As the father of a 16-year-old daughter who has been part of the Player Journey program for three years, I had clear expectations from the start.
My hope was that my daughter would learn to cope better in the real world, build resilience, enjoy sport, and find in tennis an important balance to the demanding school routine at the cantonal school.
At the beginning there was some uncertainty — especially around how roles between tennis or life coach and father could be clearly separated. But tennis proves to be a particularly valuable teacher in this regard. On court you have to take responsibility early, cannot look for excuses, and learn to deal with your own emotions such as anger or fear.
In recent years our daughter has developed noticeably more self-confidence and fighting spirit — not only in tennis but also at school and in her private life. Step by step she is beginning to understand that defeats are not only inevitable but also necessary to make mental and physical progress.
Despite competitive pressure, her enthusiasm for the sport has remained. The system — with the coach, his technological tools and the holistic approach — supports not only the development of players but also helps parents accompany their children on this path.
The future will be exciting and intense either way. As Winston Churchill said: "Success is walking from failure to failure with no loss of enthusiasm."