“TRUST YOUR TRAINING” – JTCC’s COACHING PHILOSOPHY

JTCC’s Senior Director of Tennis Vesa Ponkka gives an insight into what is behind the philosophy of “Trust Your Training”:

Since JTCC opened in 1999 it has been our top priority to establish a clear coaching philosophy for our coaches, players and parents to hear and understand. The best coaching philosophies are simple, effective and comprehensive. I strongly believe that JTCC’s philosophy of “Trust Your Training” meets all those criteria. It is also a great reflection of JTCC core values:

1. Energy
2. Trust
3. Teach
4. Care
5. Respect

“Trust Your Training” has evolved over the years as a result of our successes and failures….it has been shaped by past and present JTCC coaches together with input from some of the best minds in the coaching world such as those of our senior advisors, Mats Wilander and Pat Etcheberry.

It is our belief that all successful players need a strong team (coach, player and parents) as a driving force behind them. It is absolutely essential that the team shares the same values and agrees on the coaching philosophy.

In JTCC’s coaching philosophy “Trust” represents unwavering belief, confidence and respect amongst team members.

“Your” represents each players’ specific role, responsibilities, ownership, accountability and independence regarding all aspects of their preparation and training efforts.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1dvKjPzU39o (ESPN – “Catching Kayla”)

“Training” represents our comprehensive plan and mission to create champions on and off the tennis court.

On the court JTCC’s training objectives are to achieve the following:

1. Technically solid
2. Physically ready
3. Mentally tough
4. Emotionally in control

At JTCC we meet our training objectives by believing in long term athletic development stages and executing long term progressive training methods.

The “Trust Your Training” philosophy is also designed to be a strong foundation for success off the tennis court. JTCC players learn to master important life skills such as:

1. Growth mindset
2. Warrior mentality
3. Persistence
4. Problem solving
5. Value of hard work
6. Long term planning and patience

JTCC’s coaching philosophy “Trust Your Training” is summarized beautifully in the poem “I am a player” by hockey great Ken Dryden of the Montreal Canadians:

I am a player

I love to play

I want to win

It matters to me if I win or lose

It matters to me how I play the game

I want to win without injustice or bad luck or regret

I want to own every pleasure and disappointment

I want to get lost in play

I want time not to matter

I want to do something more important than me

I cannot win alone

I need my teammates and my opponents to make me better

I trust, because I have to trust

I forgive, because I need to be forgiven

I play a game, not only a game

I try because that matters to me

I try because it’s more fun that way

I don’t quit because it doesn’t feel good when I do

I play with others, but I play against me               

I learn when I play I play when I learn

I practice because I like to be good

 I try what I’ve never tried before

I fail, to fail smarter

I want to be better than I was yesterday

 

I dream

 I imagine

I feel hard and deep

I hope, because there’s always a way.

 

 Ken Dryden, Montreal Canadians