I started playing tennis when I was 10 years old. Immediately, I realized how difficult the game was. However, despite the tough learning aspect of the game, there was something about the sport that made me want to get back on the court as soon as possible.
As my game progressed, there were many ups and downs in my match play. I beat a lot of players that were better than me, and lost to many who were not as good. This resulted in some difficult thoughts going through my head. Was I actually a good player, and if so, why did I lose to this player that I believed was not as good?
Tennis challenges you. It teaches you how to deal with adversity. Being positive and giving it all you have on every point becomes more and more difficult when the outcome is not what you would like. The best players learn how to deal with all of the disappointments. Often, a great player will lose an important point, miss an easy shot, or even lose a match, and still get back up on their feet and show why they are a great player.
Tennis mimics real life. Many of the challenges you face on the court play out in your day to day activities. The qualities you acquire from competing and playing tennis can have a great influence on how successful you are in your personal relationships, your job, and the health challenges you may have to deal with. I find myself trying to coach real life situations similar to the way I would coach a player in a tennis match. The parallels between life and tennis are undeniable.
I truly believe that people who play tennis starting at a young age learn a lot about how to live their life. There are still mistakes made along the way and tennis cannot save you from making bad decisions at times. However, the things you have to learn about using your mind and your body together on the court, will help you get through some difficult life situations and help you perform better off the court.
Kids should play tennis. Not everyone will be able to play in college, turn professional, or even teach or coach tennis as their profession. Just the experience of playing matches, interacting with your opponents on and off the court, and the discipline and hard work necessary to improve, will strengthen you as a person.
I urge all parents to get their kids on the tennis court. It will be one of the best things you can do to help teach them some of the skills necessary to have a great life. Tennis is the greatest sport on earth.
Steve Annacone, USPTA Elite Pro, is the Director of Annacone Tennis, www.annaconetennis.com and MyHamptonspPro, www.MyHamptonsPro.com throughout the Hamptons, NY. Steve and Gill Gross run the TOP (Tennis Optimization Players-Top Team) program at the Tucson Jewish Community Center (Tucson, AZ) for high level players ages 8-18. Please contact Steve at sannacone@tucsonjcc.org or 865-300-7323