A Coach's Diary

“I feel like I play better when I'm calm. There is an inner peace I can tap into sometimes during my matches.” - Naomi Osaka Do you know how to stay calm in the face of pressure? One of the most important things that I have learned is how to stay calm in big moments. When I look at the best coaches and athletes, they seem to have a balance between fiery competitors and calm and present when it matters most. They are able to find and use the right energy at the right time. Tennis star Naomi Osaka is a good example of this. Naomi is the first Asian player to hold the number one ranking in women’s tennis, and after winning a major tournament victory, she started displaying visible signs of intense irritation, frustration, and anger that hurt her performance. Naomi worked on managing her emotions, and her increased focus led her to more victories. After winning the Australian Open, Naomi said, “During the US Open, I didn’t show any emotions most of the time. But then after that, I...

"Every search begins with beginner's luck. And every search ends with the victor's being severely tested." - Paulo Coelho When I graduated college, I was one of those people who vowed never to read another book until I found The Alchemist, the story about how Santiago, a young Andalusian shepherd boy embarks on a journey to the Egyptian pyramids to fulfill a recurring dream of finding treasure, where he learns to listen to his heart and discover the true meaning of life. This quote reminds us that while our journey might start on the right foot with Beginner’s Luck , true success often requires overcoming The Victor’s Test : a significant challenge that demands resilience, perseverance, and the ability to adapt to unforeseen obstacles. The rise of Naomi Osaka in tennis perfectly illustrates Coelho's words. She burst onto the scene with an almost perfect blend of power and grace, seemingly effortlessly winning Grand Slam titles. This 'beginner's luck' q...

In the past few months, we have seen 3 of the world's best athletes have to miss some of the biggest events in their sports because of mental health issues. Sha'carri Richardson, Naomi Osaka, and Simone Biles have all missed major events in their sports because of mental health issues.  Sha'carri Richardson used marijuana to deal with the pain of losing her mother during the Olympic trials. Richardson said that she smoked marijuana as a coping mechanism after a reporter - who she described as a complete stranger - told her that her biological mother had died. Naomi Osaka said that she needed to miss French Open press conferences to take care of herself mentally and to exercise self-care and preservation of her mental health. She received a world of backlash, and support, for her decision. Simone Biles is considered to be the greatest gymnast of all time, and she made the stunning decision to withdraw from the Olympics, acknowledging the tremendous pressure she had been faci...