Going Pro: A Tennis Parent's Journey

Tell us about any significant highs and/or lows you experienced along the way?

Liv's win at Wimbledon Juniors was unbelievable.  The stadiums and crowds kept getting larger as she kept winning.  The finals was played in front of I think 10,000 people.  I tried my best to keep tunnel vision and stay steady through the whole tournament for her.  She did an incredible job being focused and not getting caught up in the excitement until the finals was over.  Her coach Phil Dent really helped her with that process.

A low was when she hurt her wrist when she was young. We decided to treat it conservatively and put her in a full cast to make sure it healed 100%.  She was out of tennis for many months and hated it. But taking time off isn’t always a bad thing. 

When did she start training exclusively in tennis?

Liv started tennis at age 5, but continued to play other sports until age 12.  She didn't train as much, play as much, or travel as much as other players similarly situated.  The focus was more on developing her foundation while maintaining her love for the game.  Living in Texas also really helped Liv’s progress as she had easy access to lots of tourneys, world class facilities, good weather as well as great coaching and players. When she was young, Liv particularly loved playing Texas team events and the Texas Grand Slam.  

How many hours did she train?

On average, she trained about as many hours as her age per week.  Example, 10 hours a week when she was 10 years old.  

Liv trained with players of all levels who hit all kinds of balls - still does.  Liv also played in a mix of tourneys - some at her level, some where she was expected to win as the #1 seed and some above her level.  She has also played countless practice sets alone from an early age which allowed her the freedom to learn and try new things. 

What did she do for coaching?

Her personal coach is Phil Dent at Dent Tennis Academy and he is the architect.  She's been with him for 7 years.  Taylor and Jenny Dent have also been amazing to her and are great resources. She has also been very lucky to have been helped by other great coaches, hitting partners and facilities in the Texas community.  The Texas tennis community has been incredibly supportive and amazing. She is very grateful. 

How many tournaments would she play on a monthly basis, or how did you decide which to play?

Tourney play generally increased as she became stronger and older.  As she improved locally, we then signed her for national tourneys. When she started to excel nationally, we then signed her up for junior ITF [tournaments] and ultimately the juniors slams. She never really skipped levels.  

What does it take to go professional?

Hard work, discipline and desire.  Talent alone is not enough.  Having a great coach for the young pro is very important as well.  The player must have an excellent foundation and be as ready as possible for the additional demands. Successes at junior level can be a good indicator but, to me, should only be a factor. College is an incredible avenue to pros as well - but it wasn’t the right fit for Liv. 

How did you balance all of your child's needs - keeping them happy with tennis and avoiding burnout.

I placed a premium on keeping Liv as balanced as possible especially when she was younger.  School is very important to her as well as time with her friends and family. So it's a constant balancing act but she has found a good rhythm with it all.  I tried very hard not to fear giving Liv time off to reset even during the training periods.  I didn’t want tennis to feel like year round marathon training when she was younger.  To me, the journey is way more important than the wins.