you are already tired.
Prioritize putting the best possible fuel into your body through quality nutrition, as it directly enhances performance and can provide marginal gains.
Avoid ‘rubbish’ food, especially before playing, and be highly aware of consuming the right nutrients within 20-30 minutes of finishing exercise to aid recovery and muscle replenishment.
Be highly aware of your hydration levels and drink enough water, as even a slight drop can lead to a significant decrease in performance and negatively impact your mood, causing tension and impatience.
Actively look for small advantages or ‘marginal gains’ in all aspects of your preparation and recovery, as even minor improvements can significantly impact overall performance and success.
Purchase inexpensive and accessible recovery tools like resistance bands, trigger balls, and foam rollers, as they are effective for physical maintenance and can be easily obtained.
Incorporate resistance bands into your warm-up to activate muscles in your shoulders and core, or use them for a full-body workout, as they are cheap and portable.
Carry a trigger ball to use for self-massage on tight areas like glutes, hips, back, or shoulders, especially when professional massage or other recovery forms are not available.
Use a foam roller to roll out muscles in your back, quads, and calves for recovery and to alleviate tightness.
Employ recovery compression devices like Normatec for your legs for 20-30 minutes in the evening to increase blood flow and optimize muscle recovery, especially after physical exertion.
Carry your own pillow when traveling to ensure consistent sleep quality and prevent discomfort or misalignment that can arise from unfamiliar or ‘dodgy’ hotel pillows.
Identify and stock up on healthy, palatable snack bars or other preferred foods that travel well, ensuring you have reliable nutrition options when on the road or in situations where food choices are limited.
Consider traveling with a portable blender like a NutriBullet to easily make recovery drinks and smoothies, allowing you to incorporate supplements like glutamine and creatine for inflammation reduction and muscle regeneration.
During intense physical activity, especially in hot or humid conditions, sip on electrolyte and carb drinks to maintain energy levels and prevent performance drops due to dehydration.
Consider taking a nutrient-dense whole food supplement like Athletic Greens each morning as an ‘insurance policy’ to ensure you are meeting your nutritional needs, especially if getting all nutrition from food isn’t always possible.
Do not force children to specialize early in a single sport or activity they don’t enjoy, as it can lead to burnout and significantly reduce their potential for success.
Allow children to pursue sports based on their own desire and enjoyment, rather than forcing intensive training, to ensure a happy childhood and prevent burnout.
Avoid over-specialization in sports for children, as being forced into one activity for many hours can be detrimental to their overall personal development and enjoyment.
Promote doubles or team events for children in tennis to leverage the social aspect and playing with friends, which can help keep them engaged in the sport and reduce dropout rates often associated with the lonely nature of singles.
Get out to your local park or club and play tennis with friends, as it’s more fun and a game you can play for life if you look after yourself.
Enhance your doubles game significantly by focusing on strategic positioning and movement on the court, even without improving your stroke mechanics, as many players are in incorrect positions at the start of points or after a serve.
Visualize potentially overwhelming or noisy environments, such as large crowds, before entering them to avoid being caught off guard, freezing up, or experiencing physical stiffness.
Introduce family members, especially children, to sports like tennis, as this often leads to generational engagement where skills and enjoyment are passed down.
When looking to join a club or park for a sport, choose one that has an active energy and atmosphere, as this is more inspiring and engaging than a ‘ghost town’ environment.
Remember that sports are fundamentally supposed to be fun, which should be a guiding principle for participation and engagement.
After consuming information, actively reflect on specific insights and commit to applying at least one of them to your own life immediately.