It’s a pleasure to see my players enjoying the game and improving at it. Earlier this year, Sean Oslund, a high school student at Centennial High in Minneapolis, won his 1st USTA junior singles title which is always a major milestone in a player’s career. I met Sean the previous summer when we started to work on his game. We prioritized improving his single-hand backhand, volley technique and serves to prepare him for higher levels of competition. Below is a discussion with Sean after his title victory to gain his thoughts on his experience and progress.
Q and A With Sean:
How does it feel to win your 1st USTA Jr. Title?
It was nice seeing how much I had improved and how that affected my play. It was fun to play matches for a change.
What was your preparation like going into the event?
Lots of practice over this winter and last summer. Sometimes even just going for half an hour and hitting serves. The day of the tournament I ate a good breakfast and stretched before my matches.
What areas of your game do you feel have improved? What has contributed to these improvements?
I have improved my entire game but if I had to pick one it would be my backhand. Consistent practice and coaching tips was a key component in my success.
Before the tournament, we discussed about playing each point as best you can and enjoying the experience. Did this approach help?
Yes this helped a lot. For my first match, I wasn’t playing my best, so for my second match I didn’t think about the outcome and just played. As the matches went on I also felt like I started hitting the ball harder like we do in practice.
How was the experience at the tournament?
It was fun and a great experience learning about how the tournaments worked and what it was like to play in one. It was also great to have a few teammates playing in the same tournament so we could watch and cheer for each other.
What are some learning takeaways from the event?
Sometimes I need to just let go of my thoughts and just play my best. I need to be aware that when I am nervous I start playing faster and need to slow myself down especially when I am serving.
What is next for you in terms of your training and focus?
I need to work on more consistent 2nd serves and figure out the opponent’s strengths and weaknesses.
Wishing Sean Continued Success!
Sean has an exciting road ahead and I look forward to helping him achieve his goals in the game!
Best,
Harsh
