Why Tennis?

All who know me, know I LOVE tennis. I love to play tennis and I love to watch tennis. The Wimbledon Championships have just concluded, and tennis is on my mind. Why? Because I truly believe that tennis is the best sport out there.

When you go to the courts, you see 5 year olds playing and 85 year olds playing. When you get older (or pregnant, or have an injury that slows you down) it doesn't have to be jarring or hard on your body (you don't have to play like Nadal)! You can play at a slow pace, take lots of time between points, and learn to direct the ball well enough to where you don't have to run all over the court. My dad has had surgery on both knees from high-school football injuries, and he basically has no cartilage left and finds it extremely painful to sprint. But he can basically stand still and place the ball so well as to run me all over the court!!!

The better shape you get in, the more balls you can go after, the more you can focus on technique and proper use of muscles, the more power you can put into your serve, etc. But you don't have to do any of these things to thoroughly enjoy the sport! Most people, after a few times on the court, can learn to hit the ball well enough to play simple games. It's also a social sport. You can play singles and make it highly competitive if you like, or you can play doubles and go for a more relaxed social aspect; you can even play mixed-doubles and make it a couples event. For example: my husband and I used to play at a private club in Louisiana with about 5 other couples on Friday nights. We were the youngest on the courts by about 30 years - and they were awesome. I think that is where we learned to truly just enjoy the sport. It was such a blast because everyone was out there to have fun - not prove how awesome they were. We'd draw cards to see who our partners and opponents were going to be - so you didn't necessarily play with your spouse. We'd play three rounds, best of 8 games (everyone got to serve twice).We even brought drinks (yes, adult beverages) in thermoses - and sipped on them WHILE we played! :) Then whoever wanted to go out to eat afterward, did. It was awesome and something we looked forward to all week! And we played year-round...in Louisiana!!! Same is true anywhere: if it's cold - just add more layers and once you get warmed up, you'll be fine. I've literally played in 30 degree weather with 100% humidity. The ball bounce gets a little funny - but still doable! I'm a total wimp about being in the heat, but when it comes to tennis - it's amazing what you can take as long as you stay well-hydrated. I've been on the courts for 3 hours in the middle of the day, in 100 degree weather. Not ideal, but I was just fine! Plus, it is a great way to get a significant amount of exercise, without even really noticing it! A friend of mine put on her pedometer during an average 1.5 hour doubles match once; she went nearly 10,000 steps! Sure, an hour and a half is a long time to work-out if you're in a gym on the treadmill or elliptical machine - but when you're playing a fun, social tennis match, it literally flies by! Some argue that it is not a good cardio workout because there is so much stopping and starting, but that is actually really good for your heart! Another friend of mine wore a heart monitor during a singles match and found that her range was between 128 - 165, with an average elevated heart-rate of about 145. Try keeping up that average on a treadmill for 1.5 hours without killing yourself!!!

And if this wasn't enough incentive to get out to the courts, it's a cheap sport to play! Sure, you can make anything expensive (join a club, buy a $250 racquet, join leagues, buy the best gear, etc) - but in tennis, you don't have to. You can buy a super-cheap racquet at Target for $20; it may not be the best, but it will certainly work. A can of balls can be bought for less than $2 and it will last you a while. In the beginning, you're not going to be hitting the ball hard. Unless your playing on wet courts (which I don't recommend), or extremely cold weather, balls should last for at least 2-3 outings. Most public courts are free to use. Regular sports clothes (t-shirt, shorts, and non-skid athletic shoes) are all you need.

These are all great benefits to the sport and make it an awesome activity, but what makes the sport really special to me is the the way it is designed. It is a "gentleman's/lady's sport". There is no room for violence. Nobody is breaking out in fist-fights (like in basketball, hockey, football, and even baseball and soccer occasionally). Yes, the players are human, so every now and then you've got those who engage in unsportsmanlike conduct (like McEnroe in the 80's, Serena Williams in last year's US Open) - but those are so rare in tennis that they make headline news for weeks, if not months! The game is essentially designed to be played "on your honor" with the utmost respect for your opponent. You're responsible for anything that happens on your side of the court; that means you're expected to be honest about things like foot-faults, double-bounces, and most of all - line calls. That also means you have to trust your opponent to do the same for you. So much of tennis requires respect for your opponent. You generally decide who will serve first based on a completely un-biased coin toss (or spinning the racquet). The person who wins is supposed to extend the courtesy to his opponent and let them then choose which side of the court they'd like to start on. Opponents generally wish each other a good match. Opponents sit on the same side of the court during turn-overs. At the conclusion, you must shake hands - this is not optional. Opponents watch out for the others safety by alerting the other when an un-seen ball may roll into their path and perhaps cause a stumble. On-lookers are expected to clap appropriately for good plays without partiality; they are never allowed to holler or shout during points - so as to show respect for the concentration required by both players.

When players don't behave, they aren't excused with a simple verbal warning - or bad press. If a player smashes their racquet in anger, they are fined. If there is audible profanity, they are fined. If they are in any way disrespectful to the lines-person or umpire, or their opponent, or even the fans, they are fined. And on a local level (within leagues and USTA), complaints can be made against players who do these sorts of things - and there are repercussions (like being fined, or having membership revoked).

So, to sum it all up: I love being a part of a sport that is not only cheap, enjoyable at any age or level, and easy to play year-round, but one that requires its participants to act with dignity and respect. It, at its very core, insists on true sportsmanship - where the emphasis is not just on winning, but your attitude and demeanor. It fosters truly good role-models for us, and our children.

So get out on the courts: the US needs players that it can be proud of!

Introduction

This blog will be a very simple out-pouring of my even simpler thoughts. I will touch on a number of subjects, including (but not limited to): music, sports, pregnancy, child-rearing, relationships, health, money, and whatever else that happens to be weighing heavily on my mind at the time that I feel like writing. It's not going to be a personal blog - where I recount the events of my day like a diary. I have nothing against those types of blogs, and have loved reading them in the past. However, I want this to be more of a catching ground for my thoughts, rather than recording the events of my life. That being said, it is sometimes hard to separate the two. Things that are going to be "weighing heavily on me" - are likely going to relate to what is going on in my life. So that's it. Hope you find it interesting/entertaining! Feel free to leave comments - but leave it to content comments, please (in other words, don't correct my grammar)!