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Two sports, one path: The story of a tennis player who found strength in water
This story will interest anyone who:
Is looking for innovative approaches to sports training of young talents
Wants to understand how an unconventional combination of sports can bring exceptional results
Is interested in modern methods of comprehensive development of young athletes
As a swimming coach with an unconventional approach to sports training, I often meet athletes and their parents who feel that the classical training process has its limitations. This article will show you how properly designed swimming training combined with functional preparation can take a young athlete to a completely new level.
When the young tennis player's parents were looking for a different path, I showed them the power of water.
When Hanka's parents, a young tennis player, contacted me, they already had a clear idea of what they expected from our collaboration. Thanks to my training videos, they saw how I work with young athletes to develop their potential.
Hanka was six years old at the time of our first meeting. She already had three years of tennis training behind her, and it was clear that she was extraordinarily gifted in movement. Besides tennis, she was involved in wall climbing, mountain biking, athletics, and had tried various sports activities - this versatility proved to be key to her further development (I write more about this topic in this blog).
What immediately caught my interest as a coach was her unusual combination of qualities: a hunger for new movements, strong internal motivation, discipline, and natural humility. When these characteristics occur together, they create an exceptionally strong foundation for long-term athletic growth and achieving outstanding results. In Hanka, I saw precisely this rare combination which, from my perspective, indicates great potential for her future athletic development. In addition to all this, she has the active support of her parents and their own athletic lifestyle, which provides her with an ideal role model for the future.
And how do Hanka's parents evaluate our joint training efforts so far? Here is their authentic feedback:
"After feeling like we had exhausted all possibilities for further progress in group swimming lessons, we decided to try an individual approach."
"The beginnings weren't completely smooth, as it was first necessary to correct some habits acquired in the group. But very quickly, a great connection developed between Martin and Hanka. Thanks to his expert advice and patience, Hanka started making huge progress. The joy of swimming and sense of achievement quickly became part of every training session."
"Today, she easily masters various swimming styles, and we, as her parents, are incredibly proud of her. Besides improving her swimming skills, Hanka is also developing independence, patience, and self-confidence. We believe these experiences will benefit her not only in the water but also in life."
How we set up the training process
First Year: Surprising Progress
At that time, Hanka had space for one water training session per week, which might seem like a limiting factor. However, what followed exceeded all my expectations. Even with this frequency, within a single year, Hanka mastered the technique of freestyle, backstroke, breaststroke, and challenging coordination exercises like double-arm backstroke.
For comparison - most children need three to five years to reach this level, even with a more intensive training program.
Second Year: Comprehensive Approach to the Training Process
In the second year, we added a second water training session and one dry land training session per week.
Dry land training is not just about stretching and strengthening. I created a unique mix of exercises for Hanka from:
Ball games for coordination development
Dance elements for body work
Selected techniques from martial arts
Athletic exercises
Yoga for flexibility and body awareness
You can find more information about dry land training and more examples in this blog.
In swimming training, we focus in the water on:
Managing the training process based on understanding respiratory system limits
Mastering all swimming strokes with emphasis on technical precision
Special coordination exercises
Training at various intensities to develop both endurance and explosiveness
Exercises focused on shoulder stability and trunk rotation
You can find videos from Hanka's swimming training below. You can also read more about children's swimming training in this blog.
What makes this approach exceptional?
It's a combination of several complementary components:
Individualization
Each exercise is tailored to Hanka's needs as a tennis player. It's not just classical swim training, but a comprehensive development of movement abilities that directly support her tennis performance.
Movement Expression
In elite athletes, we observe an exceptional level of body awareness during movement. In the first phase of the training process, Hanka therefore learns to:
Regulate speed, intensity, and direction of movement
Develop movement imagination
Develop bilateral skills
Build fluidity in body positioning
Perceive the energy demands of exercises
Be aware of fatigue's impact on technique
The development of a diverse range of movements and the speed of their acquisition in the first phase primarily depend on the level of awareness of one's body movement. But how do we develop this awareness in Hanka? The answer is simple - through warm-up exercises. From the first training session, I warm up together with Hanka. This way, we develop her observational ability - she watches my movements and then replicates them with her own body.
As a trainer, I use the warm-up to shape various brain centers. Their mutual cooperation is essential for Hanka to be able to warm up independently, think consciously about movement, and create new movement patterns.
A child's brain learns regardless of the quality of performed movement. This is precisely why it's crucial that children are instructed by individuals who have perfectly mastered a wide spectrum of technically correct movements. It is extremely important that the initial movement transfer when learning a new movement is established correctly in children. Otherwise, it can easily lead to damage to their health and an inability to master technically demanding movement patterns.
In the second phase of the training process, she will learn to understand their interconnections. Through this, I monitor Hanka's ability to think comprehensively about her body's movement, thanks to which she should be able to actively participate in the training process herself and effectively adapt it to current needs.
This ability to observe, imagine, and subsequently execute body movement is not only beneficial for athletic development. Its significance far exceeds the boundaries of sport - for example, it is a key prerequisite for successfully studying physiotherapy abroad and can significantly influence future professional careers.
You can find more about this type of training on the pages:
Sensory Systems
Each sport requires a specific configuration of sensory systems. Within neuroathletic training, we focus on:
The vestibular system for better stabilization
The visual system for precise ball perception
Proprioception for better body position awareness and stability
Mutual communication between all sensory systems
You can find more about this type of training on the page Practical Examples of Functional Training
Mental Development
Exceptional performance requires exceptional mental preparation. We work on:
Increasing concentration
Controlling emotions
Ability to anticipate game situations
Development of "sports intelligence"
Mental resilience to various types of physical fatigue
This approach not only improves sports performance but also supports Hanka's overall healthy development.
You can find more about this type of training on the page Practical Examples of Functional Training.
Prevention and Compensation
Water environment provides ideal conditions for:
Joint relief
Balancing muscle imbalances
Prevention of injuries typical for tennis
Development of symmetrical movement
You can find more about swimming training for children on the page Swimming Training for Children, about compensatory swimming on Compensatory Swimming in Sport, and in this blog.
Results That Speak for Themselves
After a year and a half of collaboration, we observe:
👍 More natural movement expression |
👍 Better trunk rotation, crucial for tennis strokes |
👍 Increased overall endurance |
👍 Improved ability to concentrate and control emotions |
👍 Initial signs of complex thinking about own body movement |
👍 Ability to think about body movement based on experiencing own emotions |
👍 Playing with technique |
Training Records of Hanka's Swimming Preparation
Let's now look at examples of Hanka's swimming skills that demonstrate how she transformed from a beginning swimmer into a young athlete with increasingly better technique...
Technique of freestyle/front crawl swimming:
Video 1: Freestyle - Complete Technique
Hanka demonstrates the freestyle swimming technique in breathing combinations of 2, 3, and 4 beats, as well as with minimal breaths.
Video 2: Freestyle - Breathing
Hanka demonstrates a diverse combination of breathing exercises in motion performed separately, that is, on the left and right side, as well as bilateral breathing.
Video 3: Freestyle - Freestyle Kick
Hanka demonstrates the freestyle kicking technique with increasing levels of technical difficulty.
Video 4: Freestyle - Swimming Aids
Hanka demonstrates freestyle technique using swimming aids such as fins and paddles. While Hanka is able to swim with these aids, she currently cannot utilize their potential to improve her freestyle technique. Her movement expression in the video clearly confirms that she cannot harness the forces generated by the aids. Therefore, the video shows a degradation of swimming technique, which is of course an undesired effect. Hanka must first learn to swim technically correctly without using any aids. Her current level of brain development does not allow her to realize their potential - she must be able to actively control them with a clearly defined goal. Therefore, we will gradually test their application in practice.
Video 5: Freestyle - Coordination Exercises in Side Glide
Hanka demonstrates a diverse combination of movements whose successful mastery requires well-developed mental and physical components. These exercises are extremely challenging for Hanka. She must make correct decisions at the right time while constantly controlling the decrease or loss of air. With increasing difficulty of individual exercises, she must be able to predict how much time (air) she can afford to devote to individual phases. This is both training and development of decision-making ability under pressure or stress, if we can call it that. Simply put, she must complete it in time to be able to surface without losing her body position on the side, that is, while gliding on the surface.
Video 6: Freestyle - Coordination Exercises in Prone Position
Hanka demonstrates a coordinated combination of arm and head (breathing) movements in three variations. In the simple version, this involves isolated arm work followed by head movement. The advanced version requires coordination between arm and head movements. The challenging version includes sequential movement of arms and head.
Video 7: Freestyle - Freestyle-Backstroke Rotations
Hanka demonstrates body position changes with smooth transitions from freestyle technique to backstroke and back. This exercise is designed to test how well Hanka perceives her own body movements and whether she can make advance decisions that allow her to smoothly transition from one technique to another regardless of the rotation side. At the same time, she must correctly gauge the force needed for 180° and 360° rotations. Too little force won't allow her to rotate fully, while too much force can "kick" her out of position.
Swimming Technique - Backstroke:
Video 8: Backstroke - Complete Technique
Hanka demonstrates the backstroke swimming technique, backstroke kicks and arms.
Video 9: Backstroke - Coordination Exercises
Hanka demonstrates a coordinated combination of arm and head movements with varying levels of technical execution. The simple version includes isolated arm movement without head movement. The challenging version includes synchronized movement of arms with head, as well as their counter movement.
Swimming Technique - Breaststroke:
Video 10: Breaststroke - Complete Technique 1st Method
Hanka demonstrates breaststroke technique, isolated arm movement without legs and vice versa, in various breathing combinations both on and under the surface.
Video 11: Breaststroke - Complete Technique 2nd Method
Hanka demonstrates a modification of the breaststroke technique and arm movements in various breathing combinations.
Video 12: Breaststroke - Coordination Exercise 1
Hanka demonstrates breaststroke technique, arm movements without legs and vice versa in a glide position on the surface.
Video 13: Breaststroke - Coordination Exercise 2
Hanka demonstrates breaststroke technique with isolated arm and leg movements at various levels of technical difficulty.
Coordination Exercise - Double-Arm Backstroke:
Video 14: Double-Arm Backstroke
Hanka demonstrates a coordination exercise using breaststroke and backstroke kicks. She also demonstrates isolated arm and leg movements on the surface combined with synchronized head submersion.
Swimming Skills:
Video 15: Swimming Skills
Hanka demonstrates smooth transitions between the different swimming techniques she has mastered so far.
Looking to the Future
Our long-term goal extends beyond conventional sports training. When working with Hanka, we look far beyond the horizon of upcoming competitions or seasons. Our vision is to shape a self-aware athlete who can be her own best coach.
Let's look in detail at the key aspects of this approach:
The Art of Independent Warm-up
It's not just about learning a series of exercises. Hanka is learning to:
Recognize what her body needs on any given day
Adapt warm-up to daily form and type of training
Work with movement dynamics and gradual load increase
Use elements from various sports for comprehensive body activation
Body Signal Awareness
The body constantly sends signals - the art is for Hanka to learn to read them, so she can:
Recognize different types of fatigue (physical vs mental)
Identify optimal state for maximum performance
Perceive subtle differences in movement quality
Intelligent Intensity Management
I'm teaching Hanka to:
Consciously switch between different performance levels
Identify the moment when slowing down is necessary
Mastery of Recovery
The art of recovery is a challenging process and Hanka, though only at its beginning, is learning to master:
Using water environment for active recovery
Breathing exercises for quick recovery
Working with mental fatigue
Proper timing of rest and load
Building an Internal Compass
Perhaps the most important aspect is developing the ability to:
Make independent decisions about training
Trust her own feelings and intuition
Take responsibility for her athletic development
Create her own training strategies
This approach to training young athletes is revolutionary in providing them with tools for lifelong athletic advancement. In Hanka's case, we can already see how she's beginning to naturally apply these principles - for example, when she suggests modifications to water exercises herself or when she intuitively adjusts training intensity according to her current state.
At the same time, the movement diversity that Hanka gains from various sports plays a significant role in preventing technical stagnation. From my own experience, I know that thanks to movements learned from different sports, I always had options to choose from in the process of perfecting certain techniques and never experienced technical stagnation. Hanka is now going through the same journey of discovery.
In practice, this is already manifesting in her spontaneous selection of movements from various swimming techniques, through which she explores their limits. She combines different swimming techniques according to her own preferences and experiments with them - exactly as I intended. What's essential is that Hanka does this of her own will, it fulfills her internally, which indicates a strong motivational impulse. She enjoys playing with her body's movement and exploring its possibilities - I often catch her smiling while doing so. With Hanka, we've managed to connect training with inner satisfaction.
And how Hanka will verify increased movement efficiency in tennis?
Standard Game Conditions:
In a match against a weaker player, when Hanka feels strong confidence in her abilities. These situations present her with a unique opportunity to take risks and experiment with various game factors, especially with her body movement. This type of training helps her discover hidden movement potential and experiment with it to achieve better performance.
Non-Standard Game Conditions:
When playing against a stronger player, Hanka must take risks in a different way - applying new movements that she has only mastered in simulated training conditions.
In these situations, movement diversity plays a dual role:
It allows Hanka to rely on movement preparation, thanks to which she can reverse an unfavorable game situation
It serves as injury prevention - players with good fitness and coordination preparation, developed body awareness, and diverse movement foundation face lower risk of injury than those who cannot control their body well in critical situations
Both types of matches (standard and non-standard) require subsequent analysis, which helps Hanka understand her movement strategy and tactical decisions. This process is key for developing her thinking about her body movement and at the same time for effective management of the training process.
Professional vs Elite Athlete
It is truly fascinating to watch how a seven-year-old child begins to understand their body as a perfect instrument that they can not only use, but also "tune" and "repair". This journey to bodily self-knowledge is long, but it is precisely what distinguishes professional athletes from elite ones.
With proper guidance and quality training conditions, Hanka undoubtedly has great potential to become a successful athlete. The question is, at what level?
Many successful athletes fall into the category of professionals, but only a few individuals manage to achieve elite athlete status.
For each sport, there exists a specific configuration and performance of sensory systems that define elite athlete status. It is precisely the right combination of these systems that allows an athlete to achieve an exceptional state of mind, which gives them a tactical advantage over their opponents. In sports, we call this state the ZONE. It is a specific state of mind where the athlete perceives as if time has slowed down. Sometimes we also encounter the term NIRVANA as an alternative designation for the ZONE. If Hanka can achieve this state, she will gain a significant tactical advantage that will enable her to make more effective decisions during both training and matches. She will perceive events around her as if watching a slow-motion film.
Achievement of this state is conditioned by two main factors:
Genetic predispositions, which are given and currently cannot be changed
Proper development of sensory systems and their specific modulation through training, which will allow Hanka during her development and training to acquire the skills needed to discover the hidden power of the ZONE
I am convinced that working with Hanka during her adolescence will bring many answers. At the same time, I believe that new technologies such as BCI (Brain-Computer Interface) and their use by trainers in practice will help better understand the phenomenon of the ZONE.
Final Reflection: A New Path to Athletic Excellence
Hanka's story opens our eyes to new possibilities in sports preparation for young talents. Let's look at what specifically this approach brings to different groups:
For coaches:
Innovative view of training process periodization
Utilizing the synergistic effect of various sports activities
Opportunity to integrate water environment into preparation of athletes from different disciplines
Practical tools for developing proprioception and coordination
Methods for preventing burnout syndrome in young athletes
For parents:
Safe way to develop young talent without risk of overload
Clear vision of long-term athletic development
Understanding how comprehensive sports preparation works
Tools to support young athletes in home environment
Ways to recognize and prevent overload
For athletes:
Path to gaining competitive advantage without extreme specialization
Methods for better understanding of one's own body
Techniques for improving concentration and mental resilience
Ways to maintain joy in sport even during demanding preparation
Tools for long-term athletic development
Revolution in Sports Preparation
In today's world of sports, where we often encounter too early specialization and performance pressure, my approach represents a revolutionary change.
It's not just about combining two sports - it's about comprehensively understanding how the water environment and functional training can support young athlete development. Using Hanka's example, we see that:
Peak performance can be built gradually and naturally
Diversity in training leads to better results than narrow specialization
Young athletes can take responsibility for their development
Joy of movement and competitive sports are not mutually exclusiveú
Invitation to Change
I invite you on a journey to discover new possibilities in sports preparation:
I offer collaboration to coaches
I offer consultations and guidance to parents
I open doors to innovative training methods for athletes
Hanka's story shows that unconventional paths can lead to exceptional results. As a coach, I believe that the future of sports preparation lies in this kind of comprehensive, individualized approach. It's not just about creating a better tennis player or swimmer. It's about shaping a complex athletic personality with a deep understanding of one's own body and mind. In Hanka's story, we see that this path is not only possible, but also brings joy in movement and natural athletic growth.
Every young athlete has the potential to find their own path to excellence. Our task is to show them the possibilities and guide them on this journey.
If you like my training system, don't hesitate to contact me and book your child for a first trial training session. I look forward to it!
You can also find more information about children's swimming training HERE.