I used to poke fun at tennis, moving my head from side to side, mimicking the motion of watching a tennis match. I honestly thought it to be boring and wondered “how hard could it be to hit the ball over the net”? I discovered that tennis is not only an amazing sport, it’s a sport that can last a lifetime, from childhood to adulthood and my two children are great examples.
For our family, tennis began as summer entertainment for my two children. Instead of bumming around summer break, watching TV or playing video games, I strongly encouraged them to participate in a new instructional tennis class geared towards the beginner. I was certain they would enjoy the challenge, still I didn’t realize the devotion for the sport would grow in leaps and bounds. What started off as a few mornings a week grew into tournaments, travel, playing in high school, and even a college scholarship.
At the ages of 10 and 8 my children participated in their first competitive tennis tournament within their age brackets. I’m convinced they were very apprehensive trying to remember all the rules and the correct way to hit the ball but you couldn’t tell once they entered the court. They each played several matches to reach the championship match and walked off the court winners, at least in my eyes. That was the first
…show more content…
What started off playing within their age bracket, children their own age, developed into playing kids years older. The simple backhands and forehands flourished into slices, approach shots and most importantly, strategy. Within just a few minutes of warming up with their opponents, they were able to decipher their competitors strengths and weaknesses. Taking that knowledge into the match, they were able to pick on those weaknesses and avoid their strengths, as much as possible. Of course with this new level of play, brought more demanding matches, some heartache, along with some amazing matches and