Tennis - 4/13/10

I had my first official JV tennis match today against Barnstable. I was very nervous and had no idea what to expect at all. I'm just proud of myself for not backing out, because I really felt unprepared and inexperienced. Of course I was willing to give it my all though, and so I arrived early to the courts in order to warm up. After practicing, I was paired with Luke as first doubles and we began our match.

The match started off very poorly for us, and we were quickly at a deficit of 5-0. My nerves were really affecting my game and I became aware that I desperately need to work on controlling them so that I might be able to focus and improve. I was having difficulty receiving the balls and predicting at all what the other team would do. However, I slowly began to realize that this game is just for fun and it doesn't matter how well I appear to be playing, as long as I am giving it the most effort imaginable. The next game I served, and with my newfound confidence we were able to win. Luke and I worked smoothly together and began to focus on simply returning the ball with accuracy instead of thinking of fancy shots and our nerves. The set score improved to 5-2, but we lost the next game, making the set final 6-2.

Our next set was very similar to the first one. We started off a bit shaken and intimidated, but we improved and sparked a come-from-behind rally, which was impressive but overall ineffective in clinching the win. We lost 6-2 again, terminating the match. I was proud of our teamwork and determination though, and we didn't give up even though the other team had far superior skills. It was a great first match and my skills were clearly put to the test. I need work in forehand power and backhand technique, but I was pleased with my serves as we won three of the four games I served.

Coach mentioned to me at the end of the match that he was thinking of putting me in varsity as second doubles. This would be a huge new challenge for me to undertake, being such an amateur, but it will be fun to practice and see if it's a possibility. I am honored by his nomination but I feel that I am not ready for a commitment as great as varsity; I haven't harnessed my skills fully and I am incredibly busy with school, work, and EC's to be able to attend all of the varsity matches.