A Passion for Tennis

Written by Keith Wong, Class of 2015, Junior 1 Hawking

When I first started playing tennis, it was really tough. Running was a constant — every stroke you made, you had to recover for the next incoming shot. After a few weeks of playing I felt fed up, but I told myself to hold it out for another week. Every week, I told myself the same thing over and over, in an effort to stay motivated.

In hindsight, I feel like I made the right choice to continue playing tennis. Even though it can be challenging for me, I have devoted a fair amount of time and effort to reach the expectations I have set for myself. Patience is what it takes, though it is something I lack. There is no shortcut and there are no instant rewards. Before I knew it, years had passed before I could clearly measure my growth in tennis since the day I picked the racket up.

Sports cultivates discipline and character, besides the basic traits of sportsmanship, mental fitness and flexibility. I applied my lesson in tennis to my studies and my life whether I’m on the court swinging the racket, or off court at my desk. Whenever I have the time, I sit down to rethink my last match and learn from my mistakes.

As of today, I have been playing tennis for five years. From the service, to the rallies from the baseline, and the net play, tennis is a sport I truly enjoy so I endure the ups and downs without hesitation. I admit, there are days where I don’t feel like playing, because it doesn’t meet my quality of play. When things don’t work out I try twice as hard and put more thought to it.

No matter what sport, dream or passion, you must be able to dream big. For me it was tennis, but whether your dream or passion is something big or small, always learn to strive with all your might. Slowly but surely, day by day, it will come along. My motto is: work hard, play hard. Don’t be afraid to venture out of your comfort zone. If things don’t work out or it wasn’t meant for you, try something else.

With patience, perseverance and a subtle shift in paradigm, any dream will fall easily into place. Through my experience I was able to explicate and apply the ideology of fulfilling each criteria, both on the tennis court and in life.