Elijah would have played his first BIG tennis tournament in Houston this weekend but he had been sick all week and had to miss it. I volunteered to help umpire and monitor some of the matches. There was some amazing tennis talent in the 10 and under groups. Many of the children were 7 years old like Elijah.
I asked one young competitor how old he was and he told me: "...7, but I have been playing tennis since I was 2..." He was pretty good for seven years old.
Over all, the10 and under tournament went very well. There were no incidents involving parents that I observed. And only one match I officiated ended up with a little boy crying because he lost. That is my biggest concern with Elijah and other young people who compete 'seriously' in sports at a very young age.
Elijah is an amazing kid. He's already developed pretty good tennis strokes at his tender age, but I have concerns about how well he will 'compete' and interact with other kids on the field of competition. I have never tried to be too 'pushy' a tennis parent. And I never emphasize winning but always stress the most important thing is to give 100 % effort and the winning will take care of itself.
My son is very naturally competitive, and I want him to develop a healthy respect for competition, especially displaying a keen respect for those he is competing against.
Tennis can be a great vehicle for teaching many life skills: especially how to interact with others. It can teach the importance of honesty and integrity with regard to keeping score and making line calls. It teaches problem solving.
I am looking forward to Elijah's next opportunity to play!
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