Parentshift Notes #11

A few weeks ago, Alexander Zverev won the French Open — one of the four Grand Slams in tennis. And the lesson he left me with didn't come from anything he said.

For most of his career he played in someone else's shadow. Nadal, Federer, Djokovic, Alcaraz. Every time he looked up, someone else was holding the trophy. He won his first Grand Slam at 29. Not because the competition disappeared. Because he never did.

Simon Sinek calls it the infinite game — where the goal isn't to win, but to keep playing. Are we teaching our kids to play for the win, or to stay in the game?

For the first time in decades, tennis has no dominant force. The game is open. The world our kids are growing into looks the same. But openness only becomes opportunity for those willing to still be in the room.

Two things to carry into this week:

1. Stay in the game. Not every season brings the trophy — some seasons just keep you ready for the one that does.
2. Teach them to see the opening. The world rewards those who show up when others have already walked away.

That's ParentShift.

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