What You Can Do To Improve Tennis' Environment

 

Improving environments are common in society today. Schools have anti-bullying campaigns, smoking in public has been eliminated (remember when planes had smoking sections? Yuk!!), corporal punishment at school and home is now seriously frowned upon, over-the-top Coaching behavior like Woody Hayes and Bobby Knight is no longer tolerated, and the noise pollution of leaf blowers is on a tight leash, with the clank of Pickleball hopefully not far behind.

So, it should come as little surprise that tennis has made strides to improve its environment. Parents must be on their best behavior; the consequences for poor line calling have risen dramatically. Competition formats have eased, with more team events to foster community while shortening matches to enhance players’ overall experience.

As a tennis lifer, I'm constantly hearing about improving the overall competitive tennis environment. I've compiled a short list of things I think every player could do themselves to improve the tennis environment.

Here are ten things a tennis player or parent can do to help improve the competitive tennis environment, making it healthier, more respectful, and growth-oriented for everyone involved:

1. Model Respectful Behavior

Always show respect to opponents, officials, coaches, and other parents—win or lose. This sets a positive tone and teaches good sportsmanship.

2. Emphasize Process Over Outcome

Focus on effort, improvement, and personal growth rather than just winning. Celebrate small victories in attitude, discipline, and consistency.

3. Promote Positive Self-Talk

Encourage players to speak kindly and constructively to themselves, especially during adversity. Parents can model this by how they react to challenging moments.

4. Cheer for Great Play on Both Sides

Applauding strong effort or shot-making from an opponent can normalize mutual respect and reduce hostility.

5. Create a Calm Post-Match Routine

Avoid emotionally charged conversations immediately after matches. Let the player decompress before offering feedback or asking questions.

6. Keep Perspective in Check

Remind each other often that tennis is a long journey—one match doesn’t define a career. This reduces pressure and anxiety in competition.

7. Build Community, Not Rivalry

Encourage friendships with other players and families. Treat competitors as teammates in the broader tennis experience, not enemies.

8. Work on Emotional Intelligence

Help players name and regulate their emotions. Emotional control supports better performance and reduces toxic behaviors on the court.

9. Prioritize Mental Health and Well-Being

Sleep, nutrition, rest, and life balance are critical. Encouraging these creates a culture of care over burnout.

10. Be a Role Model, Not a Coach (Unless You Are One)

Parents should support, not instruct from the sidelines. Trust the coaching process, and make sure your presence reduces stress, not increases it.

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