Patricia's Blog

I just returned from spending the best 11 days in Orlando, Florida, at the NCAA Championship. Words fail to capture the immense mental strength displayed by these players. Their tenacity knows no bounds. They fought with unwavering determination, not just for victory as a team but also against the...

WHO HERE IS A FAN OF SHORTCUTS? While I don’t believe there is any magic potion you can drink that brings you an abundance of courage, there are strategies that can help you to transform your mindset. And if you really want to level up your playing game then this is a must-watch.If you haven't...

What comes to mind when you think of competition? Winning? Losing? Exciting? Pumped? Nerves? Pressures? Stressed? Some people are super pumped, rising to the occasion and giving all they’ve got on the court with not a sweat to spare. And while others are frozen by it, paralyzed to the core of...

Great news! Thanks to my team's tenacity, they were able to salvage the recording from last week's Meet & Greet. You know when ALL the things go wrong and you suddenly go from calm to stressed in 60 seconds? That was me BUT it is now a thing of the past. And here is the recording. Enjoy....

Are you a high school senior looking to play in a D1 tennis program?Are you stressed because you still haven't received a scholarship proposal?Do you know what it takes to be in a D1 tennis program?Then, this is a must-watch for you. In this video, Mike Patrick, former women's tennis head coach...

Are you feeling frustrated and anxious with this constant resume, pause, resume, pause routine?Do you feel like your kid's tennis is being hijacked by the lack of competition? Do you feel lost in how to keep your players motivated in these uncertain times? You are not alone. In the last several...

To say the pandemic is causing havoc in our lives is obviously an understatement. Everyone is doing their best to cope with the constant changes required to function to the best of their abilities. In the last few months, I've had a lot of people - parents, coaches, players, email and calling for...

When you're in pursuit of your dream and you start off with a great plan and it doesn’t take flight as you’d hoped. It can feel like a punch in the stomach and if you stay in the negative mindset too long, you can quickly spiral out of the game for good. Meet Rebecca Marino. She knows exactly what...

They say you should live a life of no regrets. Please meet the Canadian national champion and third-year student-athlete at the University of Michigan. A must-watch video for parents and players looking to play college tennis. If you have already seen it on my Instagram @patriciahy_, it's worth...

Let's talk about stage fright. The times when you're playing a match, and you're missing everything. Every ball you touched turned to dust. Every swing is either too short or missing by miles. Your legs felt heavy and not getting to the balls as fast you want. And you're going out of your mind OR...

It has been a year that called for resiliency and leaning on each other for emotional support.  Together we will prevail and triumph over these treacherous times. I have exciting plans for 2021 with workshops to help players build their mental strength and  mentoring parents with powerful...

As we enter the holiday season with COVID-19 on our heel, what better time to arm yourselves with some new tools so when this ordeal settles, you are off and running strong. As tennis parents, we all have an idea in our heads about how things are supposed to be, how coaching should look like, how...

Starting today, let go of your obsession with the outcomes and situations. You can't control how your opponents are going to play. You can't control what people think or say. You can't control how people judge you. You can only control what you put in on a consistent basis. I always say use the...

As if there is not already enough tension and stress caused by COVID-19, this happened. I don't know about you, but I am still shocked with the Djokovic incident. My end of the day at the 2020 US Open went from shell shocked to one of disbelief. Seriously people? Big gatherings? Maskless? I hope...

Two cool things and one, well, you decide. Cool thing #1. It's not every day to be able to sit at courtside to watch one of the greats. She is fit, determined, focused, and much more relaxed. Cool thing #2. Had the privilege to work on Live Sports Radio broadcasting former Buckey, JJ Wolf. Last...

Today was the first day that I had the opportunity to walk through the grounds at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. While sitting in on some of the matches at the outside courts I discovered: ✅ Some players feel like they're playing practice matches. ✅ Some players find...

Behind the Scenes Bringing to you an up-close and personal experience from my 12 hour day on Day 4 at the 2020 US Open. Started out the day with Live Sports Radio. My role was to analyze matches in both men and women. Follow by World Feed - TV. Ending the day with taping for podcast. See you...

Just a mere several weeks ago, I was not sure that the US Open would take place. While there are obvious concerns for everyone's health and safety, I can't stress enough how much effort and precautions USTA enforces. There may not be spectators in the stance, yet the tournament lives on. Ralph...

Getting Comfortable with the Uncomfortable Every evening, as a member of the broadcast team, we receive two emails from the broadcast production manager. One email notifying us of our schedule, and the other of the match schedule. Today, I was assigned to my usual post as an analyst for World Feed...

Amid COVID-19, it is understandable that health and safety are at the forefront of everyone's attention. Even without the usual hundreds of thousands of fans roaming the grounds, there are still thousands of bodies on the premises to make the event happen. Here is a glimpse of a daily precaution...

Every day we hear, we see, and reminded of the number of active cases of the Corona Virus. We hear the number of lives lost, the increase of unemployment, and the disruption in sports. Fear, pressure, stress consume us and around us. We know not when this chaos is going to end. Yet, here I am in...

"Do today what others won’t do tomorrow you can do what others can’t.” – Jerry Rice It was 6:30 pm, ready to go home from a long day of work. Every day, I would pass this little girl serving and her dad picking up balls and mom sitting on the courtside watching. It was not your usual helicopter,...

Whether you believe or otherwise, most of you have talents of some kind but often struggle to nurture it to its full potential. My work involves two parts - helping people transform their passion into success. And teaching the 5 Pillars of Success of an ELITE MINDSET - Passion, Obsession,...

In the midst of the pandemic many weeks ago, I decided instead of writing my weekly blog on developing the Elite Mindset to hosting a weekly webinar. There are two skills that I believe hold the utmost importance in transforming a better version of ourselves. One, is the skill to learn and the...

Do you have kids with the aspiration of getting a tennis scholarship to a US university? This can be a tricky topic in itself, especially if your child is an athlete looking to continue their journey into the next phase of their career. This webinar will give you the opportunity to ask every...

Hello tennis enthusiasts, I am really hoping that you are taking advantage of the fantastic insights shared by these amazing elite mindset athletes and coaches. If you had missed my earlier webinar sessions or wanting a refresher please click here. Behind every successful athlete is a supporting...

I speak often of the 5 Pillars of Success of an elite mindset which does not only apply to athletes but to all those who wish to succeed - Passion, Obsession, Resiliency, Accountability, and Attitude. These traits co-exist between coaches and players and the distance that they can take their...

If you are familiar with my work, you know I am all about the elite mindset. It's not just about winning and losing. It is always about getting the most out of yourself. Tennis speaking, building tennis skills is relatively easy comparing to the development of the mental and emotional skills. To...

One of the questions that get circulated and speculated often is whether a champion is born or is learned. While there are contradicting opinions, there lies an undeniable agreement by all regardless of nature or nurture is that of a good ATTITUDE. A positive ATTITUDE. I know that you know having...

Everybody starting out in tennis wants the goods but not everyone is ready to do what it takes. Developing an elite mindset is the most challenging aspect to be a successful performer. The good news is the elite mindset is available to everybody. And the better news is that it can be learned. The...

Just because our lives are put on pause due to COVID-19, doesn't mean that learning is too. Amid all this madness and times of uncertainty, we can allow the situation to bring out the worst in us, or we can adjust and reset our focus and attitude. Let us use this opportunity to better ourselves...

The hours required to chisel raw talents into mastery is a world-known fact. However, the pressure and expectations from the players themselves, from parents and outside factors complicate the development cycle. When they win, they are all smiles and giggles and feel like a million bucks. But when...

At every tournament, the presence of competition brings on a tremendous amount of pressure and tension in players. Some cave in and underperform while others fight fearlessly. So then what causes one to behave one way and the other another way?

It is exhilarating and easy to watch your student-athlete when they are playing well and winning. But what happens when they lose?

Giving one’s best is not about just showing up and clocking in the time. It’s about going beyond and above what’s expected.

Do you sometimes feel uncertain if you're pushing your child too hard or not enough? When your child is injured, do you feel unsure whether to keep them playing or should they take a break? Do you know how to help your child deal with the pressure from competition? Do you feel judged by other...

We want to see our star-athlete fight, compete, give everything they've got, laser-like focus, run down every ball, have fun, win, grow, learn. That would be amazing. I totally get it. Here's the thing though. Are you doing all that too OR are you the "do what I say" model? I know it's not easy...

My commentating experience at the Rogers Cup was as close as being on the court coaching. Having analyzed twenty-four matches over a course of four days solidified three key points for me. Key Point #1: Love what they do For players to have any hope of doing well, they must love what they are...

It is a common courtesy to say "hello" "please" and "thank you." It is so common that it is easily forgotten. But for those who remember, it goes a long way. If you want the coach to feel appreciated for giving their time and effort, say "thank you" after each practice. If you want the coach to go...

Kurume, Japan May 16th with temperature registered at 30º C (86º F) and feels like 38º C (100º F) with humidity and the UV index at 9 out of 11. It's blistering hot. The wind is swirling like a sandstorm making the match more like a survival game than a tennis match. Toppled that with a lot of bad...

Ready, set, go except in a tennis match, it's game, set, and match. There are 56 female competitors in the draw here in Fukuoka with 60 percent of the players from Japan and the remaining 40% from other parts of the world. Yet, only a handful of them plays with an identity. Establishing a strong...

Tennis as we know it is played on four types of surfaces - hard (Australian and US Open), clay (French Open), grass (Wimbledon), and carpet. I am of course generalizing the surfaces here not giving them the justice of their playing characteristics. What if I were to tell you there is a fifth...

It used to be that when people asked how I was doing, I would answer good, great, or having a tough day. Then, I caught myself repeatedly saying I'm super busy; or I need more time in a day; or I'm running around like a chicken without a head. Busy, Busy, Busy. I'm sure you get the idea! With...

No one feels good losing, not a close match, not the opponent played really well today schpiel, and definitely not when losing after a big lead. Lose enough times doubts start moving in and confidence gets shattered. It clouds the mindset and it is difficult to stay positive. When you're around...

Frozen hands, sweaty palms. Butterflies taking up all the space in the stomach, no room for food. Accelerated heart rate pulsating through the clothing. No, I'm not talking about a teenager falling in love. Those were my symptoms. Symptoms that I felt every time before my match during the 18 years...

As parents, we do the best that we can to provide for our child and to shield them from harm. We want the best schools for them. We want the best programs for them. We want the best coach for them. We do absolutely everything we can externally to get our kids ahead. With some parents more...

Keeping teaching simple doesn't mean without quality, without expectations. In fact, it takes a lot of skills to make teaching look simple, to make it look easy. Just as it takes a lot of skills to make tennis look simple, to make it look easy. The timing, the rhythm, the movement, the poise. Take...

As in every sport at any level and at any age, there are peaks and valleys throughout the year. How we come out the other side victoriously largely depends on the determination to self improve and the perception we give it. When performers are at their peak, everything seems to flow effortlessly....

It's time. It's time to start over for you and your tennis superstar. They've worked hard in their preparations during the offseason:   faster fitter stronger bigger serves new skills more aggressive better defense improved on turning defense into offense learned some playing patterns...

As an elite tennis player, you don't really step away from competition for long. But there is something about the beginning of a new year that is exciting and makes us want to reset. To do better. To have a better version of ourselves. Starting from scratch. With the new year underway, it is as...

"Don't worry about winning and losing. Just have fun." -- a parent It is a mantra that is outdated. It is ill-adviced. Or maybe it was meant for the parent's ears, to play the anxiety down a bit. Competition is uncomfortable; it is nerve-wracking for the players and their parents respectively....

There is a notion that if you want to be good at something, to be successful, you look for the best person to work with and that person is usually of an authoritarian position. But is that always true though? Is the best coach always the right coach for your child? Coaches are a dime a dozen in...

Research showed that the most common New Year's resolutions are to exercise more, to make healthier food choices, to lose weight, to save more money, to quit smoking, etc, etc...The desire to make a resolution is with the hope to transition from a bad habit into a positive one. If you have a child...

Like many people, I adore December. It is my favorite time of the year. The anticipation leading up to the big day is exuberating. My mother-in-law's famous pumpkin pie and mince tarts and my favorite holiday foods that taste good to the lips but oh not so good for the hips are worth the pain to...

Here is a quick recap for the last four weeks. Strategy #1: Player Accountability - player's willingness to fight for their rights. Strategy #2: Training Environment - players giving their all day in and day out. Strategy #3: Attitude Is A Skill - players work on building a good attitude. Strategy...

A paradoxical strategy to acquiring success for your child's tennis. After all, isn't it the coach's job to help your child to be the best player he/ she can be? The answer is, it depends. It depends on the strategy how you manage the team. In my opinion, this is how the hierarchy to the success...

One of the questions that get circulated and speculated often is whether a champion is born or is learned. While there are contradicting opinions, there lies an undeniable agreement by all regardless of nature or nurture is a good ATTITUDE. A positive ATTITUDE. Champions understand the importance...

Welcome back! In this post, we will cover Strategy #2 of the 5 Simple Strategies To Get The Most Out of A Coach. Here is a link to Strategy #1 for easy referencing. Tennis by and large is an individual sport. A self-centered sport. A family sport. A sport that is considered by scientists and...

Have you ever had this feeling that your child is not receiving the attention that he/she is not getting in a class or a program? Or that your child constantly complains that coach doesn't care about him/her? Or that the coach only cares about a certain player? OK, I'm not going to lie. Yes,...

“Do today what others won’t so tomorrow you can do what others can’t.” – Jerry Rice We want to provide opportunities for our children. We want to give them the best that money can buy. The best schools to enroll them. The best programs to sign them up. We have to constantly make choices for them....

"The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step." - Lao Tzu When people hear of my name, they naturally associate me with a former professional tennis player.  While that is true for I have been in tennis for almost five decades - geez, that sounds so old, there is a lot to me than just...