Your Invincible Summer Awaits

Hello Friends,

Has anything changed in your world? Is everything feeling the same? Are you losing your grip or going strong? Of course, I wish you health and safety in this extended time of uncertainty. Equal to physical health, I hope you are psychologically sound with the reality that this is how it’s going to be until we get a vaccine. To carry on, I carry with me an Albert Camus quote Dr. Jim Loehr referenced in his latest PTR Hour interview, “In the depth of winter I finally learned that within me there lay an invincible summer.”

What does this quote mean? I believe we have to endure the deep, dark winter to unearth the invincible summer. As much as this time is challenging, and stressful in many ways, it is a time of development and learning. This is a process that will produce post-traumatic stress disorders for some and post-traumatic growth for others. Which type of person are you? Sometimes we do not have as much control over the outcome as we do in this instance. This predicament seems to have the perfect challenge to survivability ratio and truly presents an opportunity to turn a negative into a positive. Some of us are at risk but the vast majority of us are not. Most of us just have to stay home, try to stay sharp, and see this as one of the better chances in a lifetime to discover our own personal invincible summer.

As I have discussed in past posts I am using this time away from the courts making instructional videos, writing weekly articles, editing my website, continuing my education as a coach and reaching out to my students. Continuing to be a coach during this time is so important for all coaches. I have been filling much of my time lately with my Master of Tennis Junior Development Certificate program, which is a nationally accredited two-year masters course. Last week’s post about my coaching philosophy was inspired by that coursework. It is very involved and I was overwhelmed by it amidst the pre-pandemic grind, though now I feel it is more within reach – a moment of clarity and fairness in the depth of winter.

I am also applying my newly acquired Netflix binging skills on PTR online webinars and workshops. I completed the USTA SafePlay and NCSI background check program, which is a great program to train and register coaches in one database to reinforce credibility in our profession. Basically, I am becoming a better coach than I was before, and better human being through the knowledge and skills I am absorbing. I am truly grateful for the time I have been given to work on these projects. Not every day is perfect though, I have spent whole days in pajamas and eaten entire pints of ice cream in one sitting too!

In tennis there are five tactics a player can use to defeat their opponent. I would like to conclude today with how these five tactics apply to discovering your own invincible summer.

1. Consistency – Find a routine with bedtime, wake up time, meals, and activities.

2. Placement – Where you hit the ball is far more important than how hard you swing. Place your energies into the right activities and healthy meals that will make you feel better about yourself. Be accurate with the amount of time you devote to each aspect of your schedule.

3. Court Positioning – Where you stand on the court is as important as where you hit the ball. Make sure you take time to recover (put yourself back to the center of the court) after you exert yourself in a strenuous or new activity.

4. Spin – Different types of action on the ball, topspin, flat drive, and slice will throw off your opponent’s rhythm and timing. In this case, have variety to your schedule as the week progresses. Mix it up so you do not get bored or complacent.

5. Power – When firing on all cylinders hit the ball hard – go for it! As you get going with your new pandemic empowerment invincible summer mode, let it fly and keep adding time to the activities you like and keep pushing your productivity to the limit.

As in tennis, there are only a handful of actions and tactics that can be taken to achieve a winning result. It’s simple - know the tools you have and implement them strategically. Good luck out there.

Survival Mechanisms:

Non-Screen Activity: If you are really feeling motivated... micro-clean your appliances with a toothbrush and Q-tip

Epic Walk: Dedham Polo CC or any private golf course though be respectful

Article of the Week: How to write a book: https://www.npr.org/2020/04/27/845797464/if-you’ve-always-wanted-to-write-a-here-s-how

News Video of the Week: https://youtu.be/N6syRt9baBM (Anderson Cooper father)

“Athletic” Competition of the Week: Tennis Pros and Celebs face off in Mario Tennis

https://www.facebook.com/FacebookGaming/videos/stayathomeslam-virtual-all-star-tennis-tournament/222490549205668/

Movie Recommendation: Django Unchained (on Netflix now)

Documentary Recommendation: The Biggest Little Farm

Show Recommendation: Never Have I Ever (randomly narrated by John Mcenroe)

Smoothie Recipe: This is my morning smoothie… I have posted before but here it is again… it’s along the lines of Tim’s swamp juice but maybe not quite as bad!

1 frozen pack acai berry

6 ice cubes

1 celery stalk

1/2 cup baby carrots

1 banana (frozen helps taste)

1.5 cups almond milk

2 tablespoons almond butter

1 small handful of baby spinach (or bok choy)

1 small handful kale (or swiss chard)

3 tablespoons hemp seeds

1 tablespoon of maca powder (or use another superfood such as chia or flax seed)

1 tablespoon vanilla vegetable-based protein powder (optional)

Dinner Recipe: Okay, may have ordered Shake Shack this week… let me know your thoughts in the comments!