Not everyone is good at sports. I happen to fall into that group of people. I hate running and I have horrible motivational skills. But through my friends in high school — I found tennis. As soon as I discovered it, I fell in love with the sport and I finally understand how athletes feel when they say they love the sport.
When I had first started I had no idea what I was doing. I had a junior racquet and zero skills. In my first year, I didn't play starting line up and I was okay with that. That was my year for learning, my year for not having to worry about whether or not I wanted to play in college. It was my year to just learn and have fun. Through all the fun and learning, I found a true outlet for my frustration, my happiness and my anger. I made friends through my high school tennis team and made memories that I will never forget.
Tennis is a game of repetition. That's what my coach says every practice. You need to hit 1,000 tennis balls to get the perfect serve, and even then it might not be perfect. My coach also says, "if you think you've gotten as good as you can be, then it's time to put down the racquet." You are never too good to keep learning and keep improving. Roger Federer, Serena and Venus Williams, Monica Puig, all of them still practice and try to improve even while all being world champions. Practice is key in tennis and the will to practice and learn is what will help you feel confident while playing.
Russell Lynes once said, "Tennis is an addiction that once it has truly hooked a man, it will not let him go." I can not begin to explain how true this statement has become for me. I will not call myself the best tennis player, or even a good tennis player, but rather a determined tennis player. When I hit a forehand perfectly to the side of the court and know I have won the point, I feel so good about it. The point of tennis is to win. You have to go out there with confidence and tell yourself you're going to win. Tennis is addicting — it's a sport that seems so simple you force yourself to get better. It is not simple though, it is difficult and hard and frustrating. But when what feels like your millionth serve finally goes in, the feeling of accomplishment is indescribable. When you finally hit that backhand you've been working so hard to get, it feels like you're on top of the world.
Monica Puig is the 2016 Rio Olympic Gold Champion in women's singles tennis. Monica Puig is the first women to represent Puerto Rico in women's tennis in the Olympics and in her first Olympiad, she had beaten Serena Williams, Venus Williams, Angelique Kerber and more. She beat the odds and I'm sure, struggled along the way. But Monica Puig has one thing that made her Olympic Champion – she had desire. You have to want it. You have to go out there on the court and convince yourself that you will win. You have to walk on to that court with confidence and intimidate your opponent. You must have desire.
Passions like this don't come easy and can take a lifetime to find, but when you find them, your world will be changed for the better. Whether it's tennis, or baseball, painting or singing — whatever it may be, I hope it drives you to be the best version of yourself possible.
