Like any good thing, at some point in time, it has to come to an end - nothing can last forever. As much as I wish my collegiate tennis career could go on and on, I have to come to terms that I will be playing my last collegiate match ever in just a short amount of days. It hasn't really hit me yet, that the sport I've loved since I first picked up a racket at the age of six, will be coming to a fast end. How can it be, that the thing I worked for my entire life, will be ending faster than I could ever imagine? I remember when I first moved to Arizona at the age of six, and my dad wanted to put me into a sport. Being Arizona, the all time perfect weather for an outdoor sport like tennis, my dad enrolled me in my first ever tennis lesson and the rest is history. When I was in middle school, I remember my dad saying to me every time we would pass my future high school, that that is where I would be playing for four years, representing the Ironwood Ridge Nighthawks. Then before I knew it, I was in high school, playing my first season as a freshman, and taking home the State Championship in doubles. Those were a four years I never thought could be surpassed by the four years I spent playing tennis in college.
As I grew older my goals started to change. At first it was take some tennis lessons, then start to play some local tennis tournaments here and there, then it was to travel to different states for tournaments, then it was to play high school tennis and try to win a state championship (which I did twice), to having the attainable goal to play Division 1 collegiate tennis. All of these goals were reached and to think that I first started this journey 16 years ago is crazy. Those 16 years were made up of tears and sweat, but in the end, it was all worth it. As I reflect on how tennis has impacted my life, I realize that I really would not be the person I am today without tennis. Tennis is my life and I wouldn't want it any other way. It's the only sport I ever played, and the last sport I ever want to play. Although my collegiate career at the University of Northern Colorado is coming to an end, you can bet that this wont be the last of me.
Sure being a student athlete in college was hard, but it was the best thing to ever happen to me. I live with no regrets and am happy with the decision I made to continue my tennis career at the next level. There is something about playing a sport in college that a person will never understand unless they get to experience it themselves. I think skipping this, or not wanting to play in college would be a mistake; whether its to go straight to the pros, or to just stop after high school. If you have the opportunity, and are good enough, 100% you should play in college.
I'm thankful that I got to play tennis at the Division 1 level, and have the opportunity to travel and play against other great tennis players from all around the world. It is truly an experience I will miss and wish that I could do over again, because I loved it that much. What a journey it was to get here, and now that it is ending, I couldn't be more content and happy, that I have had the opportunity to even experience it in the first place. Goodbye to playing college tennis, but it is not a goodbye to tennis forever.
