Originally Posted by
Bubo
I agree with Robyna that abusive parents are more dangerous than abusive coaches, but I think the most abusive to his/her children are parents who coach them, and who are not tennis coaches.Good examples to illustrate this are Pierce, Dokic, Lucic etc.They made out of their children world class players, and in the process they abused them physically and mentaly.All these fathers on one hand did almost unbelivable - to bring a child to high level of professional level.To do that they had to have positive characteriscs such as:leadership, able to make right decisions, able to take responsibility, persistance, knowledge of basic athletic laws etc.On the other hand they abused their children in the process.We have to be sincere, and say that to bring a child to professional tennis is mentaly and physicaly abusive by itself.One does not become professional tennis player without scars.Their problem was that they were not able to control their temper;in other words their temper took over them - they lost control, and they were not aware of it.Many parents/coaches, coaches loose their temper many times, but they become aware of it, and they are able to stop.These three fathers differ in a sense that they are not aware of their behaviour, and as such they do not abuse their children from time to time, but it was permanent process.