Mom put me in every sport.  From indoor soccer to t-ball, I tried everything, but nothing seemed to stick.  It wasn’t that I didn’t have fun or that I couldn’t compete, but it was hard to find a sport that I was passionate about.  Then I found tennis – tennis found me. 

 

Mr. Mike was my first coach, and he made tennis fun.  His jokes, the games, and his stories about former students were what kept me coming back to his group practices.  And although it was really enjoyable at first, it took an 8-year-old me to begin to understand that this really was my passion.  Wanting to become more competitive and challenge myself in tournament play, I moved to the other coach in Longview, Coach Chris. 

 

Hearing stories about Coach Chris, I thought I’d lose my passion for tennis.  Two of my cousins quit from him, and I heard that he wasn’t forgiving about fitness.  Nevertheless, that didn’t stop me; I embraced the new chapter.  One thing Coach Chris emphasized more than anything was “the mental game.”  At such a young age, I thought it was always the more skillful players that won the matches, and so I blocked those lessons out.  It wasn’t until I started competitive play in USTA that I soon realized my mistake.  I started losing match after match, had to deal with cheating opponents, and had to travel repeatedly- all variables that I wasn’t ready for.  I had to learn how to face adversity.  Progressively, I started to see my peers succeed while I stayed inconsistent.  It was humbling, and I finally gave in to what Coach Chris had talked about when mentioning the mental game.  Tennis is a sport that is all about being a problem solver, and I had to learn to be a problem solver.  Day to day my strengths and weaknesses changed; there are so many different shots in the sport that I couldn’t always rely on a stroke that worked during the week to be there for me during a tournament.  I had to learn to make adjustments and adapt quickly within a match.  This translated to how I think now when solving problems.  I understand the value of flexibility and that openmindedness is key to reaching any desired outcome, whether on the court, at the office, or at home; as Coach Chris would reiterate the saying, "There's more than one way to skin a cat."  Additionally, I had to develop discipline if I was going to ever succeed.  Coach Chris helped me understand the importance of goals and that if I think about my goals in everything that I do, it’ll be easier to give max effort when it comes to running drills, fitness, and establishing good habits.  The last major takeaway I learned at this stage of my tennis career was how to handle negative and positive results.  During a match, it is so easy to get frustrated and let that frustration carry out onto the next point.  On the other hand, feeling too good about a recent shot can make me complacent and take away from the drive to win the bigger picture - the match.  It is important for me to show emotion and let a little bit of energy out, yet be able to control it so that it doesn’t dictate how I perform going forth.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After having success heading into high school, I was ready for a new challenge.  Never playing doubles before, competitively, I found a new enthusiasm for the game, as it was a brand new challenge.  However, I underestimated the challenge of working with a completely different personality.  Paulo was a gifted, natural tennis player who lived for big moments and hated to lose more than anything.  When paired with him, I understood how calm and levelheaded I really was.  Playing with such a volatile partner helped me understand the importance of encouragement.  In order for our partnership to reach full potential, I had to get to know Paulo the best that I could so that I would know what forms of encouragement worked best for him.  We established a routine where, after every point, we met each other at the center of the court to give a simple high five or offer a, “good shot.”  Additionally, Paulo liked it whenever I called plays and used formations that kept us thinking because, instead of dwelling on the last point, Paulo was forced to concentrate on what was next.  Our results reflected our superb chemistry, as I learned positive results are a product of positive relationships.

 

Finally, I was a senior.  After years of dedication and commitment towards the team, I was named the varsity team captain.  With that title, I had a vision in my mind that I had to be number one on the team “ladder,” and win every crucial match because my team depended on me.  However, I couldn’t live up to that vision.  I started losing a streak of big matches against other “number one’s” and even lost out to younger talent, including Paulo, on my own team, placing me at number three on our “ladder.”  I had a difficult time dealing with all of this failure.  There was so much expected of me, yet I couldn’t deliver.  I didn’t stop thinking about all of the negatives, and I sought the advice of my high school coach and Coach Chris.  They emphasized that failure is the best way to learn.  Failure enables me to look at my weaknesses easier so that I can make the adjustments to further improve my game.  Secondly, they defined that team success outweighs personal success.  Instead, of dwelling on a loss right after I walked off the court, I took it to myself to encourage my other teammates and become the loudest supporter whenever they were in a close match.  Furthermore, I found that I was the most effective as a leader by example.  I may not be the most authoritative or the most skillful member on the team, but I’ll work the hardest and be the best role model possible so that the team has a sense of direction. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

All in all, tennis has taught me a lot about myself.  It’s more than a sport in my eyes.  It has helped me become a more disciplined, goal-oriented person.  I know what success means to me, and I know what steps it will take to get there.  Additionally, I learned the importance of practice and reflecting on experiences.  If I take the time to revisit a previous experience, whenever that same event rolls my way, I can rely on my refined ability and thought process to achieve a positive result.  Lastly, I now understand my style of competitiveness.  There isn’t anyone I’m more competitive with than myself.  I set high expectations and always raise the bar as to what I can do.  Never hesitant to accept a challenge, I embrace every opportunity as a chance to show myself what I can do.