It’s tough.
Your child has chosen a tough sport. Not just physically and technically, but tactically and most of all mentally.
It’s tough to watch your child out on the court, on their own. No team to hide behind. No coach for advice. Everyone is watching. You live every ball they hit, every point they win and every bad line call they get. But all you can do is watch, and hope your nod of support or pump of the fist, gives them comfort that you are with them.
You’ll love and you’ll hate the brilliant, fickle, roller coaster nature of the scoring system. How every point can seem to determine a different result. You know it’s not over until the very last ball is played. How the mental and tactical game becomes as tough as the physical and technical. It shatters your nerves, but it fills you with pride.
Match after match they learn, they get mentally stronger. They turn nerves into control, fear into determination, doubt into confidence and disappointment into success.
Remember, Roger Federer, one of the coolest players on the court used to be one of the sorest losers.
No matter what the result, your child has won, because they have had the guts to go out there and compete in one tough sport.