The Role Of Tennis In My Life
Playing Tennis and being a professional tennis athlete has always been an integral part of my life. From my first Tournament at the age of 8, to playing for the country, to being a full time professional on the international circuit, I have always felt sense of joy watching and playing the game. Through the years, Tennis as a sport has helped me understand myself better by exposing me to elements outside of my scope and for this reason; I believe this application would be incomplete without emphasizing the impact the sport has had on me. As I embark on my collegiate career, I believe that the lessons learnt on the tennis court are life lessons that will help me in the next stage of my career. Losing even on my best days, I have learnt to treat them equally, to learn and take everything in my stride. It was important to stay disciplined and humble, having understood that nothing in life can be taken for granted.
Moreover, tennis is such a quick game, which requires constant strategizing to stay in the match. The ball is back at you as soon as you have executed the shot, which has taught me to always stay in the present and not dwell on the past. Tennis is a game that requires constant strategizing to overcome an opponent. Over time, this aspect of the game has taught me to have the mindset of always anticipating solutions for potential roadblocks. The sport has given me the opportunity to interact with people from various cultures and I have been lucky to witness delightful diverse communities and build camaraderie with them. Being from a conservative Indian society, accepting many non-Indian customs, which seemed liberal, was difficult. However, the extensive travel, supplemented with the “go with the flow” attitude taught me to be more open-minded and appreciate people for who they are.
Overall, the sport has taught me the importance of understanding the “big” picture. End of the day, it is not about the wins and losses but the experience. After all, we are nothing but the sum of our experiences. Tennis gave me an opportunity to see the world and made me understand that I wanted to be in an environment where I am not confined to a choice, but rather be in a fluid environment where I am able to explore and present myself with opportunities to grow as a person, and not just academically and athletically and being a student athlete would allow me to achieve that.
