Being a Tennis Parent, Not a Tennis Manager
🎾 Supporting Your Child Without Taking Over Their Journey
As parents, we all want what’s best for our children, especially when we’re investing time, energy, and money into their activities. But in youth tennis, there’s a fine line between being a supportive parent becoming an unintentional “tennis manager.”
At FOFTA, we’ve seen that the most confident, resilient players are those who feel ownership over their tennis journey, not those whose parents try to run every detail of it. Your role is incredibly important—but it’s most powerful when it complements the coach’s work and empowers your child to grow independently.
🧠 The Role of a Supportive Tennis Parent
Your job isn’t to:
- Plan the entire tournament schedule
- Micro-analyze every shot in the car ride home
- Critique their practice intensity
- Pressure them into extra training or early specialization
Your job is to:
- Encourage effort and consistency
- Communicate positively with coaches
- Provide opportunities, not ultimatums
- Celebrate growth, not just outcomes
- Let your child take the lead when they’re ready
📦 What “Managing” Looks Like (and Why It Can Backfire)
You may mean well, but managing can look like:
- Speaking for your child in lessons or tournaments
- Interrupting or correcting the coach
- Scheduling lessons, matches, and practice without your child’s input
- Overloading them with extra private lessons or fitness drills
- Creating tension around performance or comparisons
This often leads to:
- Burnout
- Loss of motivation
- Anxiety around matches or disappointing parents
- A lack of self-drive because someone else is steering the ship
🌱 Letting Your Child Own the Process
Letting go doesn’t mean stepping away—it means stepping back just enough to allow your child to:
- Speak directly with coaches
- Set personal goals with your guidance
- Choose when they want to practice more (or rest)
- Learn from mistakes without instant correction
- Find joy in the game on their terms
🧭 The Best Players Know They’re Supported—Not Controlled
When a child knows that you believe in them regardless of outcome, they’re more likely to take risks, learn from setbacks, and stay committed long-term. That’s the real goal: a motivated, resilient, and self-directed player.
At FOFTA, we’re here to partner with you, not replace you. But we also invite you to trust the process, trust your child’s capacity to grow, and trust the team you’ve chosen to guide them.
“Your child’s tennis journey belongs to them. Your presence, patience, and perspective are the support system they need to thrive on their terms.”