How Tennis is helping me
The sport I loved the most.
Every Indian child grows up playing cricket. Aside from cricket, hockey was the only sport I played. The game is so much a part of our lives that we can not get away from it. In India, if you did not participate in the game, you would be considered an outcast, as it is practically a religion.
Cricket was the only sport that I ever participated in while I was in school, college, and the early stages of my working career. The game is more of a team sport; there would be two teams competing against each other, and each team requires 11 players. Gulley cricket, on the other hand, allows you to set your own rules and play regardless of the number of players present.
Early memory of Tennis
I remember my mother watching Wimbledon and following it religiously every year. My mother was a fan of Steffi Graf and Martina Hingis. But she’d only watched Wimbledon; I never saw her watch any other grand slam. Naturally, I did not take any interest, as I found that sport to be too boring.
I started playing tennis a year and a half ago, mainly because that game needs a minimum of two people to play, unlike cricket.
A game changing game
Whatever little tennis I saw, I thought this was a fairly easy game; you just have to hit on the other side. How much more difficult would it be? Like any other new tennis player, I swung wildly in my first month on the court. I realised how technical the game is and how much precision is required to play it.
One day I saw a 10-year-old kid play tennis at our academy.
Man, I could not take my eyes off him for a minute. He was absolutely flawless with his forehand and serve. That day, I knew I wanted to be at least half as good as that kid. But that was only the beginning. Little did I know that this game would help me power through somewhat uncertain times.
A new sport can go a long way
As of today, I am a dedicated fan of the game.Now that I think about it, I put more heart and soul into tennis than I did into cricket. Aside from the physical exhaustion and mental chaos that would result from losing focus, this is the most difficult game I can think of.
Tennis taught me things and helped me connect with myself a little bit. Currently, I am at a crossroads with my career and am still figuring out my way forward. However, for me, this game has taught me to back myself, is helping me power through an uncertain phase, and is definitely giving me the confidence to make some very different choices for my career.
Since it is monsoon season currently, I have not been able to play tennis for almost a month and may still not be able to play for another. I am eagerly waiting to resume my sessions, enjoy the beautiful game, and keep improving as a person.
There are strange things that will help you grow as a person, so give yourself a chance and go ahead and explore them, no matter what they are. I bet you will be pleasantly surprised.
