Want To Be A Tennis Star? Crazy Parents Required - DiscussWorldIssues - Socio-Economic Religion and Political Uncensored Debate

**BenWired306** · 02-06-2009, 10:55 PM

Jim Courier linked to this article on Twitter.

It's no accident that three of ESPN's 10 worst sports relatives (Dokic, Pierce, and Peter Graf) are tennis parents. The ugly truth is that for the United States to produce another Andre Agassi or Venus Williams, some crazed dad is going to have to add his name to that list. In its quest to develop a new generation of champions, the USTA would do well to remember the words of Robert Lansdorp, the former coach of Sampras and Lindsay Davenport. "The basic principle is the same," he said. "Every person who has made it in this game, Americans or foreign, it has been the parents who were behind it."
http://www.slate.com/id/2219229/pagenum/all/#p2

**freddystone** · 02-06-2009, 11:18 PM

Weren't Sampras' parents very hands off?

**BenWired306** · 02-06-2009, 11:31 PM

Weren't Sampras' parents very hands off?

I thought they were too Dry.

**nancywind** · 02-06-2009, 11:35 PM

All the really bad ones could bully girls. Graf, Pierce, Dokic. The US already has female champions. If we want a male champion might I suggest someone who can beat Federer or Nadal? Cuz really outside of Switzerland and Spain, we're all in a drought.

**EarnestKS** · 02-06-2009, 11:45 PM

Weren't Sampras' parents very hands off?

Yes. Davenport's, too, I thought, for the most part.

**abossakon** · 02-06-2009, 11:46 PM

I don't think that "ugly truth" is true at all. There have been plenty of American tennis champions and tennis champions in general with perfectly "hinged" parents.

**nancywind** · 02-06-2009, 11:49 PM

I don't think that "ugly truth" is true at all. There have been plenty of American tennis champions and tennis champions in general with perfectly "hinged" parents.

Makes for a better story I suppose.

**Ikhqgvas** · 02-06-2009, 11:56 PM

Yes. Davenport's, too, I thought, for the most part.

I don't know the details. But I would assume the parents still pushed their child at the early stages to at least play and they would fund the lessons. The important thing is they let go of their child and let real teaching pros take over the tennis, while still looking out for their child and supporting him/her.

**freddystone** · 02-07-2009, 12:09 AM

Yes. Davenport's, too, I thought, for the most part.

Lindsay's father is so hands off that I wouldn't even recognize him if I ran into him in a pub.

But I'd ask Lindsay's mom for a bump-and-grind dance if I ran into her in a pub!

**Gooracouppy** · 02-07-2009, 01:01 AM

I thought they just needed really loud, persistent fans

**Penisvergroesserung** · 02-07-2009, 02:42 AM

Capriati's parents weren't too swift, nor does it seem that Donald Young's parents can hear anyone but themselves. Bernie Tonic's father seems to be a bit of a tool also. WS parents appear to have done a good job as well as Monica's dad. Melanie Molitor did fine with her little Martina, but who was that girl that was pummeled by her father at La Costa?

**hacyOrgachbic** · 02-07-2009, 03:03 AM

I'm teaching Bella to play tennis. She absolutely LOVES it!

And she loves to run around the court smacking the ball with her hands, and playing with her racket and such.

If I every get crazy....someone from TAT smack me! I want her to love it and play it and be competitive....but at the end of the day...it's got to be HER commitment if she wants to keep playing.

And now...she's ready for bed

**nancywind** · 02-07-2009, 03:09 AM

What about the dad who jammed an ear piece in his 10 year old daughters ear to coach her? She's gonna be a star.

**P1international** · 02-07-2009, 03:33 AM

If I every get crazy....

Uh...

**freddystone** · 02-07-2009, 03:48 AM

I'm teaching Bella to play tennis. She absolutely LOVES it! And she loves to run around the court smacking the ball with her hands, and playing with her racket and such.

If I every get crazy....someone from TAT smack me! I want her to love it and play it and be competitive....but at the end of the day...it's got to be HER commitment if she wants to keep playing.

And now...she's ready for bed

Well, then, she's obviously not committed. Keep her up for 24 hours! Schedule the test for the Evert Academy! What kind of tennis parent are you???

**TheBest-Host** · 02-07-2009, 03:57 AM

Capriati's parents weren't too swift, nor does it seem that Donald Young's parents can hear anyone but themselves. Bernie Tonic's father seems to be a bit of a tool also. WS parents appear to have done a good job as well as Monica's dad. Melanie Molitor did fine with her little Martina, but who was that girl that was pummeled by her father at La Costa?

Linetskaya.

She was like 35 in the world at the time. I don't think she plays now.

**hacyOrgachbic** · 03-06-2009, 01:57 PM

Well, then, she's obviously not committed. Keep her up for 24 hours! Schedule the test for the Evert Academy! What kind of tennis parent are you???

LOL! You talk about crazy parents? How about...crazy fans!

For now.....she exercises SO great! And she has so much fun...that is all I want to do right now is let her learn to love tennis and give her a desire to want to be out on the court. You should see her hit the tennis ball!

**EarnestKS** · 03-06-2009, 06:05 PM

Linetskaya.

She was like 35 in the world at the time. I don't think she plays now.

I forgot about that. Very sad. WTA website says she fell in qualifying at Hobart and AO.

**slarceSelia** · 03-06-2009, 07:36 PM

Crazy parents are not required, but very dedicated ones who would be willing (and able) to sacrifice a lot of time and money are essential.

**TheBest-Host** · 03-06-2009, 07:57 PM

I forgot about that. Very sad. WTA website says she fell in qualifying at Hobart and AO.

And unfortunately, they are talking about 2008, not 2009. Her activity ends there.

02-06-2009, 10:55 PM	#1
BenWired306 Join Date Oct 2005 Posts 471 Senior Member	Want To Be A Tennis Star? Crazy Parents Required Jim Courier linked to this article on Twitter. It's no accident that three of ESPN's 10 worst sports relatives (Dokic, Pierce, and Peter Graf) are tennis parents. The ugly truth is that for the United States to produce another Andre Agassi or Venus Williams, some crazed dad is going to have to add his name to that list. In its quest to develop a new generation of champions, the USTA would do well to remember the words of Robert Lansdorp, the former coach of Sampras and Lindsay Davenport. "The basic principle is the same," he said. "Every person who has made it in this game, Americans or foreign, it has been the parents who were behind it." http://www.slate.com/id/2219229/pagenum/all/#p2 Share Share this post on Digg Del.icio.us Technorati Twitter
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02-06-2009, 11:18 PM	#2
freddystone Join Date Oct 2005 Posts 652 Senior Member	Weren't Sampras' parents very hands off? Share Share this post on Digg Del.icio.us Technorati Twitter
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02-06-2009, 11:31 PM	#3
BenWired306 Join Date Oct 2005 Posts 471 Senior Member	Weren't Sampras' parents very hands off? I thought they were too Dry. Share Share this post on Digg Del.icio.us Technorati Twitter
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02-06-2009, 11:35 PM	#4
nancywind Join Date Oct 2005 Posts 545 Senior Member	All the really bad ones could bully girls. Graf, Pierce, Dokic. The US already has female champions. If we want a male champion might I suggest someone who can beat Federer or Nadal? Cuz really outside of Switzerland and Spain, we're all in a drought. Share Share this post on Digg Del.icio.us Technorati Twitter
	Quote

02-06-2009, 11:45 PM	#5
EarnestKS Join Date Oct 2005 Posts 525 Senior Member	Weren't Sampras' parents very hands off? Yes. Davenport's, too, I thought, for the most part. Share Share this post on Digg Del.icio.us Technorati Twitter
	Quote

02-06-2009, 11:46 PM	#6
abossakon Join Date Oct 2005 Posts 540 Senior Member	I don't think that "ugly truth" is true at all. There have been plenty of American tennis champions and tennis champions in general with perfectly "hinged" parents. Share Share this post on Digg Del.icio.us Technorati Twitter
	Quote

02-06-2009, 11:49 PM	#7
nancywind Join Date Oct 2005 Posts 545 Senior Member	I don't think that "ugly truth" is true at all. There have been plenty of American tennis champions and tennis champions in general with perfectly "hinged" parents. Makes for a better story I suppose. Share Share this post on Digg Del.icio.us Technorati Twitter
	Quote

02-06-2009, 11:56 PM	#8
Ikhqgvas Join Date Nov 2005 Posts 496 Senior Member	Yes. Davenport's, too, I thought, for the most part. I don't know the details. But I would assume the parents still pushed their child at the early stages to at least play and they would fund the lessons. The important thing is they let go of their child and let real teaching pros take over the tennis, while still looking out for their child and supporting him/her. Share Share this post on Digg Del.icio.us Technorati Twitter
	Quote

02-07-2009, 12:09 AM	#9
freddystone Join Date Oct 2005 Posts 652 Senior Member	Yes. Davenport's, too, I thought, for the most part. Lindsay's father is so hands off that I wouldn't even recognize him if I ran into him in a pub. But I'd ask Lindsay's mom for a bump-and-grind dance if I ran into her in a pub! Share Share this post on Digg Del.icio.us Technorati Twitter
	Quote

02-07-2009, 01:01 AM	#10
Gooracouppy Join Date Oct 2005 Posts 443 Senior Member	I thought they just needed really loud, persistent fans Share Share this post on Digg Del.icio.us Technorati Twitter
	Quote

02-07-2009, 02:42 AM	#11
Penisvergroesserung Join Date Oct 2005 Posts 610 Senior Member	Capriati's parents weren't too swift, nor does it seem that Donald Young's parents can hear anyone but themselves. Bernie Tonic's father seems to be a bit of a tool also. WS parents appear to have done a good job as well as Monica's dad. Melanie Molitor did fine with her little Martina, but who was that girl that was pummeled by her father at La Costa? Share Share this post on Digg Del.icio.us Technorati Twitter
	Quote

02-07-2009, 03:03 AM	#12
hacyOrgachbic Join Date Oct 2005 Posts 588 Senior Member	I'm teaching Bella to play tennis. She absolutely LOVES it! And she loves to run around the court smacking the ball with her hands, and playing with her racket and such. If I every get crazy....someone from TAT smack me! I want her to love it and play it and be competitive....but at the end of the day...it's got to be HER commitment if she wants to keep playing. And now...she's ready for bed Share Share this post on Digg Del.icio.us Technorati Twitter
	Quote

02-07-2009, 03:09 AM	#13
nancywind Join Date Oct 2005 Posts 545 Senior Member	What about the dad who jammed an ear piece in his 10 year old daughters ear to coach her? She's gonna be a star. Share Share this post on Digg Del.icio.us Technorati Twitter
	Quote

02-07-2009, 03:33 AM	#14
P1international Join Date Oct 2005 Posts 643 Senior Member	If I every get crazy.... Uh... Share Share this post on Digg Del.icio.us Technorati Twitter
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02-07-2009, 03:48 AM	#15
freddystone Join Date Oct 2005 Posts 652 Senior Member	I'm teaching Bella to play tennis. She absolutely LOVES it! And she loves to run around the court smacking the ball with her hands, and playing with her racket and such. If I every get crazy....someone from TAT smack me! I want her to love it and play it and be competitive....but at the end of the day...it's got to be HER commitment if she wants to keep playing. And now...she's ready for bed Well, then, she's obviously not committed. Keep her up for 24 hours! Schedule the test for the Evert Academy! What kind of tennis parent are you??? Share Share this post on Digg Del.icio.us Technorati Twitter
	Quote

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02-07-2009, 03:57 AM	#16
TheBest-Host Join Date Oct 2005 Posts 463 Senior Member	Capriati's parents weren't too swift, nor does it seem that Donald Young's parents can hear anyone but themselves. Bernie Tonic's father seems to be a bit of a tool also. WS parents appear to have done a good job as well as Monica's dad. Melanie Molitor did fine with her little Martina, but who was that girl that was pummeled by her father at La Costa? Linetskaya. She was like 35 in the world at the time. I don't think she plays now. Share Share this post on Digg Del.icio.us Technorati Twitter
	Quote

03-06-2009, 01:57 PM	#17
hacyOrgachbic Join Date Oct 2005 Posts 588 Senior Member	Well, then, she's obviously not committed. Keep her up for 24 hours! Schedule the test for the Evert Academy! What kind of tennis parent are you??? LOL! You talk about crazy parents? How about...crazy fans! For now.....she exercises SO great! And she has so much fun...that is all I want to do right now is let her learn to love tennis and give her a desire to want to be out on the court. You should see her hit the tennis ball! Share Share this post on Digg Del.icio.us Technorati Twitter
	Quote

03-06-2009, 06:05 PM	#18
EarnestKS Join Date Oct 2005 Posts 525 Senior Member	Linetskaya. She was like 35 in the world at the time. I don't think she plays now. I forgot about that. Very sad. WTA website says she fell in qualifying at Hobart and AO. Share Share this post on Digg Del.icio.us Technorati Twitter
	Quote

03-06-2009, 07:36 PM	#19
slarceSelia Join Date Oct 2005 Posts 508 Senior Member	Crazy parents are not required, but very dedicated ones who would be willing (and able) to sacrifice a lot of time and money are essential. Share Share this post on Digg Del.icio.us Technorati Twitter
	Quote

03-06-2009, 07:57 PM	#20
TheBest-Host Join Date Oct 2005 Posts 463 Senior Member	I forgot about that. Very sad. WTA website says she fell in qualifying at Hobart and AO. And unfortunately, they are talking about 2008, not 2009. Her activity ends there. Share Share this post on Digg Del.icio.us Technorati Twitter
	Quote