WHOA Yesterday, I asked a fourth grader what type of math he was doing. He quickly answered, Gifted and talented. I was looking for an answer like multiplication tables. Maybe division or fractions. We use math to teach tennis. For example, if one were to walk straight ahead with three foot strides, the distance from the baseline to the net is thirteen steps. The service box is twenty-one feet. I was wondering, when I told him, if he knew what half way up meant. If the toss goes three feet too high, it is six feet of extra calculation. The understanding of basic math helps. Knowing you are trying to learn tennis basics also helps. It comes back to level. If you dont know where you are, you are lost. You must know you are at point A if you are to find point B. I lived in Texas for ten years. I certainly, for many reasons, like their three level system. Granted there has to be classification for tournament play, but these names are wrong: Regular, Championship, and Super Championship. Ok, the word is fitting for the super Super Bowl. I always had a problem with an eleven-year-old kid walking around asking all other kids in his or her path their level. Yes, I am super. With that, a player new to the game had to say, I am regular. What happened to teaching humility? What happened to teaching perspective? We cannot use the terms beginner and advanced beginner. Honesty is the best policy. I am not teaching math, but I strongly feel that the words gifted and talented should not be used in tennis teaching. I dont think a fourth grader should feel like his are on top of the world. Jim Loehr, Tennis players never arrive, they should always be in transit to a higher level. Steve Smith
Posted on: Sun, 20 Oct 2013 12:37:08 +0000
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