But this experience is not unique.
An estimated 31 percent of US adults struggle with anxiety disorder at some point in their lives, so why do athletes feel so alone? According to J.D. DeFreese, an exercise and sport science professor at UNC, this is because the experience of anxiety is individualized.
Ryan Seggerman, a graduate student on the UNC men’s tennis team, said the first step in grappling with anxiety in sports is acknowledging that it can’t be avoided.
“I think (anxiety) is just part of sport in general,” Seggerman said. “You get nervous before matches, you get nervous before big moments. It’s almost a fact. You have to be ready to deal with it.”
Anxiety is a battle that is being fought inside the minds of many athletes. Thanks to a growing dialogue about mental health in athletics, athletes are becoming more comfortable sharing their stories and building up one another.
Brian Cernoch, Seggerman’s teammate and a three-time All-American, said that the way in which he deals with anxiety on the court can make or break a match.
“If you come into a match and you just let the anxiety and fear of losing get to you, it’s going to take over,” Cernoch said. “If you can turn your mind to focusing on something else, focusing on your game point by point, eventually it will go away and you’re going to have a much clearer mind when you’re playing.”
For many, anxiety in athletics comes from within, but for others it comes from somewhere else — or perhaps, someone else. DeFreese said external factors like academics, family or other personal issues can affect athletes’ performances.
Anxiety can also stem from a coach.
“Coaches have a lot of actual power and a lot of perceived power over athletes,” DeFreese said. “They get to decide who gets to play. They decide who plays what positions. How they make those decisions, how they communicate those decisions, the degree to which they make the athlete feel meaningful and valued beyond just playing — coaches can do that in the most positive ways, and coaches can make an athlete not feel very valued outside what they do as a performer.”
Sam Paul has been the head coach of UNC’s men’s tennis team for 30 years. He said he must always be mindful of how his words and actions affect the athletes he coaches.
“You, as a coach, can certainly increase anxiety if you’re not aware of what’s happening around you,” Paul said. “But it’s all about communication.”
Communication. That is what it all boils down to. The stigma around anxiety in athletics has made it difficult for athletes at all levels to come forward and communicate the fact that they are struggling.
Since 2020, NCAA student-athlete well-being studies continue to report that mental health concerns are prevalent among collegiate athletes.
MLTC Newsletter 26 April 2023
/in Club News /by RobBadge Round 1 this Saturday
Club Captain’s Report
Week 2 of Badge sees Castle Hill playing Manly in Division 1 Men’s at 2.50PM. Castle Hill has won Division 1 Badge regularly over the last 10 years so a blockbuster match is expected as our Manly Men are determined to defeat Castle Hill on home turf. Extra seating will be provided for the expected big crowd so remember May 6 is the date.
Virginia
www.manlylawn.com.au
MLTC Badge Teams Roster
/in Badge, Club News /by RobKind regards
Julia Gunn
Forster Holiday Village Seniors Tennis Tournament 2023
/in Club News, Foster Seniors /by RobThe 2023 Forster Seniors Tennis Tournament is scheduled for Friday 4th August through to Monday 7th August 2023.
The Entry Form is available on the Forster Tennis Club website ClubSpark / Forster Tennis Club / Seniors Tournament 2023 and on Tennis Seniors NSW website – Seniors Tournaments – Tennis Seniors NSW (tsnsw.com.au)
We look forward to seeing you this year. Come along and play as little or as much as you like over the 4 days – 6 sessions of tennis. There are events for all – singles, doubles, mixed, combined doubles and mixed.
Additional activities over the weekend include:
Entry Forms can be mailed to PO Box 522 Forster NSW 2428 or emailed to [email protected]
Brian Adams
Forster Tennis Club
Seniors Tournament Co-ordinator
Phone 0404955599
Email [email protected]
How Can I Improve My Doubles Play for Badge? | AskThePro
/in Ask the Pro, Club News, Whisperer /by RobThis week’s question comes from a mid level club member. “With Badge about to start, what are some simple strategies I can use to improve my doubles play?”
Overall, the key to successful doubles play is to communicate with your partner, play to your strengths, and be aggressive when the opportunity arises.
Drilling down, here are a few strategies to consider to help you improve your tennis doubles play:
Communicate with your partner: Good communication is essential in doubles. Make sure to talk to your partner before, during, and after the match. Discuss tactics, shots, and weaknesses that you can exploit.
Play to your strengths: In doubles, it is essential to play to your strengths. If you are good at the net, try to play aggressively and move up to the net as much as possible. If you have a strong backhand, use it to keep the ball deep, and either setup your partner and force errors.
Use the lob: The lob is a great shot in doubles, especially if your opponents are playing close to the net. It can be used to push them back and create space for you to hit a winner.
Stay in position: Make sure you and your partner are covering the court properly: particularly the middle of the court which covers 80% of doubles play. Stay in your assigned positions and be ready to move quickly to cover any open spaces. It’s a trap to try to “guard your side line” — which takes you out of the main game!
Watch your opponent’s body language: Pay attention to your opponent’s body language. If they are shifting their weight or preparing to hit a certain shot, you may be able to anticipate their next move and adjust your position accordingly.
Serve and volley: Serving and volleying can be an effective strategy in doubles. It puts pressure on your opponents and can help you win points quickly. And it’s a good surprize tactic if you normally stay on the base line when serving.
Take risks: Don’t be afraid to take risks and go for winners when appropriate. In doubles, the court is smaller, and there is less time to react, so aggressive play can be rewarded. Even so, your primary objective must always be to get into the point!
Good luck in Badge,
Rob Tennis Whisperer
Bathurst Tennis Senior Tournament 28 Apr
/in Club News, Tennis Seniors /by RobBathurst Tennis Centre invites you to register for its upcoming 30+ Seniors NRT6 Tournament. It has 17 synthetic grass courts available for play.
Bathurst is less than 3 hours drive from the centre of Sydney.
Tournament Dates: • Saturday 28th April 2023
• Sunday 29th April 2023
Entries close: Monday 24th April 2023
Contact:
• Andrew Mitton
• 0419 499 467
• [email protected]
“You have to be ready to deal with it”: Combatting Anxiety on the Court | AskThePro
/in Ask the Pro, Club News /by RobBut this experience is not unique.
An estimated 31 percent of US adults struggle with anxiety disorder at some point in their lives, so why do athletes feel so alone? According to J.D. DeFreese, an exercise and sport science professor at UNC, this is because the experience of anxiety is individualized.
Ryan Seggerman, a graduate student on the UNC men’s tennis team, said the first step in grappling with anxiety in sports is acknowledging that it can’t be avoided.
“I think (anxiety) is just part of sport in general,” Seggerman said. “You get nervous before matches, you get nervous before big moments. It’s almost a fact. You have to be ready to deal with it.”
Anxiety is a battle that is being fought inside the minds of many athletes. Thanks to a growing dialogue about mental health in athletics, athletes are becoming more comfortable sharing their stories and building up one another.
Brian Cernoch, Seggerman’s teammate and a three-time All-American, said that the way in which he deals with anxiety on the court can make or break a match.
“If you come into a match and you just let the anxiety and fear of losing get to you, it’s going to take over,” Cernoch said. “If you can turn your mind to focusing on something else, focusing on your game point by point, eventually it will go away and you’re going to have a much clearer mind when you’re playing.”
For many, anxiety in athletics comes from within, but for others it comes from somewhere else — or perhaps, someone else. DeFreese said external factors like academics, family or other personal issues can affect athletes’ performances.
Anxiety can also stem from a coach.
“Coaches have a lot of actual power and a lot of perceived power over athletes,” DeFreese said. “They get to decide who gets to play. They decide who plays what positions. How they make those decisions, how they communicate those decisions, the degree to which they make the athlete feel meaningful and valued beyond just playing — coaches can do that in the most positive ways, and coaches can make an athlete not feel very valued outside what they do as a performer.”
Sam Paul has been the head coach of UNC’s men’s tennis team for 30 years. He said he must always be mindful of how his words and actions affect the athletes he coaches.
“You, as a coach, can certainly increase anxiety if you’re not aware of what’s happening around you,” Paul said. “But it’s all about communication.”
Communication. That is what it all boils down to. The stigma around anxiety in athletics has made it difficult for athletes at all levels to come forward and communicate the fact that they are struggling.
Since 2020, NCAA student-athlete well-being studies continue to report that mental health concerns are prevalent among collegiate athletes.
April 11, 2023
Credit
MLTC Newsletter- 14 April 2023
/in Club News /by RobBefore Badge BBQ – We are postponing the BBQ scheduled for tomorrow to Saturday 22 April.
The BBQ will be after social tennis from around 4.30pm. Any club members that can assist with the BBQ, whether, set up, cooking or clean up would be appreciated. Please let me know if you can help out.
Email [email protected]
Badge
With Badge starting on Saturday 29th April, all badge players should log onto the Match Centre to check updated times and venues changes for matches.
Best wishes,
Virginia
MLTC Secretary
www.manlylawn.com.au
MTC Night Competitions Term 2
/in Tennis Centre /by RobMTC Night Competitions
Entries for Term 2 Close 21 April.
Enrolments are now open online for Term 1 comps.
Night Competitions start:
Reserve players always welcome. For more information, please contact or email Scott.
Sign up on the web links above.
Scott Blackburn
MTC Tennis Director & Head Pro
MTC Ladies Competition Term 2
/in Tennis Centre /by RobMTC Ladies Competition
Entries for Term 2 Close 21 April.
Enrolments are now open online for Friday’s Term 2 comp.
Ladies Competition starts Friday 28 April.
Reserve players always welcome. For more information, please contact or email Scott.
Sign up on the web links above.
Scott Blackburn
MTC Tennis Director & Head Pro
Badge Draws 2023
/in Club News /by RobAs promised, direct links to draws and scores for each Badge division in which Manly teams are playing are hot linked below. Please note you will need to log in using a registered email to see the draws.
Click here for our dedicated Badge draw page.
Cheers Rob
MLTC Newsletter 2 April 2023
/in Club News /by RobCourt Booking Sundays
Just a reminder for members, with Badge getting closer there is a lot of demand for courts on Sundays. If you are playing singles one hour, doubles one and a half hour booking.
Badge Team Bookings
Basil South’s Celebration of Life
Best wishes,
Virginia
MLTC Secretary
www.manlylawn.com.au
3 Ways to Measure How Fit You Are | Tennis4Life
/in Club News, Tennis4Life /by Rob