Recently, scrolling through Facebook has become a pretty negative experience. Whether it is reading about tragedies (Orlando, Christina Grimmie, ISIS, etc.) or reading through Facebook comment debates about the election, it has become a task to get through Facebook and find something happy and encouraging to read. Thus, I decided to compile a list of the cutest/funniest/sweetest things kids have said to me over my past three years of tennis coaching. Most of the kids I teach are under 12 years old so their quotes combined with their adorable innocence is enough to brighten my day and hopefully yours too.

1. "Mother Nature is spitting on me."

It was raining and the little girl I was coaching had the most creative way to describe the rain.

2. "My brother had surgery on his penis."

I am still not quite sure about the context of this statement a student decided to share with me. Hopefully his brother is doing better, now.

3. (Places his hand on his hip) "I'm so sexy!"

Keep in mind this was one of my most quiet, serious, eight-year-old boys in the class, but when his dad walked up to him to take him home, he broke out of his shell.

4. "You're the best teacher ever."

Every time a kid says this one to me, I can't help but smile and realize all the long, hot hours on the court teaching them are worth it.

5. "I love you." (Hugs me.)

Hugs are always the best.

6. "Thanks for giving us things to suck on at night."

Let me give some context on this one. The Park District classes always give out Dum-Dum lollipops after each tennis class to reward the kids for doing a good job. However, my co-coach and I both had a good laugh at the way this student decided to thank us.

7. "I really like strawberries."

This may seem like a normal statement, but when I'm in the middle of explaining a drill and reviewing the difference between forehands and backhands, and this kid explodes in happiness with this declaration, you can't help but stop everything and laugh.

8. "I'm Mario and he's Luigi"

The best part about this quote is that the kid actually looked like a real life, mini Mario and "Luigi" was another kid in the class that he didn't know, but they ended up becoming best friends by the end of the session.

9. "I'm a hotbox!"

I'm still not sure what this child meant by this.

10. "I wish I could play tennis all day and all night."

This kid is going places. I've never been so proud as a coach.