Descriptive Essay : Tennis Competition

I went from being one of the best players in New England to middle of the pack at a top academy. My classmates are from all over the world, including China, India and Venezuela. I work hard to keep pace, dedicate extra time with coaches and appreciate the structured time for our academic classes. These experiences have helped me to learn more than the game of tennis: balance, commitment, nutrition, preparation and teamwork. More importantly, these experiences have helped me believe in myself and look at challenges as opportunities. I would like to encourage other girls and women to build confidence and work toward their

I was late in entering the realm of tennis as a lanky eleven-year-old. Among the countless midgets who had gripped onto a racquet since birth, my presence was uncomfortably conspicuous. Yet, I unabashedly attended every lesson, willing to stay for hours.

On the afternoon of August 8th, 2016 a young girl was facing the tennis match of her life. The Girls 14s Nationals were coming to a close and the championship trophy was only 3 games and 1 set away. Everything she had dreamed for was so close, yet so far. The extremely sunny sky glared into her eyes, making it impossible to think. But she couldn’t lose hope now, if she won this match, she would be crowned the Girls 14s Nationals Champion for Tennis. All she had to do was clutch this game. Just a few more points…

As I first joined the Prince George’s Tennis and Education Foundation tennis team, I was extremely pleased with the environment. I was met with friendly individuals and warm personalities from my peers and coaches alike. The coaches were exceptionally supportive, and I maintained a healthy, competitive relationship with my peers. Athletically, the PGTEF coaches were devoted to assisting the members of the team in comprehending

“Oh no, please don’t tell me this is happening. Mom, can I just skip this tournament?” I pleaded, “There is absolutely no hope for me.” Being the dramatic person I am, I lamented the imminent end of my tennis career. I went into the tournament with an expectation of failure. I started the match by accidentally whacking the ball over the fence, tripping on my own feet rushing to end the point. The little confidence I had when going into the match dissipated within a few minutes. I continued the match pondering how to angle my racket to put spin on the ball. Every time I failed, I blamed it on the high skill level of my opponent. Unsurprisingly, I lost in an hour. When looking back on that match, I realized that it could have gone differently had I not brought myself down before. My lack of

First, I would like to share with all of you what tennis is and what it’s like for the professionals and high school teams, to

A few years ago I was training to be professional tennis player at one of India’s top tennis academies. I had been playing tennis only for ten months when my tennis coach suggested I participate in the upcoming national level fastest serve tennis tournament. There was a fear in me, a fear of facing the more skilled, experienced, and accomplished competition, yet my mind wanted to overcome that fear and trust my coach and ten months of training. My coach had immense faith in my abilities to perform well, but being the underdog, I lacked the confidence to compete alongside top ranked players. As the tournament date grew closer, I found myself battling between two paths - give in to my fear and surrender any chance of winning, or escape my comfort

My journey on my high school tennis team has been a peculiar one. Going into my freshman year I was touted as one the stellar players, one who was on the path straight to varsity. Unfortunately, I tore one of the ligaments in my right wrist and was sidelined for the months right before the tennis season. Going into my season, my confidence was low, I was worried about making the junior varsity team. I would end up making JV but not varsity. The next year I was back with more determination. Injury free, I had high expectations but lacked confidence. As I entered try-outs, I was shocked. My teammates were waiting for me. Each one of them came up to me and told me that they knew I was going to play this year, and that I was going to live up to

When I left middle school, I was extremely frightened. Coming from Magnolia, I only knew about 5% of my classmates and I didn’t know them that well because I went to Piney Grove Elementary School. The only thing I knew when I got to St. Pauls High School was that I did not want to be the same person I was in middle school. The person I was in middle was self absorbed and constantly trying to be better than everyone. Upon entering high school, I knew I had to do something, anything to make a change. At Freshman Orientation, the tennis coach was searching for some girls to plays. I had never played tennis, but I knew it was my chance to make friends and have

Being ranked number one on the Vacaville High School Varsity Tennis Team was one of the most mentally challenging events during high school. I love tennis, but it was very difficult balancing all of my Advanced Placement classes, trying to having some sort of a social life and playing tennis year-round all at the same time. The only reason being number one was mentally challenging was because I was losing most of of my matches. I thought about quitting the tennis team more times than I could count. It was my first year playing in the number one spot and I was not ready to play against such high-level tennis players. I knew that if I didn't show up we would lose because the rest of the team would have to play against a player that is one level

I was aware that I had another set to play ahead of me. I knew that somehow I needed to drastically change my attitude and approach on the match. Forcing myself not to shut down after the first set is one of the biggest hardships I have ever experienced on a tennis court. The second set granted me one last chance to redeem myself, one last chance to display what I was truly capable of.

After joining the girls’ tennis team at Hazleton Area High School, I unexpectedly took over the top position. Despite my individual

After joining the team, my natural instincts to compete took over and I battled everyday to get a spot in the playing lineup. Although joining the team as a junior, I quickly earned my teammates respect by being prepared for and persevering through difficult practice sessions. I played matches against my teammates every day in order to move into the team’s playing lineup, meaning a top six spot. My relentless effort and infectious enthusiasm at practice led to my place in the doubles lineup with Julian Lenz, one of the top ten players in college. I had to adapt quickly, getting stronger and adding more spin to my strokes in order to compete with Julian against some of the best players in the nation. In order for us to be a successful team, I had to match Julian’s mental focus and desire to win. Through spending time together on and off the court we were able to build a strong relationship that would propel us to an exceptional season. Julian and I were able to win key matches in the Big 12 tournament because we grew to trust one another in high-pressure situations. Ultimately, my success as a student-athlete was a result of my tenacity to succeed and ability to adapt to new circumstances.

As we all know, America is a nation of sports enthusiasts. Most Americans participate is some kind of sporting event, either as a spectator or as a competitor. In the pantheon of great American sports, there is one that stands out. It has been called the great American pastime. Yes, that great sport known as tennis. Tennis requires a mastery of many skills to be able to play competitively, but the primary skill needed to win in tennis is the serve. The serve is the primary offensive weapon used I tennis, because it is the only time when a player gets to put a ball into play. The player controls the speed, the placement, and the spin of the ball. With proper procedure, the serve can win many points and games for the server. The technique

I felt like I could do anything. The moment was extremely surreal. I hadn’t accomplished anything so arduous in my life. The crowd’s cheers were thundering through my body. I had so much adrenaline coursing through my veins that I wasn’t even weary. People were jumping up and down, screaming in victory, and clapping so loud I couldn’t hear myself think. I couldn’t believe that I had just won the State Championship volleyball game.