On Monday, Andre Agassi won under the lights at the U.S. Open. In 1990 a different Andre Agassi lost to Pete Sampras in the U.S. Open Finals. Once Agassi was seen as a gifted under-achiever; now he’s admired as the epitomy of a professional athlete. Substance replaced style and successes replaced failures on the biggest stages as Agassi won the career Grand Slam. Agassi’s career path mirrors the development of many student-athletes as they progress through High School. Often the game is more mental than physical, work ethic can trump raw talent, and consistency is critical. Agassi still possesses tremendous …
Marcos Baghdatis and Andy Roddick
Watching Marcos Baghdatis upset Andy Roddick at the Australian Open, I realised that tennis is a metaphor for other sports. First of all, I share commentator Dick Enberg’s opinion that the reason we all love sports is because anything can happen. Secondly, this match illustrated a bevy of non-sport related fundamentals that are relevant to any athlete or coach What I learnt from Andy Roddick: Roddick’s body language was appalling. He looked like a loser, quibbled with the umpired, and at times did not seem to be in a ready position. There are things you can’t control – the arena …