Overbearing parents killing kids’ spirit, says former tennis ace Ferreira
Ferreira enjoys the rare distinction of World Top 10 berths in both singles and doubles. As a junior, he also accomplished that feat although he fared marginally better because at one time he was the world’s No 1 doubles player.
Since his retirement in 2005, the US-based Ferreira has maintained a connection with tennis on several fronts. He has served in various capacities at US academies. He has also assisted touring pros like Croatian Marin Cilic (a former world No 3) and American Frances Tiafoe.
Nothing has brought him closer to grassroots tennis than travelling with his son Marcus to tournaments in the US and abroad. It has opened a facet of tennis development which may well have been lost on Ferreira.
“You see so many overbearing parents out there at tournaments,” said Ferreira who was interviewed by Marcos Ondruska, the SA Davis Cup captain. Ondruska is interviewing several “big-hitters” who have made a mark on SA tennis. The interviews will be freely available on the internet.
Ondruska feels this information will be valuable for the development of tennis talent worldwide.
“Many parents ask advice, and this has caused me to think about my early life,” Ferreira said.
“My experience was very different. My parents enjoyed watching me play and were supportive.
“There wouldn’t be a problem if I wanted to quit tennis. I didn’t experience that pressure. My parents knew that I loved tennis.”
Ferreira said mental strength was a crucial area of a player’s development and should not be neglected.
“I had on occasions felt that I lost to players who I should have beaten and this (is) something I became aware of much later in my career,” said Ferreira.
“Often I would take the first set easily and then I became bored. I would lose interest and then sometimes didn’t recover sufficiently to win the match.
“During the time that I’ve been at tournaments to watch my son I can see that the mental side of things is the biggest problem.
“I see many kids improving, but at (an) early age they need help so that this component is fully addressed if they want to be successful later.
“In my senior career, I often came from behind to win because of my belief and the will to win.”
There is also the matter of exposing young players to a core group of talented players to stimulate the desire to improve.
@Herman_Gibbs