Training Camp: Weekend Guide

How to Conduct a Weekend Training Camp for 10-20 Players

This comprehensive guide helps you organize and run a weekend training camp that combines theory, practice, and competition. Mix the mental game content from this site with on-piste application for maximum impact.

The Training Camp Philosophy

Theory without practice is just information. Practice without theory is just repetition. Competition without reflection is just playing. This weekend integrates all three for transformational learning.

Pre-Camp Planning

Group Size & Structure

Optimal: 10-20 players

• Small camp (10-12): More intimate, deeper sharing
• Large camp (16-20): More diverse perspectives, requires sub-groups

Team Structure:

• Divide into teams of 3-4 for practice and competition
• Mix skill levels and playing styles
• Rotate teams throughout weekend

Staffing Requirements

Role	Responsibilities	Quantity
Mental Performance Coordinator	Facilitate theory sessions, group dynamics	1
Technical Coach	Oversee practice, provide feedback	1-2
Competition Director	Run tournament, manage logistics	1
Support Staff	Meals, setup, admin	1-2

Location Requirements

Facility Needs

Piste:

• Multiple terrains (minimum 3-4 pistes)
• Different surfaces if possible (gravel, sand, hard)
• Lighting for evening play

Indoor Space:

• Room for 20 people in circle (theory sessions)
• Separate from piste
• Whiteboard/projector
• Comfortable seating

Accommodation:

• On-site or nearby (walking distance)
• Shared rooms encourage bonding
• Quiet space for reflection

Catering:

• Nutrition-focused meals (see Food Guide)
• Avoid sugar crashes
• Hydration stations

Materials Checklist

Complete Materials List

Theory Sessions:

• [ ] Chairs for circle (no tables)
• [ ] Boules and cochonnet for center
• [ ] Flip charts and markers
• [ ] Sticky notes
• [ ] Worksheets (User Manual, Inner Critic, etc.)
• [ ] Paper and pens
• [ ] Projector (for website content)

Practice Sessions:

• [ ] Measuring tape
• [ ] Cones/markers for drills
• [ ] Video camera/tripod
• [ ] Clipboard and paper (tracking)
• [ ] Whistle

Competition:

• [ ] Score sheets
• [ ] Tournament bracket
• [ ] Prizes/recognition
• [ ] First aid kit

Logistics:

• [ ] Name tags
• [ ] Participant list with contacts
• [ ] Emergency contact info
• [ ] Water bottles
• [ ] Sunscreen
• [ ] Tissues (for emotional work!)

Weekend Schedule

Friday Evening (3 hours)

18:00-18:30 - Arrival & Welcome

• Check-in
• Room assignments
• Overview of weekend

18:30-19:30 - Dinner

• Nutrition-focused meal
• Informal introductions

19:30-22:30 - Theory Session: Foundation

Use the Workshop guide for detailed facilitation:

1. Ground Rules (15 min) - Establish psychological safety
2. Check-In Matrix (20 min) - Assess group energy
3. The Iceberg (30 min) - Explore inner thoughts
4. User Manual (45 min) - Build team understanding
5. Fear in a Hat (45 min) - Break isolation
6. Check-Out (15 min) - Close the loop

22:30 - Free Time

• Informal socializing
• Rest and reflection

Saturday (Full Day - Theory + Practice)

08:00-09:00 - Breakfast & Mindfulness

• Quiet breakfast
• Optional 15-minute guided meditation
• Set intentions for the day

09:00-10:30 - Theory Session: Connecting Content to Experience

Choose 3-4 topics from the Academy website and explore the inner game:

Example Topics:

1. Nutrition (20 min)

   • "How does your food choice change under pressure?"
   • "Do you eat what your body needs or what your anxiety wants?"
   • Practice: Plan competition-day nutrition

2. Mental Strength (25 min)

   • "What's your relationship with failure?"
   • "How do you talk to yourself after a miss?"
   • Activity: Reframe Inner Critic to Inner Coach

3. Mindfulness (25 min)

   • "Where does your mind go during the pause before throwing?"
   • "What pulls you out of the present moment?"
   • Practice: 5-minute body scan

4. Tactics (20 min)

   • "Is your shot choice based on strategy or fear?"
   • "When do you play it safe vs. take risks?"
   • Discuss: Risk profiles in the group

10:30-10:45 - Break

10:45-12:30 - On-Piste Integration: Drills with Mental Focus

Drill 1: Call Your Shot (30 min)

From the Workshop guide - practice owning intention and doubt:

1. Announce the target: "I am shooting the iron"
2. State confidence: "I am a 7 out of 10"
3. Name the inner thought: "My inner voice is worrying about backspin"
4. Execute the shot
5. Reflect: "What happened? What did you learn?"

Drill 2: Cognitive Interference (30 min)

Test if technique has become automatic:

• Coordinator asks complex questions while player shoots
• "Name 5 capital cities" or "Count backwards from 100 by 7s"
• Success = technique is implicit, not consciously processed

Drill 3: User Manual Practice (30 min)

Apply the User Manuals from Friday:

• Play in teams of 3
• After each shot, teammates respond according to User Manual
• "Marc needs silence after a miss" - team honors that
• Debrief: "How did it feel to be understood?"

12:30-14:00 - Lunch & Rest

• Nutrition-focused meal
• Quiet time for reflection
• Optional: Individual check-ins with coordinator

14:00-17:00 - Practice Session: Terrain Adaptation

Goal: Build adaptability and mental flexibility

Setup:

• Rotate through 3-4 different terrains/pistes
• 45 minutes per terrain
• Focus on mental adaptation, not just technical

Rotation Structure:

Terrain	Mental Focus	Practice
Terrain 1: Soft/Sand	Acceptance of uncertainty	"The donnée - accept what is"
Terrain 2: Hard/Gravel	Precision under pressure	"Trust your technique"
Terrain 3: Uneven	Emotional regulation	"Stay calm when it's unfair"
Terrain 4: Competition	Flow state access	"Find the zone"

Facilitation:

• Technical coach provides feedback on technique
• MPC asks: "What's happening in your mind right now?"
• Players journal between rotations

17:00-18:00 - Break & Reflection

• Individual journaling
• "What did you learn about yourself today?"
• "What's one thing you'll do differently tomorrow?"

18:00-19:00 - Dinner

19:00-21:00 - Evening Theory: Deep Vulnerability

Activity 1: Reframing the Inner Critic (45 min)

See Workshop guide for full protocol:

1. Identify the exact Critic phrase
2. Reframe as Inner Coach
3. Partner practice

Activity 2: Competition Preparation (45 min)

Tomorrow is competition day. Prepare mentally:

1. Visualization (15 min)

   • Close eyes
   • Imagine perfect shot
   • Feel the confidence
   • Notice the calm

2. Team Protocols (20 min)

   • Create signals for support
   • "I need a reset" = touch boules
   • "I need encouragement" = fist bump
   • "I need space" = step back

3. Set Intentions (10 min)

   • "Tomorrow, I will focus on..."
   • "My goal is not to win, but to..."
   • "I will practice..."

Check-Out (30 min)

• Share one fear about tomorrow
• Share one intention
• Group support

21:00 - Free Time

• Early to bed (competition tomorrow!)
• Quiet reflection

Sunday (Competition Day)

08:00-09:00 - Breakfast & Mental Preparation

• Light breakfast (see Nutrition guide)
• 15-minute mindfulness practice
• Team huddles

09:00-09:30 - Competition Briefing

Format: Round-robin tournament

• Teams of 3
• Play to 13 points
• Everyone plays everyone
• Focus on PROCESS, not outcome

The Twist: Mental Performance Scoring

Dual Scoring System

Traditional: Points won Mental Performance: Scored by MPC

Mental Performance Points (0-5 per game):

• Used User Manual tools
• Supported teammates effectively
• Managed inner critic
• Stayed present (not dwelling on past shots)
• Demonstrated psychological safety

Winner: Best combined score (traditional + mental)

09:30-13:00 - Morning Competition

• Round-robin games
• MPC observes and scores
• Technical coach provides brief feedback between games
• Hydration and snack breaks

13:00-14:00 - Lunch

• Nutrition-focused
• Informal reflection
• Rest

14:00-17:00 - Afternoon Competition

• Continue round-robin
• Semi-finals and finals
• Increasing pressure
• Apply morning learnings

17:00-17:30 - Awards & Recognition

Categories:

• Traditional winner
• Mental performance winner
• Most improved
• Best teammate
• Courage award (most vulnerable)

17:30-19:00 - Final Reflection Session

Critical: This is where learning is cemented.

Structure:

1. Individual Reflection (15 min) Write in journal:

• What did you learn about yourself this weekend?
• What surprised you?
• What will you do differently?
• What are you taking home?

2. Small Group Sharing (30 min) Groups of 4-5:

• Share key insights
• What resonated most?
• What was hardest?
• What was most valuable?

3. Full Group Integration (30 min) Circle up:

• Each person shares ONE key takeaway
• MPC validates and connects themes
• Discuss: "How will you apply this?"

4. Commitments (15 min)

• Each person states one commitment
• "In my next competition, I will..."
• Group witnesses and supports

5. Closing (15 min)

• Thank participants for courage
• Remind of confidentiality
• Exchange contacts
• Plan follow-up (optional online session)

19:00 - Dinner & Departure

Facilitation Tips

Balancing Theory and Practice

Don't Overload Theory

The mistake: Too much talking, not enough doing

The balance:

• Theory creates awareness
• Practice builds skill
• Competition tests integration
• Reflection cements learning

Rule of thumb: 30% theory, 40% practice, 20% competition, 10% reflection

Managing Group Dynamics

The Competitive Alpha:

• Wants to win at all costs
• Resists vulnerability
• Strategy: Channel competitiveness into mental performance scoring

The Quiet Observer:

• Takes it all in, doesn't share
• Strategy: Create low-stakes entry points, validate observation as participation

The Skeptic:

• "This touchy-feely stuff doesn't work"
• Strategy: Verbal Aikido - align and pivot (see Workshop guide)

The Over-Sharer:

• Dominates discussion
• Strategy: "Thank you, let's hear from others"

Handling Emotional Moments

Someone cries during Fear in a Hat:

• ✅ Normalize: "Tears are courage, not weakness"
• ✅ Offer tissue, don't rush
• ✅ Ask: "What do you need right now?"
• ❌ Don't: "It's okay, don't cry"

Conflict between players:

• ✅ Pause and address
• ✅ "What's happening right now?"
• ✅ Use as learning moment
• ❌ Don't: Ignore or minimize

Someone shuts down:

• ✅ Check in privately during break
• ✅ "I noticed you went quiet. What's up?"
• ✅ Offer options: participate differently, take a break
• ❌ Don't: Call out publicly

Post-Camp Follow-Up

Immediate (24-48 hours)

Send to all participants:

• Thank you message
• Key takeaways summary
• Photos from weekend
• Contact list (with permission)
• Link to resources on website

Individual check-ins:

• Text anyone who shared heavily
• "How are you feeling about the weekend?"
• Address any vulnerability hangover

Short-term (2 weeks)

Optional online session (60-90 min):

• How have you applied learnings?
• What's working? What's challenging?
• Peer support and problem-solving
• Reinforce commitments

Long-term (1-3 months)

Survey participants:

• What's different in your game?
• What tools are you still using?
• What would make the next camp better?
• Would you recommend to others?

Track impact:

• Competition results
• Self-reported confidence
• Team dynamics
• Continued engagement

Adapting for Different Group Sizes

Small Camp (10-12 players)

Advantages:

• Deeper sharing
• More individual attention
• Stronger bonds

Adjustments:

• Single group for all theory
• More time per person in activities
• Intimate competition format

Large Camp (16-20 players)

Advantages:

• Diverse perspectives
• More competition variety
• Economies of scale

Adjustments:

• Split into 2 groups for some theory sessions
• Need 2 MPC/facilitators
• Larger tournament bracket
• More structured rotations

Budget Considerations

Revenue

Item	Price per Person	20 People	10 People
Registration	€150-250	€3,000-5,000	€1,500-2,500

Expenses

Category	Cost	Notes
Facility rental	€500-1,000	Weekend rate
Accommodation	€40-60/person/night	Shared rooms
Meals	€30-40/person/day	6 meals
Staff	€500-1,000	MPC + coaches
Materials	€100-200	Worksheets, supplies
Prizes	€100-200	Recognition items

Total per person: €120-180 Margin: €30-70/person (or break-even for community building)

Success Metrics

Immediate Indicators

• [ ] Psychological safety score (1-10 average >7)
• [ ] Participation rate (>80% actively sharing)
• [ ] Completion rate (>90% stay full weekend)
• [ ] Satisfaction score (1-10 average >8)

Long-term Indicators

• [ ] Behavior change (using tools in competition)
• [ ] Performance improvement (self-reported)
• [ ] Community building (staying in touch)
• [ ] Referrals (recommending to others)

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Pitfalls

1. Too much content

• Trying to cover everything
• Fix: Focus on depth, not breadth

2. Skipping reflection

• Rushing to next activity
• Fix: Build in processing time

3. Ignoring resistance

• Pushing through skepticism
• Fix: Address it directly with Verbal Aikido

4. Technical coaching during theory

• Mixing roles
• Fix: Clear boundaries between MPC and technical coach

5. No follow-up

• Weekend ends, learning stops
• Fix: Plan post-camp touchpoints

Resources

From This Site

• Workshop Guide - Detailed facilitation protocols
• Training Session Guide - For ongoing practice
• Nutrition - Competition-day protocols
• Mental Strength - Inner game concepts
• Mindfulness - Presence techniques
• Tactics - Strategic thinking

Recommended Reading

• The Inner Game of Tennis by Timothy Gallwey
• Mindset by Carol Dweck
• The Fearless Organization by Amy Edmondson