“I have discovered one of the most unparalleled sounds to be the ‘pop’ that echoes when a tennis ball makes perfect contact with a swinging racket. The thrill I experience from something so routine in this sport derives from my appreciation for the many skills tennis has taught me as I learn to blossom beyond the game.”
Above is the first paragraph of one of the many essays I wrote while applying to college. You’re probably wondering, how is this relevant?
Someone asked me recently if I had ever played a sport. Now, if you were to look me, you wouldn’t believe I’d been an athlete for at least half of my life, so it’s quite entertaining to see the surprise on peoples’ faces when they find out.
I was about 6 six years old when I had my first tennis lesson at a small sports club in Prescot, Arizona. Little did I know the impact this sport would have on my life…only after I got off the court. I made my way through the middle school tennis team, eventually playing varsity tennis my freshman year of high school. However, soon after, my priorities shifted, and I began to redirect my attention to other aspects of my life, leaving behind my years as a tennis player.
“My dissociation from tennis is not a conventional “failure” but rather a pivotal instance in my life that has taught me to let go and helped me realize the temporary nature of many things, positive and negative, in life. In retrospect, I feel that smaller scale failures prepared me for what was to come. I used to revel in the small victory of winning a point, but it took time to overcome my tendency to dwell on mistakes from the previous play.
Each time I pick up a racket, firmly gripping the handle and swiftly swinging in a ‘follow through’ motion, muscle memory allows me to simulate a swing I practiced consistently for years, teaching me the importance of a solid foundation while simultaneously reminding me of learned lessons.”
When I look back at this essay and on this period in my life, I do so feeling bittersweet. I never thought I’d say it, but I’m yearning to be back on the court. (Although I do love it, table tennis is just not a sufficient substitute!)
So, to those of you with “lost” hobbies, as sappy as it may sound, know that it’s never too late to rekindle that passion, because it’s definitely the next thing on my to-do list.