Tennis Tuesday

            Tuesday nights are something to look forward to during the stressful, hectic, and “lack of sleep” school week. Tennis lessons at Elmcrest Country Club began on the 23^rd. The purpose of these is to begin hitting and practicing so that we are not so rusty when the regular season begins. That way we spend more time working on technique and improving specific skills. Sarah, Marisa, and I are captains this year so we had to get people excited about this opportunity so that we can continue our tradition to state and have a great and successful (for me, senior) tennis season.

            Our first lesson went well and it was fun to play again! I don’t think that coaches are allowed to coach players on the court before the actual season starts, so Coach isn’t at the lesson. Of course, there is a staff member that makes sure we don’t burn down the place. J Because Iowa is an arctic place in the winter and is known for its brutal winters and snowstorms, Elmcrest set up a bubble, which is placed over their outdoor tennis courts until it’s warms enough to play outside. However, it was 75 degrees on Tuesday night, and the bubble was quite warm because it wasn’t set up for those weather conditions. If it hadn’t been so dark, we probably would have played outside and it would have been nicer outside.

Marisa and I are doubles partners and we have been all throughout high school. We played singles against each other on Tuesday because there were 10 people at the lesson and the other eight were playing doubles against each other. The point of the lesson is to practice and improve on your own so it actually worked out well because you have to review and practice singles at some point. Marisa and I don’t like to play each other that much. This is because we know how each other plays too much and we are at the same playing level pretty much. Despite the cons, because of this, we continually learn from our mistakes and improve because we are pushed to play our hardest in practice. 9/10 times it will be extremely close, probably down to a point for a tie.

I am pumped for the spring season and ready to practice in the off-season. I am also eager to see what the season will bring and what we can accomplish with our hardest work and best effort.  (413)