3 Tips From Tennis Dad Barry Neale

A few weeks ago we caught up with Ryan Neale, winner of the South Metro Boys Tennis Player of the Year award (see article here). This week, we chatted with his father, Barry Neale, to learn about tips he has for parents of aspiring tennis player.

Ryan cited that Barry is his inspiration and role model. Barry has been a role model to Ryan by teaching him the meaning of hard work. Barry’s first piece of advice for parents of aspiring tennis players is to budget and create a plan to commit to the trainings and practices. Barry explains, “The path to success involves a lot of hard work and commitment. Winning in the 10s, 12s, and 14s is a sign of progress, but the real test is the 18s. The groundwork has to be correct strength, and power comes later.”

Like Ryan, Barry also explains that tennsis is just as much of a mental game as a physical game. Players must prepare themselves mentally, especially as they become more competitive. Barry also says that tennis develops strong minds, and he does believe that this is reflected in the higher grades of tennis athletes.

Hard work pays off! Barry explained that Ryan always dreamed of playing tennis at the college level, and he currently has three offers at D2 universities. HAT programs were able to help Ryan with not only his tennis skills, but also increasing his strength, resilience, and humility. Barry’s greatest piece of advice for players and parents is to set achievable goals, and constantly revise those goals.

Thank you to both Ryan and Barry Neale for taking the time to chat with us! We are so glad that you are a part of our family!