How tennis builds resilience: Tips and reflections

In one of the USTA's recent competitive pathways webinars, various elements of resilience were discussed. Resilience is an important piece of developing a mindset which will nurture a life-long love of tennis. A few reflections from the webinar, which you can watch below, are as follows:

1. Resilience can be defined as the ability to bounce back, and to adapt well to change and/or difficulties. Resilience can be a component of one’s character that is present from birth or can be developed over time. We may not always be resilient yet we can return to being resilient by focusing on self-awareness, mindfulness, self-care and social connection and resources. Over-emphasizing winning and being critical can hinder the development of resilience.
2. Dr. Larry Lauer discussed three pillars and strategies to develop resilience during the webinar. The first pillar is to reframe adverse experiences as opportunities to learn and strengthen the muscle of resilience. The second pillar is to master and apply the skill set related to resilience in adverse situations. The third pillar is to seek out support and a supportive environment in order to develop resilience. 

Having said the above, to assist in understanding resilience, think of a rubber band. Adverse experiences stretch us, like a rubber band. If we do not have adequate resilience and/or coping skills, the rubber band will stretch until it breaks. With adequate resilience and/or coping skills, we can halt the stretching before it becomes overwhelming or too much.

As we are being stretched like a rubber band, we need to practice self-care, such as eating healthy and getting enough restful sleep, in order to be able to bounce back. Look at adversity as an opportunity to strengthen your skills, develop them and bounce back.