Why Setting Up Real Victories
You have goals in your sport, like getting a specific ranking in tennis, doing a marathon under a certain time, or finishing your first 100K trail.
You may have personal skills you aim to develop in order to reach those goals, like Confidence to finish the points at the net, strength in your legs, breathing control…
These second sets of goals are the tools to focus on, what I’ve called in my first book Your Real Victories.
Because when you have developed these skills, when you are Confident, when you know your legs will still propulse you at the 40th or 90th K, when your heart beat stays low at 4 games all in the third set and you have a break point…then this accumulation of skills, finally, make you achieve your dearest goals.
And then?
Then you set new goals. New adventures that excite you. New dreams.
Here are my Victories for 2018 and my new Goals for 2019.
2018 Victories
As an athlete, 2018 was mostly focused to develop enough strength so that I can pass my SFG2 (Strong First Gyria level 2) certification. I mostly dedicated my time to press half my body weight, 40KG. I’ve followed one program after another. I’ve polished my technique. Each time I understood more about myself.
It’s been challenging to say the least, and finally the day arrived!
As a coach, my main goal has been to assist Arthur and Melchior, 2 teenagers tennis players who started the ITF Junior Tour. The Real Victories for the former has been to integrate fully the importance of playing his game, no matter when, and to make big improvements in his forehand technique. For the latter, to breathe better in between the points, to improve his strength and power, and to go through a broken foot understanding there are gifts in disguise.
As results, both won their first tournaments, Arthur in single and doubles, Melchior in doubles.
As an author, my victories have been to go through the challenges of editing my latest book. I thought, even though this is not the first one, that the toughest part in publishing a book, was the writing part. Big mistake! And after having edited this new one at least 15 times, finally I had it on Amazon!
As a student, my biggest victories, besides the SFG2, have been to understand (as much as I could!) Pavel Tsatsouline’s teaching about breathing at the Second Wind seminar.
I have then posted a blog post and with videos (like the following one) to explain how to apply my current breathing knowledge to tennis.
Other 2018 Victories and Challenges
As illustrated in this post, victories are made through what we learn and the challenges we dare to face. Here are some of my challenges in 2018:
- the tough decision to leave Marrakech where I was training 2 boys. The setting was perfect. The family lovely. And it just didn’t work out.
- 2 big talks with directors of tennis academies. I thought that maybe some partnership would be possible for the benefit of the player. Absolutely not, at least not with them. Ok. Lesson learned.
- developing my podcast and Youtube channel. I’ve realised that I enjoy to share quality and in depth stuff, rather than quantity. Ok, let’s do this then.
- coaching lots of athletes through my online training. I’ve preferred to keep it as a closed group of chosen athletes for the time being. To gather experience with this way of training.
- I have played only one tennis tournament in 2018. 2019 will be different!
I could continue the list with more intimate challenges that I’ve had in 2018. We all have some. They are here for good reasons. I’ll say they made me stronger and wiser so that i’m ready for…
2019! The Vision
I’m in the midst of planning 2019. What I can say at the moment is that:
- as an athlete, I will continue to integrate StongFirst teaching. Mostly how to better and better use Strong Endurance in tennis (watch out guys!). I will also do my best to pass the SFL (StrongFirst Lifter) certification in Paris in September.
- as a coach, my priority remains to assist Arthur and Melchior improving in their game on the ITF Tour, so that results will follow. Let’s see!
- as a coach also, I attend to give seminars on the topics of Confidence, as well as Strength and relaxation in tennis.
- as an author, I’m seriously thinking to write a first book with my wife. If you follow my blog, you’ll soon realize what this is going to be about.
- as a student, I will learn very soon how to tailor specific programs for reeducation of athletes through movements, with the CAFS method of the Gray Institute. (I’m thinking to learn Russian as well, and I have to admit, I haven’t made the commitment yet!).
- as a teacher, I will finally publish my online training method, so more athletes from anywhere in the world can reach their goals!
I already know some of my challenges, like marketing, organising my time so that all of the above, as well as fun relaxing time, are in the calendar.
As for right now, once I hit the publish button, I’m going to enjoy mountain bike where I live (it just snowed!). Next week Belgium with Melchior.
To all: keep your big dreams and goals.
Know that challenges are here no matter what.
So, let’s enjoy them all!