For the past four years, we’ve cheered our daughter on as she pursued the sport she loves.
We’ve sat at home court and watched for hours on end, and we’ve traveled to matches and tournaments locally and (again) watched for hours on end.
Think sunshine. Sunburn. Extreme heat. Exhaustion.
Why?
Well, if you have a kiddo who plays sports, you well understand.
And if you don’t have a child involved in sports, just envision four or more days of the week spent shuttling back-and-forth between home and school to practices, matches, tournaments, and eating establishments (unless you pack a cooler—which we usually do, though not always.)
It’s a busy, exciting time where the season is short, but intense. We literally meet ourselves coming and going, and the hours between bedtime and morning are far too brief.
Despite this…our daughter loves the sport.
She loves the feel of the racket in her hand…
…the adrenaline that courses through her body right before that first shot.
…the high that comes from teamwork with her doubles partner and the sense of self-reliance when playing singles.
…the feeling of achievement. Success. Victory.
She’ll persevere through sunburn, blisters, hunger, and muscle pain to accomplish a goal.
Now, of course, her goal is to win, but even when the odds aren’t in her favor, she plays through to the end—and sometimes, the tide turns.
She’ll catch her second wind.
She’ll try a different strategy.
She won’t give up.
From the time our daughter started playing tennis as a high school freshman, she was smitten with the sport. She was willing to endure the hard work to improve her performance and advance her game.
As the only senior on the varsity tennis team (or the entire team, for that matter), there’s a new fire in her eyes.
“I want to help my team be the best they can be. And I want to prove to myself that I have what it takes to win.”
So…
I sit back and marvel at this kiddo of ours.
She’s learned some valuable lessons.
- She can’t persevere without expending some effort—in sports or in life.
- Sometimes, we have to jump in with both feet, fearful or not, and go for broke.
- We must follow-through on our swing—anticipating what the outcome will be, but knowing we may have to modify our strategy to get there.
Our varsity tennis team’s 2nd place trophy in a recent tournament. A much-deserved win!
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PLEASE SHARE
Does your child play sports? (A tennis mom’s perspective.)
To achieve the desired outcome, we must be resilient.
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Three Heartfelt, Homespun Thoughts to Light Up Your Day
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What’s something that has taught you perseverance?
How does society view perseverance?
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See you back on Friday!
Until then—
Much Love and Many Blessings,
