Keep on Swinging

Tennis is one of my favorite sports--both to play and to watch. Last Saturday I went and watched my first BYU men's tennis match. I've been wanting to go for some time, and the advertised free pizza sealed the deal. I was quite impressed with the exciting and fast-paced tennis our team played. Surprisingly, only 2 of our 12 players were from the United States.

At one point during a doubles match, BYU was down 6 games to 7 (they were playing to 8). One of the BYU players made a frustrating mistake, but they went back and gave each other a high five nonetheless. Right now you are probably thinking, "Oh, I bet they came back and won." If so, you are wrong! They did come back and tied 7 to 7, but they lost the tie breaker and hence the match. However, I was impressed that they never gave any indication of giving up. Even when things looked grim, they kept on swinging.

Reflecting on their mental toughness and determination helped me recognize how far I have come in my mental capacity. When I first started playing I usually beat myself before my opponent had the chance. If you have never played, then you probably don't understand that tennis is perhaps more of a mental sport than a physical one. It can be easy to get in your own head and give up mentally, even though you keep moving your body and trying physically. From my experience, in this state it is nigh impossible to attain victory. While I still am not perfect at this, I am much better at maintaining a positive attitude and continuing to fight, even when the scoreboard says I'm down and out. Can you see where I'm going with this? I think life is more of a mental sport than a physical one. Don't let others get you down or discourage you from reaching your dream. Even if things don't work out now, there is much to be gained in the struggle at hand. Keep on swinging.