Some kids come alive on match day. They fight, they focus, they thrive under pressure. But on a regular weekday practice? Not the same story. You see them zoning out, going through the motions, waiting for the drill to end. It’s not that they don’t care, it’s just that the energy is different.
And it’s tempting to shrug it off. Maybe even tell yourself, “Well, at least they show up when it matters.” But here’s the thing: what we call “clutch” on match day usually comes from habits built long before the tournament starts. If practice feels disconnected from the reality of competition, we’re missing the chance to help them grow where it matters most.
Because match play doesn’t reward textbook technique. It rewards players who can adapt. Who can solve problems on the fly. Who can think clearly when their heart rate is up and the outcome is on the line. Those aren’t just match-day skills. They are trained. They come from practices that actually ask kids to engage, to decide, to adjust.
The real challenge isn’t getting young players to “try harder” in practice. It’s creating practice that pulls them in. That feels like the game. That lights up the same parts of their brain that switch on during competition.
That might mean turning a routine drill into a game. It might mean giving them a constraint that forces creativity. It might mean asking a better question instead of giving the answer. And yes, it means letting them fail sometimes. Letting them experiment. Letting them discover their own way through the problem.
Because the more we let kids take ownership of the practice floor, the more likely they are to take ownership of the match court.
So if your kid plays inspired tennis during matches but tunes out in training, don’t just push them harder. Ask what the practice is missing. Is it too predictable? Too removed from the actual game? Too focused on perfection and not enough on purpose?
If we want players who are ready for pressure, we need practice that reflects it. Not just in intensity, but in uncertainty. In challenge. In freedom.
Because that’s where the good stuff happens. That’s where the learning sticks. And that’s how young players grow into competitors who don’t just show up when it matters. They’re ready, because they’ve practiced like it matters all along.
