Relentless Positivism

October 7, 2016 | By Jimmy Delevante
Tennis_Player_Smiling_Credit_Moof
Photo credit: Moof

Maintaining a positive attitude on the tennis court is no easy task. Similar to learning any stroke in the game, it takes years of practice and hard work to be able to do it properly, especially under pressure. At the highest levels in any sport, it is often noticeable that the top athletes are able to control their emotions and attitude better than their competition. For coaches, at what point do you address this vital skill to your players?

The natural ups and downs of a tennis match are something that everyone can relate to. Players describe these changes as momentum swings or even luck, but nevertheless, everyone agrees that they exist. The question, however, is how do you plan to deal with them during the course of play? Do you use these swings to your advantage or do you let them get the better of you? It is my belief that the underlying skill that top players possess is “Relentless Positivism.” Relentless Positivism is the ability to maintain a positive attitude, body language and self-talk, regardless of the score. Essentially, it is the “Never give up, stay calm, always believe in yourself” policy that athletes need to adopt while competing.

The players who possess this important skill demonstrate a distinct set of characteristics. They are noticeably more calm and relaxed than others when the score isn’t in their favor. They often appear to have intense inner-focus and drive. They are sometimes described as “fighters,” or “scrappers,” because their positive energy carries them even when the odds are against them. Finally, it is my assertion that these players are extraordinarily skilled in how they talk to themselves.

Positive self-talk is a topic amongst many sport psychologists that has been brought to the forefront in sports. Self-talk is the ongoing conversation that the player has with themself throughout competition. The ability of a player to talk to themself positively can affect the outcome of a match. The player who speaks to themself positively can think more clearly and logically, conserve energy, change the momentum of a match, and ultimately stage a comeback. As coaches, it is often our duty to be the motivating and positive voice in our player’s minds during difficult situations. A skilled coach is aware that by setting a high standard of positivism in the way they communicate will transfer to the way their players talk to themselves. In addition to coaches, parents and teammates can also have the same effect on other people. Communicating in a calm and positive way often changes the mood of a conversation and helps an athlete turn things around in their own head.

Learning how to start engaging in positive self-talk is simple, learning how to master it is quite difficult. The first step to the process is to become more aware of how you talk to yourself while you are playing. Is the conversation positive or negative? Is the voice in your head making you feel energized or is it taking away your energy? How do you think this will impact your play in the next few games? What can you do to turn all of your thoughts into positive ones? Once you become more aware of your thoughts, you can start to sway and slant them in a positive direction. Any negative thought can be shifted or re-directed into a positive one: Perception is the key. As you become more aware of your own processing, you will be able to identify a negative thought earlier and can try to stop it right away before it leads you in the wrong direction.

Improving your attitude, perceptions and thoughts will lead to more success, both on and off the tennis court. Like anything else, this skill doesn’t develop overnight, and it is nearly impossible to prevent negative thoughts from popping into your head. However, as you become more aware of your mental processing, you will also become better at replacing these thoughts with positive ones. Over time, you will find that it becomes easier to tune out negativity and distractions, and focus more on your task at hand. As a coach, I see how these skills correlate to other facets of life. The ability to improve your outlook on things, remain positive and think optimistically on a tennis court are also vital life skills. After years of coaching, I am convinced that the players who succeed most on the court are also the people who have more self-awareness, better attitudes and the ability to be relentlessly positive.


Jimmy Delevante
Director of Tennis, Suffolk County Junior Tennis League Training Center

Jimmy Delevante is a USPTA-certified teaching professional and a National High-Performance Coach. He is the director of tennis at the Suffolk County Junior Tennis League Training Center, a former ATP professional tennis player, and master pro at Sportime Kings Park.

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