Tenaciously Tennis

Capping off a fantastic season with Goucher tennis this year, the men’s and women’s teams came together on a sunny day to play the annual mixed doubles tournament. Although hampered a little for those invested in the Men’s Lacrosse final, which ended in a 12-8 defeat by the University of Scranton Royals, getting back to the court allowed for a welcome dose of carefree fun.

It’s final’s week, complete with all the stress that comes with the essays, projects, and three-hour exams. Stepping on court without any pressure, and enjoying the company of people who have truly become my family and support system this year, was very welcome. There’s something about the event that allows me to forget any outside worries and just focus on what I love most about tennis: itsquality of bringing people together.

In fact, the event both this year and last reminded me and solidified in my mind why I hope to go into tennis journalism. It’s helped rekindle thoughts about the sport, which has become a passion of mine these past five years.

My love of tennis began when my dad took me to some public, asphalt courts in Long Island on my way to visiting my grandparents. With a couple of racquets in hand, he seemed committed to teaching his son to appreciate at least one sport. I wasn’t so sure about the whole thing from what I can recall. Having never really excelled at athletics, I didn’t feel confident enough to enjoy his initial enthusiasm.

That, however, quickly changed for the better.

With dad’s instruction, I actually found that the game wasn’t too bad afterall. Sure I missed most of the time, and my shots had the tendency to follow the trajectory of a homerun (heck, they still do sometimes during practice), but I remember coming off the court that day with the realization that a)tennis wasn’t so bad afterall and b) spending time with dad could be pretty cool.

To keep it brief, I learned to relish playing with my dad that day and over the subsequent years (although, yes, I would sometimes get a little to competive playing him) and what would later evolve into a family affair, including my grandparents and uncle. I’ve even recruited my brother and sister more recently — I got my brother his first racquet at two years old, talk about pushy, right?.

Mixed doubles with my Goucher College family – the tennis teams – reminded me of all this, and what an awesome feeling it is to play with people you love for fun. That’s the kind of tennis that  keeps me so enthused writing about, and which I hope to make a career of in the coming years.

For more about the Goucher College athletics program, click here.