How to Raise a Champion: 5 Lessons from A Great Tennis Dad
Richard Williams, father to Serena and Venus, outdoes the original tiger parent, Amy Chua.
The bountiful lessons that Richard Williams, father to tennis legends Serena and Venus, imparts in his book, “Black and White: The Way I See It,” are real and inspiring. They show you his great strength of character and effort required to raise not one, but two champions in the family.
For those of us who are not readers, the lessons also appear in the Netflix movie, “King Richard.”
While many of the specific lessons pertain to tennis as a sport, there are broader parenting lessons that can be applied to achievement in academics, sports, and other talents.
While sometimes thought of as a tiger parent, Richard Williams differs from Amy Chua in one key aspect: He did not use emotional manipulation to motivate or coerce his children into tennis practice.
Lesson #1: Be single-minded about the goal
Richard Williams was single-minded in his vision for Serena and Venus: that they would be Grand Slam champions, win Wimbledon and be regarded as the best tennis players in the world. He never wavered in that vision.
He put it right upfront as a shared goal with his children.
Similarly, we can adapt this lesson for your children, be it sports or academics.
Lesson #2: Practise, practise, practise — but make it fun
There is no substitute for hard work, here.
To raise a champion, there is no avoiding hard work. As the saying goes, it requires 10,000 hours of practice to become an expert in a chosen field.
Despite his long work hours as a night security guard and his wife’s even longer hours as a nurse, Richard never flags. He takes his two daughters, Venus and Serena, to tennis practice in the day. He works at night.
Lesson #3: Do not let naysayers stop you
It is easy to be discouraged — by naysayers, by the lack of concrete achievements in the beginning.
Richard had to overcome so many naysayers. A nosy neighbour who called the police on him, for making the girls practise even in the rain, and numerous tennis coaches who refused to take Venus and Serena on, because they had no money.
Violent street gangs who loitered around the public tennis courts they practised at, because Richard could not afford private tennis courts.
Richard let none of these stop him from his faith in the girls, or even to slow him down.
Lesson #4: Do not let burn out derail your efforts
All around him, Richard observed that young tennis stars were burning out from the hectic tournaments circuit. Some were caught taking drugs or failing school.
His solution to potential burnout? He pulled his daughters out of the Juniors Tournament, despite the objections of their coach and the incredulity of the entire tennis community.
His defence? He said that he wanted Venus and Serena to have a childhood, not just play tournaments. He wanted them to be future champions, but also well educated and well rounded girls who could speak multiple languages and attend church.
Lesson #5: Family support is everything
Facing her first major loss after turning pro, Venus had her whole family with her to let her know how good she was, to have played like that against the World No. 1.
Facing setbacks time and again, Richard and his wife ensured a tight knit family group to support and hold up his children.
Conclusion: Reality is complicated
Despite Richard Williams’ complicated personal history (he allegedly fathered 10 children, 5 of whom he abandoned from a previous marriage), his lessons on how to raise champions are instructive.
He knows the grind is necessary to raise successful champions.
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