Two Americans Excel from Nebraska

It seemed like a coincidence that Andy Roddick vs Jack Sock were from the midwest and happened to succeed at becoming tennis professionals.  What are the odds of two kids born in Nebraska growing up to be tennis champions instead of football offensive lineman?  The truth of the matter is that players from the non-tennis hubs of the US are more likely to dream the big dream.  Players in the tennis centers tend to be more "realistic" with their tennis goals, and then they are more likely to not shoot for the top and have the passion it takes to be the best they can be.  When your twelve and your coach is asking you to train 4 hours per day, you better be dreaming the big dream to put the necessary work in to excel in this difficult and competititve game of ours.  Telling a kid to work that hard so he can earn a college scholarship is ridiculous unless he has no financial means to attend college, then 2 hours will be enough to play at a D2, D3 or NAIA school.  Our kids need to try to be amazing with no boundaries set at the top.  Setting a boundary would be like telling a 2nd grader to forget about being a doctor, engineer, lawyer, business CEO, etc.  You would be breaking his spirit.  There are many professionals from tennis hubs, but there also many pros from tennis nowhere that dreamed the dream and ended up making it.  Let's teach all of our kids who love the game and want to take it all the way that they may have a chance anfd let them determine whether that happens or not.       

Spanish Men and Their Success

We don't necessarily need to train like the Spanish. We need to be like the Spanish. The best attribute of the Spanish men-even more than their great athletes and grind harder mentality-is their team spirit in an individual sport. They genuinely rally around each other and help pull each other up. An example explains it all. Nadal was a brash, cocky and amazing young star on the rise 10 years ago. The Spanish players practiced with him, advised him, and brought him into their fold. If Nadal was American I think he would have been put through some very negative pressures by our players for his fist pumps, stare downs, pirate shorts, etc. Without the team support of his countrymen he certainly would not be the gracious, mature champion that he is today. Now we have a budding superstar in our fold. Will we treat him well and help him win majors and push our sport to greater heights, or we will we chastise and ridicule his young, cocky and brash habits and try to keep him from fully realizing his potential. In my opinion only one American male player has a good chance to win a major in the next 5 years and compete at the very top of men's tennis: Jack Sock. How will he be nurtured by the American pros? This may define his ascension and longetivity in our great game.