Parentingaces - The Junior Tennis And College Tennis Podcast

Withdrawal from the backdraw of our biggest national tournaments has reached a ridiculous level. At last week's Kalamazoo Tournament (Boys 16s & 18s National Hardcourts), backdraw walkovers were at 16.89% up from 5.88% only fifteen years ago.  Why are so many players pulling out once they lose in the main draw? What can coaches and parents do about it? What SHOULD coaches and parents do about it? That's the topic of this week's conversation with coach Marc Lucero. He feels very passionately about this issue and shares his thoughts on the reasons behind all the withdrawals and what can be done to curb the trend. After recording, I received a request via email from a parent: "Please discuss the summer schedule which contributes to fatigue and injuries. There are too many high level events too close together in my opinion." Marc's response: "I think it’s a valid concern. However I think it’s less to do with the schedule than the feeling that you need to play everything on the schedule, if that makes sense.