"No good competitor likes losing, and getting down on yourself is rarely going to help reverse that. But having positive body language just might. Even if you're down, keep your head up, give your opponent a confident look, and always believe that you're still in the match." Chris Evert 
 
The purpose of the Mental Conditioning Department at the ETA is to provide athletes with an opportunity to learn, improve, appreciate and experience the connection between the mental and physical aspects of tennis. The intent is to improve the mental side of tennis so that it can be applied on the court to compete and achieve the goals while exemplifying a positive attitude, determination, desire and solid work ethic. The passion of our students for the game is evident and it is important to ensure that they support each other through competitions and believe in themselves during the experience.

Achievement in sport is not entirely physical, technical or strategic. It is often more mental than anything else. Athletes need to recognize that the mental side of sport is important and they have to practice it. A great number of athletes often say that they don’t know what mental skills are nor how to practice them. Mental conditioning sessions will offer a variety of services such as performance enhancement; mental skills and ability assessment; video analysis, feedback and life instruction, which are offered throughout the year. ETA athletes are constantly challenged to deepen their knowledge in the following areas, dealing with anxiety, dealing with emotions, self-talk, motivation, focus, concentration, attention, attitude, imagery, awareness, confidence, discipline, intensity, goal setting, composure, self esteem, perspective, communication, time-management, developing and maintaining professional relationships and enhancing sport enjoyment. There will also be methods of using these skills both in practice and in matches.