Eight years ago, I picked up the sport of tennis because why not? My parents played in high school, the coach just gave an inspiring talk to the middle school and my friends were joining as well. High school tennis brought the highs of winning all my singles matches sophomore year and the low of breaking my wrist junior year (don’t worry – I redeemed myself senior year!). I even had the opportunity to be a part of the team in college. Throughout it all, tennis has been my stress relief and coping mechanism. And with the various playing opportunities have come life lessons.
1. Never underestimate how much someone works to get somewhere.
After overcoming more obstacles than anyone on the team, I’ve learned to appreciate the little things; I don’t take for granted how much time or dedication someone put into anything. I value the hard work and dedication others put into bettering themselves and the progress they have made.
2. Internal motivation.
With tennis being mostly an individual sport, it’s important to feel connected and in tune with ourselves in order to feel motivated. “We are motivated internally when we value the personal growth a sport provides, such as how to problem solve or how to stay calm and focused under pressure.” --Former Coach Kim Bastable
3. Resiliency…
Like a tennis ball, it will always bounce back up. No matter what, pick yourself up, learn something and keep moving forward or upward! My most memorable matches were the ones where I was behind and then came back to win it.
4. The quest for perfectionism will wreck you.
Embrace your uniqueness and accept what you can’t do. But don’t stop pushing yourself. Something I wish I had learned earlier in my tennis career is to focus on my strengths and how to use them to my advantage. My tennis game will always look different or off. Once I stopped focusing on my imperfections, and learned how to maximize my strengths, I found more success (and not just on the court!).
5. Hard work doesn’t always pay off.
At least not how we expect it to…I once set a goal to do two hours of serves every morning from 7 to 9 a.m. for three months. My serves didn’t improve, but I grew closer to God through the experience! Looking back, the routine and structure in the early morning were just what I needed at the time.
6. It’s OK to fail.
It means that you were challenged and stuck yourself out there. Things may not always turn out how we had planned, but sometimes we learn the biggest lessons and come back stronger after our failures.
7. Actions speak louder than words.
How we respond to adversity and challenges speaks more about our character and our mental toughness than anything we will ever say.
8. Everything happens in God’s time.
Our goals may not happen in the timing we want them to, but with resilience, hard work, and supportive people, success will happen in its own time.
9. To be successful in the spot you are at in life.
So much of life is learning to be successful and making the most of the position you are at in life. We can’t live in the moment or enjoy present success if we are always wishing for something that is just out of reach.
Perhaps the biggest lesson I learned through tennis is that I am strong and capable. Because when it’s just you all alone out there, you rise to the occasion and pull it together. In order to appreciate where I am now, I have to remember where I was, and the obstacles I have overcome to get to this point. The life lessons I learned in tennis, I will take with me the rest of my life.
Our tennis season may be winding down, but summer league and tournaments are just around the corner!
