“It's great to see
so many tools we used written down in this book, a great resource
for anyone pursuing goals."
Pete Sampras
“One of the unique
advantages of working with Paul was the depth of experience he
brought both as a former player and as a coach of great players
such as Pete Sampras and Tim Henman. Everything we did, on and
off the court, had a purpose. We set clear goals and did everything
in our power, collectively, to achieve them. The pursuit was
often difficult, but in the end, when you achieve your goals,
it makes all the hard work pay off..."
Roger Federer
|
Coaching for Life is the
story of a process-oriented journey based on the sport of tennis.
It is the inside story of tennis as applied not only to the great
players of the sport but to the universal techniques that can
be applied to our own day-to-day life.
In whatever we are doing
there is bound to be some element of adversity. Master player
and coach, Paul Annacone - drawing from his lifetime of experience
- teaches us how to cut through the clutter and overcome our
difficulties. Through recollection and anecdote Paul shows how
to plan process, and live in the pure belief of oneself. |
|
How
does the publisher (IRIE BOOKS) describe the
book? |
"Coaching for Life is an
autobiographic journey into the mind and heart of a remarkable
man. In his own well-chosen words Coach Annacone describes his
life as player, coach and friend of many who love and work in
the field of tennis. This exceptional story is full of anecdotes
and exciting passages of dynamic play and deep concentration
from Pete Sampras and Roger Federer, to name only two of the
many intimate portraits revealed here."
|
What
do others say about this book? |
Annacone has a new book out called
Coaching For Life: A Guide to Playing, Thinking and Being the
Best You Can Be. Annacone uses tennis as a metaphor, as well
as a guide, to teach how we can strive toward a goal and overcome
the obstacles. In other words, even if you don’t play tennis
a lot, you can apply these concepts to everyday life.
Brinke at Tennis Identity
"This book was hard to put
down! Paul's philosophies, anecdotes, and wisdom are unparalleled...
If you want a recipe to bring out the best in yourself, this
book is for you!"
Chris Evert
"If I could sum up my time
working with Paul in three words it would be: process not outcome.
He was brilliant at ingraining good habits on the practice court,
emphasizing the need to trust your game and then executing that
plan on the match court - this book goes through the steps to
help you reach your potential and trust your process."
Tim Henman
"Paul Annacone has been
blessed with talent and surrounded by it his entire life. He's
learned superlative lessons from terrific coaches and competitors,
and in this book he passes on to you all that he's admired and
absorbed - as a student, a player, and a world class coach."
Mary Carillo
"What a terrific book! Paul
hits on the key aspects to help anyone set up a plan to reach
their potential. A fun read with great application."
Tracy Austin
"You may come for the stories
of Sampras, Federer and more but you'll also take away the valuable
life lessons Paul shares from his wealth of tennis experience."
Jim Courier
"Any kid who takes his/her
tennis seriously should read this. Same goes for parents too...
something for everyone."
Martina Navratilova
"It's great that Paul is
sharing the experiences from his playing days as well as the
philosophies he used while coaching some of the all-time greats.
This book is a wonderful resource for anyone who wants to reach
their potential, both on and off the tennis court. A must read."
Lindsay Davenport
"Finally a book that is
easy to understand from a former top tennis player and a successful
coach whose incredible knowledge is now out for all to read."
Pat Rafter
In 1995, Paul Annacone quietly
became my coach and the key-sounding partner in a team that would
span seven years and nine Grand Slam titles. It was clear to
me that Paul knew what I was all about. Like me, he embraces
the quiet way. We really click in that way. Paul came to know
me better than anyone else in the game. Paul is not a big rah-rah
guy. He does not throw a bunch of senseless verbiage at you -
so take what he says to heart, as I did. It helped me win a lot
of majors and a lot of tournaments.
Pete Sampras |
|
Paul Annacone is one of
those individuals of whom I am most proud. His book is a "must-read
because it's real. It exposes the real challenges that a youngster
faces as he develops into a responsible adult. But, make no mistake,
this development comes with indecision, fear, failure, disappointment
and ultimately an awakening - the realization that, through all
of these difficulties, you can succeed.
When you read this book
you can see how focus and determination - along with a good team
- can overcome the odds. Paul and his team have always had a
"we can do it" attitude, and his book is not merely
a tutorial on tennis - but rather - through will and sheer determination
- a tutorial on life itself.
Nick Bollettieri |
|
What
did I get out of reading this book? |
I did not know what to expect
from reading Paul's book. The title indicated it wasn't just
another book on tennis techniques and strategies. Too many of
those are out there. Few of them are really designed to help
the average, recreational player get better. So, from that standpoint
I was indeed looking forward to learning what Coaching for
Life was all about.
Annacone says, “Coaching for Life
is not about the sport of tennis as much as it is a process-oriented
journey based on the sport of tennis. It is the life I have lived,
and the front row seat from which I have watched some of the
greatest players compete on the most majestic courts in the world.
But it is also something that can be applied to our own day-to-day
life.”
He doesn't have to go into forehands,
backhands, serves, volleys in his book. The readers know those
basics as much as Sampras, Federer and Henman perfected them.
However, he repeatedly names the most important attributes for
success on and off the court, in tennis and in life: HARD WORK,
DEDICATION, BELIEVE IN YOURSELF. In other words, Annacone uses
tennis to teach us a plan to succeed in life. Live the plan,
stick to the process, and we all can be successful in whatever
we're doing.
"Work
hard, be consistent in your approach, enjoy your life and be
patient. Don't rush, plan well, take care of your body and your
mind"
Roger Federer |
I liked two examples Annacone
cited under HOW TO KEEP A POSITIVE SENSE OF INEVITABILITY. He
explained there is a certain pattern to the champion's way. "No
matter what level they are playing at, they will find a way to
win, a way to move on, a way to get the result they want."
He designates the question how we can translate the will and
the way to win into everyday life as our greatest challenge in
life.
The first example is from his
coaching time with Pete Sampras. After a disastrous clay court
season in 1995 they were both heading to the grass courts of
England and Annacone asked Sampras about his feelings related
to his clay matches and the upcoming grass matches.
A quiet calm
came into his voice when he said, "I think there were a
couple of tough matches during the clay, maybe I was thinking
too much and analyzing a bit too much. But I prepared well and
worked hard so it'll pay off."...
That calm - Pete's
trademark - paid big dividends. Pete went on to win both the
Queen's Club tournament and Wimbledon that year. After the tournament,
when we had a little down time, I asked him about the process...
that spring hadn't gone great, what were his feelings?
Pete said, "Look,
it's pretty simple. When I play well I will win. I'm fortunate
to have enough talent so that when things are good I generally
will win. So, that's easy. But what happens when things don't
go great? That's where I have to just focus and realize, that
if I am there mentally and keep playing each point, I probably
win even if I'm not playing great. I just feel like I'll find
a way - even if my level isn't where I want it."
Here's where I learned my greatest
lesson from Coaching for Life, learning that this positive
sense of inevitability is a choice, a practiced trait. Annacone
writes, "It doesn't just happen. It isn't a stroke of luck,
as people like to say. It's practiced and it's learned.
The second example was Roger
Federer's tough semi-final loss at the 2011 US Open, after holding
two match points. Annacone writes: I remember going back to the hotel with
him afterwards and watching him joyfully playing with his twin
girls on the floor. I was in awe of his transition. He was freely
expressing himself as if he'd never been in that emotional dungeon
of the loss.
That night we
spoke about the loss but we ended up discussing the rest of the
fall season. It was clear in Roger's untroubled voice that the
remainder of the year was a great opportunity. We were both sure
about how to proceed, and what the process would be, but it was
up to him to execute.
Two-and-a-half
months later, Roger finished the season winning 17-straight singles
matches, including two Davis Cup matches, and three tournaments
in succession. Truly a champion's positive sense of inevitability.
Annacone now gives us a recipe
for creating this positive sense of inevitability:
1. Habits.
Reinforce yourself in a positive way!
2. Trust your process.
3. Maintain perspective.
4. Work hard to prepare for adversity.
5. Embrace adversity, don't fear it.
6. Embrace the fact that you are only as good as your average
day's performance. |
As a student of tennis history
I appreciated all those little anecdotes and interesting passages
from Annacone's time on the tour and from his somewhat very deep
and philosophical conversations with the tennis stars he observed
and / or coached. Like, when he encountered 17-year-old Justin
Gimelstob "...curled up in a ball of disappointment after
losing a very tough tennis match at the Easter Bowl." Or,
when he described Ivan Lendl's rigorous and disciplined fitness
routine. Or when he described the "Magicians" and the
"Mechanics" of the game.
I found Coaching for Life
extremely insightful. It gave me insights into the minds of champions
and lessons that I can easily translate for my own life and its
ups and downs and challenges. Nice!
"When
you achieve your goals, it makes all the hard work pay off. Paul
was a master at constructing, managing and executing the process"
Roger Federer |
|
