Interview With The World-Class Sports Performance Specialist Allistair McCaw

Read this very interesting and useful interview with one of the most successful sports performance specialist Allistair McCaw.

You grew up in South Africa. What were some of the most memorable events of your childhood?

The disciplined schooling system with the emphasis on sport and being active. Growing up in tougher conditions, living through the apartheid regime and then seeing the transformation with Nelson Mandela being released, a day I will never forget.

Why did you decide to move to the US; to live and work here?

I wanted to be closer to the athletes, I love the positivity here and great weather for living and training in!

How did you meet your first client who was a top tennis player?

I actually grew up with him, we weren’t ‘friends’ but he was the top kid in our age group growing up in South Africa in Tennis, Neville Godwin. He always was the best growing up in the boys under 12,14,16’s. He went onto reaching top 70 in the world  and winning ATP Newport Hall of fame.

You wrote on your Facebook Page recently “…what Federer needs right now is more physical than technical or tactical”. How would you approach his training if you became Federer’s fitness coach?

Movement is the thing that slows down with age, not just because of the wear and tear, but range of motion  flexibility decreases too. Good movement is reliant on good hip mobility and overall flexibility. If I was to train Roger I’d work on his movement and footwork, that was always his key strength.

Is Roger Federer still capable of returning to the top and winning another Grand Slam?

Yes, I think 2014 will be very interesting. I believe he is still in that ‘top 4 group’. Also watching him play in Brisbane first week of January, he was more aggressive and explosive. A big credit to his team, especially his fitness trainer Pierre Paganini.

You have trained many top tennis players, including former #1 Dinara Safina and #2 Svetlana Kuznetsova. What is it like to work with elite players?

It’s very rewarding. Luckily they are both fun great girls! But each player is totally different. No one is the same and not one shoe fits all. Dinara and Svetlana are also very different people. You have to approach each person differently.

There are literally hundreds of tennis academies in the US. But only a few good world class juniors are developed at these academies. Why do you think that is?

Well, first thing is that academies don’t make players, the players themselves are responsible for the everyday commitment and dedication. Tennis academies do help and are necessary in my opinion to develop the players game, match play and competitive environment. Everyone takes a different road.

Can the USTA Player Development program produce the next Sampras or Agassi?

The Sampras’s, Agassi’s and Federer’s for that matter are all special players. At this moment, I’m not sure, but I do think the USTA has a successful depth in their program. I think especially with their girls (8 or 10 i think in top 100).

What are the main reasons for the loss of dominance of US tennis players on the world stage?

The game is more global than ever. Also, the U.S. is not the place that players are flocking too like in the in 80’s or 90’s. There are some great tennis academies and coaches in Europe like Spain and France.

Many tennis academies offer 25 hours of tennis and fitness a week, plus players spend the weekend competing in tournaments. What do you think about this schedule for 12-16 year-olds?

Far too much. You will get more quality and productivity from 15 hours from these kids than 25.
The problem is that a lot of kids are just plain tired, mentally and physically. They are logging hours not quality.

A lot of Academies sell their product saying more is better which is not the case. They are telling parents what they want to hear.

What should be the ratio between the time spent on the court and the time spent on fitness for pro players? What about for juniors?

In the Pro’s it’s actually more about staying loose, healthy and injury free. The Pro game has become more physical than ever so they will spend more time on it.

The juniors, it’s very important to develop a sound foundation of technique first. Also kids need to go through proper stages of development, the fundamentals, learn to train, learn to compete etc..

A kid of 12 shouldn’t be doing more than 12-14 hours a week (combined tennis and other sports/fitness).

What are your tips for young tennis players who dream about a professional career in tennis?

If you really want to get there, you will. Never give up, always believe you can achieve greatness.Make effort, not excuses. Your effort and attitude will determine how far you get.

What can you advise to tennis parents and coaches?

That it’s about the kid, not you. Parents be a parent first. Let the coach, coach. Your job as a parent is to love, support and encourage.

Coaches, know what your players need, don’t let your ego get in the way of finding outside help every now and again.

First and foremost, it should be fun for your kid, No matter what level they play.

Allistair, thank you for the informative answers and good luck with your new champions!

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