DAY 5 - Part 1

My gut tells me this will be the final day of this journey  but I'm so excited for many other journeys to come. That's why I'm up once again at 4:30am.

Coaching styles is something that is developed over time. Mike K who coaches Duke was mentored by Bobby Knight. Could you have any two different styles of coaching? The reason I bring up coaching styles because many times in life you will be questioned about what you say, when you say it, how you say it and what you mean when you say it. During my coaching career I have always felt my number 1 asset is to take each individual and reach them. That means getting them to get on your page, believing your on the right page and know when we need to turn that page.  Saying this it's very hard to reach certain individuals when there are other factors involved.  Including other voices and outside tips that may not be on your exact page of what you believe in and not just about tennis but about living and morals and values.

When I worked with Jelena when she was young it seemed she always had this God given knack to hitting a very clean ball. Working with her was always more about what do to with that clean ball and how to process what happens when she hits that ball and what happens when that ball is not in play. It seems to me those issues may still be keeping her from reaching her potential, or she may have already reached her potential by getting to  #1 in the world. Jelena to society is the most successful person I have ever been associated with in the field that they are in. In what other career path can you actually say you reached #1.  I know I think I reached that in 2010 in Platform tennis when that was my goal from the beginning when I started that sport. I never reached number 1 but I won the Super Bowl of platform. If you ask any platform player if you have a choice between reaching 1 or winning the Super Bowl I'm sure most would choose the Super Bowl.

The reason I bring up success is because I don't feel you can measure success by just results. Society  makes it this way because in a world with so much information everyone has an opinion and loves for their opinion to be heard and valued.  I was brought up believing I'm only being judged by One and that will be when the time comes. So success to me is not your results in your career path but the way you make that path, the way you travel that path and who is with you on that path, and finally are you carrying the cross while on that path. That is the true meaning of success to me. So in other words I believe I'm very successful despite my recent journey and my results.

I know I said this is the final chapter and it is but just part 1 of it. I have a long journey and path ahead of me to getting home to my family tonight.

Jerry