So far, this year has been a slow burner as far as match results are concerned.
played 12 singles (4 matches for 3 different clubs in 3 leagues!!) won 5 lost 7. 41.6% win rate.
This week has been particularly frustrating, played 6 singles, won 1 lost 5. played a couple of stronger players, should have done better.
As far as coaching is concerned, I coach twice a week for 2hrs each session.
No time left to get a coaching session in where I am being coached. This is an issue as I need to be coached!!!
The good side of coaching is some of the juniors are improving pretty quickly, it’s great to see them play and do what I would like to do myself!! Move properly, play consistently!!! technique is improving on a weekly basis!!
When I am coaching it’s usually with beginner level juniors, and when I do get paired with some good players (usually the 2nd hour of the session is more for ‘better’ players) I’m feeding or blocking mainly!!!
This can have a negative effect on match play, as you can go into ‘coach’ mode and play passively, blocking when you should be looping and attacking!!! Then when you do get in offensive mode you’re not sharp!!
Last year I made a point of getting in some coaching sessions with Tom Lodziak, this really helped and match performance was improving until injury struck, when you‘re getting on age wise (I’m 56yrs old) you still think you are 18!!! I was playing too much, on average per week, 2 (or 3) matches 2 coaching sessions, and every other week a 2hr session being coached by Tom. It was too much and a knee injury kept me out for 6 months
This season I tried to only play for 2 clubs and then limiting the number of matches per week. This didn’t go to plan!!! Other players dropping out and reducing the numbers of players available and since COVID there has generally been a drop in the numbers of people playing, this has meant some clubs have been struggling to get teams out.
So I ended up playing for 3 clubs, but I have managed things better, during the coaching sessions if my knees were feeling dodgy, I would stop feeding, and just watch and coach. Pick and choose matches, trying to avoid back to back matches and stressing the knees.
So far so good. The knees are holding up!! (Touch wood!!!)