Written By Todd Widom
One of the most disappointing scenarios for a junior tennis player is to lose a tough match and then be fed into the consolation draw.
When I started my coaching career in 2010, I was surprised at how many kids come up with every excuse not to play the consolation round. First of all, you have made a commitment to play the tournament so I believe you should play the tournament in its entirety. Parents who are pulling their child out of the consolation round are doing a great disservice to their child, because the great life skill that could be learned here for the child is that when you get knocked down you have to get back on your horse and try again. You will accomplish very little if you pull out of the consolation round after losing in the main draw. I believe that you should play as many matches as you can and that you should never take the easy way out. In the 2001 Boys 18’s Easter Bowl I came in as one of the top seeds and lost first round.
I thought my tennis career was coming to an end. I played a horrific match and just wanted to pack it in and quit. My coach told me that I was going to stay and grind out the consolation round. Not only that, my coach also told me that he does not watch the consolation round, so he flew back to Florida and I was there in California with my mom.
My first couple of rounds were against players that I thought I should handle easily and the matches were anything but easy. I was angry and my confidence and self-esteem was low. I initially did not believe in myself, but I started to play better and better as the days went on and my self-esteem, belief in myself, and confidence was growing match by match.
Two matches a day and nine straight wins later brought me to the final of the consolation round to come in fifth place and win ten matches in a row. I was down 4-1 in the third and final set and I was sitting on the changeover thinking there was no way I was going to lose after staying a whole week and winning nine matches in a row. I ended up coming back and winning 6-4 in the third set to win ten matches in a row.
To this day I still feel that this was the most influential accomplishment as a junior tennis player. Additionally, it was a bigger accomplishment for me with my then winning the Super Nationals which was a couple of months later. There was a lot to be proud of that week and it changed me as a young man and competitor at the same time. The moral of the story is that tennis is a very difficult sport in many ways, but if you want to get the most out of your child or student, do not take the easy way out. I have never met any successful person, whether it is in tennis or other aspects of life who takes the easy way out.