CIT Weekly Tennis Tip by Doug Kegerreis, CIT President

This week's tip will focus on Thomas Nolan's great run to the VHSL state high school singles championship.  Thomas Nolan, #1 player from Chantilly High School, overcame first-set deficits in each of his three wins at the state tournament.  I was privledged to have the opportunity to coach him during his run to the title, and was allowed to coach him during the changeovers throughout the tournament.

Thomas's game plan:  Thomas is truly an all-court player.  That means he is comfortable rallying from the baseline and also comfortable taking weak balls when given the opportunity and transitioning to the net to finish the point.  His basic strategy is to hit aggressive, but high-percentage balls from the baseline leaving margin for error both over the net and inside the lines to allow for consistency.  While doing this, Thomas is looking for openings to hit a winner or a near winner when the opportunity presents itself.  Thomas has a tendency to be impatient with his "rally ball".   That is, sometimes he tries to force the action early in the rally before really agressive opportunities present themselves.

Thomas's injury changes the game plan: Thomas's lower back tightened up early in the first set of his first match.  He called for a trainer, had his back stretched out, and took some anti-inflammatory medication.   We hoped his back would respond, or else his run for the title would come to an early end.  This situation completely changed his game plan.  He could not afford to be put on the run as his movement was severely limited.    Therefore, we decided that he would need to stand on or inside the baseline taking balls early.  This would allow him to dictate the points, and cut off wider angles in which his opponent could get him moving.  He would also need to take a few more chances in the rallies, going for more aggressive shots earlier in the rally to insure that his opponent, and not him, would be on the run.  This is exactly what I usually try to convince Thomas NOT TO DO, however, given these circumstances, there was no other choice.  Fortunately, Thomas was able to execute the game plan and win the second set.  By the third set, his back was feeling better, he was moving better, and he could be more patient with his rallies.  By this time,  his opponent had become frustrated and started making many more errors.  This allowed Thomas to cruise to a three set victory in the quarterfinals.

Mental toughness become a challenge:  Thomas felt a lot better about his chances as he went on the court for his semi-final match.  He dodged a bullet, and his back was feeling better.  However, he was up against a strong opponent who was playing well.  Late in the first set, and early in the second set, Thomas was getting frustrated and it showed.  He was making a lot of discouraging comments about his play, and his confidence level was starting to drop.  During the changeovers, I instructed  Thomas to take care of the things he could control:  competing well.   In a match you can't control how well your opponent is going to play, and you can't always control how well you are going to play, but you can control how well you compete.  That means that you can continue to stay positive and confident and believe that your shots are going to start going in.  It means staying calm, especially between points, by not rushing and taking deep breaths.   Thomas did just that.  In both his semi-final and championship matches he overcame adversity, and inconsistent play, and regained his confidence in the middle of both of his matches to clinch a championship in which he will cherish the rest of his life.