The EASI Academy Program is Unique

EASI is not your traditional tennis academy. It is the most technologically advanced academy in existence today and as a result, our training methods will be a totally new experience. The reason for this is that traditional academies often base their instruction on metaphors, templates, rules and indoctrination that dates back to the Stow method of the 1930's. In contrast, EASI is based on the most recent advances in science. However, most parents learned from the Stow method without even knowing it.

An important point is that parents who have learned with the traditional methods, which is everyone not presently in our program, will find their training is at odds with the EASI program; so, in spite of their best intentions to assist their child by providing advice such as "hit the ball harder" or "hit the serve harder" or "jump into the ball", the timing or efficacy of these suggestions will likely run counter to the EASI methods and result in actually setting the child's development back.

We begin with Understanding the Nature of Winning in a Combative Sport

EASI begins with teaching the student the neuropsychology of winning. This does not mean we emphasize winning, or pressure a player to win, but rather we teach them the mental and neuropsychological factors involved in winning. Using this knowledge to win is their choice.

In contrast, other programs begin with stroke development and move on to pattern development. This ignores the fact that there is a dramatic difference between match play and practice. I have heard it said that match play is 85% mental and 15% physical. Not so, it is 100% mental. Every shot a player selects within a match is a mental decision based on their world view. This is, in turn, based on many factors such as culture, self image, attitudes, parental expectations and more. If the player does not understand match play and the nature of wining, their strokes will be useless and their time spent learning strokes and patterns will be time and money wasted. By starting with understanding winning, excellent strokes materialize naturally in the course of development along with the student's ability to use them to win.

The Greatest Challenge a Parent will Face is being Objective

One of the most difficult challenges for every parent, and some coaches, is the feeling of embarrassment if their child loses a match. It is easy to take this personally. Some parents take this so badly that they find themselves very angry at the child. This reaction seems to be common to sports parents generally, no just to tennis parents. The psychology of this process is a bit puzzling in some respects, but since I have experienced it personally, I know just how powerful the embarrassment can be and how it can cloud the judgment of even the most well meaning parent. Parents see their child's performance as a bad reflection on them when the child loses. Some cultures are more extreme than others but the feeling of personal disgrace occurs across every society in varying degrees.

The parent's embarrassment that results from their child's loss is irrational at best. It is, in part, due to the parent being uninformed, but there are other factors. If a child makes 95 on a math test instead of 100, most parents are not usually upset. But if they finish second in a tournament out of 32 players, they can be very upset. Finishing second out of 32 is a grade of 94. Most parents would be satisfied with a lower grade in math, say even 90. 90 on a test is like making the semi final in a tournament. In this case, the child is in the top 4 of their class. But this logic does not seem to carry over to athletic performance.

Each parent must make every effort to remain detached from their child's performance because they really are not qualified to make an evaluation of the factors that lead to a loss. Since all but 1 of the players will lose in every tournament, being prepared to be patient when your child loses is very important.

At EASI we attend our player's tournaments and analyze the factors that lead to their losses so that we can determine the right next step in the player's training. We are happy to discuss these factors with the parents so that they can be a part of the child's development.

Developing a player is a process, their performance in a tournament is only an event. It is an opportunity to determine the next direction of development but does not reflect on the player's progress toward their goals in the absence of an objective evaluation. Embarrassment is not an objective evaluation.

We Educate Parents at No charge

Because our program is so unique, we will train parents to make objective evaluations of their child's progress along with their children's nominal training program -- at no extra cost. The most valuable support system a student can have is an informed parent.

Beware of Misplaced Perfectionism

Since the students that come to EASI are highly motivated, often perfectionists, it is important for each student to learn how to use their natural quest for perfection to their advantage.

Striving for perfection can accelerate your progress or hold you back.The aspect of perfectionism that can hold you back is the most important part to understand.

The most successful scientists, athletes, business men and women have several important traits in common. Striving for perfection is one of them. Another is the understanding of how to use perfection in a positive manner.

If, each time a student misses a ball, or an answer on a test, the student berates themselves or gets mad, they affect the first stage of learning in the brain, and thus, actually diminish their chances of learning efficiently. The effect of self imposed stress is to inhibit memory and diminish the use of the key parts of the brain needed to function at the highest level. Therefore, it is essential to always find the positive in each action and push through perceived mistakes as if they never happened. Just go on and try harder on the next exercise or event.

A positive self image is a key to success and the misuse of perfectionism is a key to diminished accomplishments. Everything we do has the potential to move us forward to a higher level of achievement or to move us backward. Seeing the value in each experience moves us forward toward our goals, and seeing the negative moves us farther from our goals.

Personal Responsibility

It is very important for young players to have duties at home, and if possible, to get involved in a hands on community service project. the sense of personal responsibility that develops from these duties is directly reflected in match play when the going gets tough. In these tough situations, the player with a strong sense of personal responsibility looks to her/himself as the only way to succeed instead of looking at their parents or their coach for help.