My Love: Ector Junior High Tennis Team

I began to play tennis roughly three years ago solely, because my dad thought I was not doing anything constructive during the summer. At that point I believed in the same single story most people today do, tennis players are not real athletes, their sport is very wimpy, and mostly

Sports have been a huge part of my life ever since I was about five years old. It has impacted my life so much. The biggest challenge that I faced was with my injuries during basketball and soccer season. I recently had to quit soccer and basketball, which was difficult for me.

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

How many times have you driven past your local tennis courts and seen them filled with happy kids running around and smiling? Probably more than once. Tennis is a popular sport, played all over the world and loved by many. However, more people should play this wonderful sport. It can be played at any age, and at any walk of life, be ye teenager or 65 year old lady. In fact, everyone should play tennis due to its development of physical fitness, mental health, and social skills.

With tennis not being as popular as other sports in the African American culture, participating in this for all four years in high school has been a tough road. Often finding myself as the only minority participating in a tournament, it can be very uncomfortable when others observe you. In some very unfortunate circumstances, I've even heard the occasional racial slur. This never bothers me however because

During the earlier years of my tennis career, about the age of seven, my parents had learned of a nearby organization at Watkins Park Maryland. The organization was known as the Prince George’s Tennis and Education Foundation. It was here where I began to make my largest strides in my life, both academically and athletically.

Tennis is more than just a sport for Damien Heller-Chen, it is a lifestyle. When he was six years old, he got introduced to tennis and found it as a very enjoyable sport. Many sports are intense and competitive, which is why Heller-Chen chose tennis, as he fell in love with a less competitive sport. Heller-Chen enjoys the feeling of having control in the game. He feels empowered since he is center stage of the game and not on a team. Tennis takes dedication as he practices for eight to 14 hours a week at The Boars Head.

“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

Over the last two years of my High School education, I found the extracurricular activities I fit in the most. I am part of Student Council, National Honor Society and a member of the tennis team. They all have molded me to be the best. However, I feel like tennis has impacted me the most. It’s a sport that has taught me so much, from being physically fit, to mentally prepared for any outcome. I learned that a game it’s not about winning or losing, but about how it’s played, and what it took to get there. Being in a team is about contributing others, and learning from them. It’s about accepting that we all make mistakes, and only practice can reduce the times we make them. So many loses and few victories, but I always preferred to sheer my

Sports have always been a major part of my life. Since the beginning, I have always been involved in some type of sport. I am the middle child of two boys, so i wasn’t exactly “girly”, I was mainly considered a “tomboy.” I tried gymnastics, but it just wasn’t my thing, I stuck to a bat and a ball. Growing up there wasn’t a time when you wouldn’t find my brothers and I, or my dad and I outside throwing pitch. We all played baseball/softball, so it was kinda our thing just to go out and play a game of wiffle ball.

Tennis has always played a significant role in my life as well as my commitment to my community, academics and as a part of my future goals. Ever since the age of six, I have absolutely adored the game of tennis. I honestly cannot explain my genuine attraction to the sport, although I know that I would not be the tenacious and goal-oriented young lady I am today if it was not for my participation in the Prince George’s Tennis and Education Foundation. PGTEF is a community tennis association that provides the opportunity for children of all ages to succeed academically and athletically through tennis.

nor did I have the same passion for tennis as I did for the other sports.

Pulse quickening, feet shuffling, ball flying by in a flash while the racket makes contact with a whack. As a tennis player, everyone knows these feelings. The sport of tennis remains a challenge mentally and physically, pushing the boundaries while still remaining classy. Most sports are all about power and glory, but tennis has always been unique: it requires finesse, and it uses different in scoring and play.

Tennis is marvelous. I picked up a racquet for the first time last season and decided I wanted to try a new sport. Tennis is the first and only sport that I've played that I hadn't started when I was about five. Being behind others who had been playing for a while was a new experience to me. Last year I worked my way up to the top spot on Junior Varsity and ended the season playing some varsity. This year I am number six on Varsity and hopefully, I will work my way further up as the season progresses. Today is our first match. I am playing doubles with Elli V-C and I am ecstatic. She is so sweet and a very supportive teammate. Tennis was surprisingly really easy for me to pick up. I am beyond glad that I decided to step out of my comfort zone