When you play against so-called “cheaters,” you may experience emotions such as frustration, anger, helplessness, and irritation, to name a few. Back in the day, I played someone who routinely gave terrible line calls, announced the wrong score, and false “out” calls. They would attempt to keep the ball in play, and when they noticed they couldn’t, the “out” signal would surely follow. It’s great to show competitiveness, but for some, the “win at all costs” mentality leads to poor line calls and sportsmanship.
First and foremost, we’re all human beings. We need to start acting with human kindness and being considerate of others on and off the court. It’s important to stay calm when things aren’t going your way. If you display your anger and frustration, you can lose focus on the court and give your opponents the upper hand in your own mental game.
A tip when on the court: Make your calls quickly and don’t overthink them. It’s important to be authoritative, because your uncertainty could lead to disagreements and unnecessary arguments. Try not to let it get into your head, and stay focused on the present. If your opponent is making “bad” calls, you must also never stoop to their level, because it only demonstrates your opponent’s lack of skill and sportsmanship. Unfortunately, there are plenty of active players who are known for cheating, labeled as such, and discussed in a negative light.
Dealing with this player making “terrible” calls began with confrontation. I called the player to the net and expressed the nature of their line calls. I also emphasized that they should give their opponent the benefit of the doubt if the ball was clearly in or close to being in. If not, then I would gladly pack up my things and leave. After speaking with him, I never encountered any other issues with bad line calls. Hopefully, I helped him think twice about his calls during any future games we play.
Finally, there will be many times your partner makes an “out” call even if you saw it in-bounds. By remaining quiet and not overruling your partner’s judgment, you may believe yourself to be a good, fair sport to your partner. On the contrary—this may leave you to be seen as the “quiet cheater.” There have been instances in doubles play where I have overruled my partner’s “out” call and reversed the score properly for our opponents because it was the right thing to do. My partner may not have agreed, but I knew the importance of good sportsmanship, especially when close calls happen so frequently. If the ball is 99% out and 1% in, then it’s all in.
All in all, it’s not always about winning. It’s about demonstrating integrity, playing fairly, and showing respect rather than behaving in an inappropriate manner.
So, do you take the high road as a leader or remain complacent in supporting the “cheaters?”