How (Not) to Raise a Prodigy

Three short stories

1.

Every morning, I hit tennis balls against a wall at a local park.

A few times a week, I see a young girl of maybe 10 or 12 practicing on the adjacent courts with an older Eastern European man, who I assume is her father.

The girl hits the ball well for her age, though without the easy power and extra-snappy footwork of a surefire future pro. On every ot…