24 Life Lessons from Teaching Tennis to My Kids

1. Want to get good at something? Teach it. I’ve had to learn the intricate details of almost everything I do on the court, just so I can pass that knowledge to my kids. In the process, I’ve become a much better player than I ever was.

2. Success — and failure — begins in the mind. Henry Ford said, “Whether you think you can or think you cannot, you’re right.” For years, Roger Federer ruled men’s tennis. He stepped onto the court supreme in his belief that he could beat anyone. On the other side of the net, most opponents believed they had no shot — and the results followed. Then a precocious 22-year-old named Novak Djokovic declared he could take down the king. He lost that match in straight sets. But not long after, Novak proved he can beat anyone.

3. Have undying faith in the skills you possess. As Morpheus tells Neo in The Matrix: “Don’t think you are. Know you are.”

4. Practice the power of now. Forget the past, but file away its lessons. Deal with the future when it arrives — in the present — armed with what you’ve learned. But live this moment, right now, to its fullest.

5. Success is a lousy teacher. It tells you everything is fine and lulls you into a false sense of security. Failure, on the other hand, tells you exactly what you need to hear.

6. Success is mostly about preparation. How well you prepare, and how ready you are when the moment comes. Some call it luck.

7. Get out of your comfort zone. Want to be great at what you love? You’ve got to do what you hate. Learn to endure what’s uncomfortable. Want to be better on the court? Work harder off of it.

8. Frustration solves nothing. On the contrary, it clouds your judgment. Take a few deep breaths. Let your mind and body relax so you can troubleshoot the problem at hand.

9. Practice doesn’t make perfect — it makes permanent. Build good muscle memory, not bad habits you’ll have to unlearn and relearn.

10. Perfection is the enemy of greatness. By all means, strive for perfection — but be prepared to settle for less. Sometimes a whole lot less. The pursuit of 100% perfection is futile and leads only to 0% success.

11. Be a problem solver. Make the effort to win with what works, rather than dwell on — and lose with — what doesn’t.

12. If you want something, go get it. Don’t wait for it to come to you. Play the ball. Don’t let it play you.

13. Life, like tennis, is a marathon. Not a sprint. Pace yourself. It’s about getting there.

14. Speak softly, but carry a big stick. Let your tennis do the talking. There’s a thin line between confidence and arrogance. It’s called humility.

15. Set goals so you know your destination. Small, medium, and large. Short-term, mid-term, and long. Life, like tennis, is about working toward hitting them.

16. Visualize what you want to see in your reality. See it in your mind’s eye, and you’ll make it happen — because you’ve already been there.

17. Giving up is easy. Forgiving yourself for giving up never is. Don’t put yourself in a position where you have to.

18. It’s good to be important, but it’s more important to be good. That said — on the court, show no mercy. When your opponent is down, keep him down.

19. No matter how you do in tennis or in life, your family loves you for who you are. Not for how you play.

20. Don’t compare yourself to anyone else. Work to be a better version of yourself today than you were yesterday. Life, like tennis, is about incremental improvement — daily.

21. Variety is the spice of life — and tennis. Learn new skills every chance you get. Give yourself better options and better odds.

22. Stay classy. Revel in your success, but be gracious whether you win or lose. People may forget you, but they’ll always remember how you made them feel.

23. Let another’s success inspire you. Not breed envy or resentment. If someone is more successful than you, know that they likely worked hard for it.

24. Never tell your kids what they should be passionate about. It’s never about you.