Bad line calls in junior tennis are an unfortunate but common occurrence. Whether it’s an intentional bad line call or an honest mistake, dealing with it can be frustrating for players and parents. In this blog, we’ll cover strategies for addressing cheating in a way that fosters fairness, personal growth, sportsmanship, and a healthier experience.

In sports, results takes center stage, and highlights focus on flashy moments. Sportsmanship is usualy mentioned when rules are broken or fights occur. If winning and controversy get all the attention, how can we teach kids that character matters most? Yosuke Watanuki recently gave us a prime example of sportsmanship that every young athlete should see.

If you can’t see these things in person, it’s hard to get inspired by them. It’s hard to feel the magic. It’s hard to feel the crowd come alive. It’s a completely different feeling to see a 145mph serve in person come off of Isner’s racquet. To hear the sound of Juan Martin Del Potro’s forehand as it connects with the center of his strings.

What are you willing to tolerate on your high performance junior tennis journey? Some people can't handle the emotional outbursts, bad line calls, frustrating parents, and the overall emotional roller coaster. They want a nice respectful game, with a nice relaxing atmosphere, and if goals aren't achieved, it's not a problem. Others can tolerate the roller coaster so long as progress is being made and the child is showing continuous signs of happiness.

Unfortunately you have to pick.

Most families are stuck in a position where their child splits sets, they’re able to receive coaching, and they have no coach there.

So the parent is left as the de facto coach.

What should they do? They’re not a coach, but here they are, with their child about to go into a nerve wrecking third set tiebreak (or regular set depending on the tournament), and are looking for guidance.