I was at the Eastview tennis courts tonight; I was supposed to be
giving lessons, but about 15 minutes in the rain started. As I was packing up,
two kids who had just finished playing soccer on the field next to the courts
came over with a soccer ball and started playing foot tennis. I see this all
the time at school. The men's team always play after tennis practice with the
soccer team, and I'm always impressed. They have so much control. Our men’s
team is able to control the tennis ball with their feet just as well as they
can with their racket.
These two kids who were playing did not
display the same control I see with our men’s team, but I was just as
impressed. Not because of how they handled the ball, but because of how eager
they were: they had just finished playing and even though it was raining and
they couldn’t use the field since another game was going on, they found a way
to keep playing.
I grabbed a tennis ball and walked over to them and asked them if they had ever played foot tennis with a tennis ball. They said they hadn't. I told them how I know a bunch of guys who play scholarship sports and do it all the time. I told them if they practiced and continued to play soccer and work hard maybe they could get a scholarship or even go pro. Their faces lit up. I told them that they should try playing foot tennis with a tennis ball and I gave them a tennis ball. The boys were so thankful. They couldn't believe that I said they could keep the ball. They started to try immediately.
I grabbed a tennis ball and walked over to them and asked them if they had ever played foot tennis with a tennis ball. They said they hadn't. I told them how I know a bunch of guys who play scholarship sports and do it all the time. I told them if they practiced and continued to play soccer and work hard maybe they could get a scholarship or even go pro. Their faces lit up. I told them that they should try playing foot tennis with a tennis ball and I gave them a tennis ball. The boys were so thankful. They couldn't believe that I said they could keep the ball. They started to try immediately.
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| USCA Soccer team and fans at the PBC soccer championships during fall 2012 |
As I was leaving I watched them play; they
were excited and I was excited. I could tell these kids loved their sport and
they were inspired by the idea that they could get a scholarship or even go
pro. These young athletes clearly had passion, displayed by their practicing in
the rain. I am also quite sure they were great kids - I've never seen kids so
gracious for being given an old tennis ball.
I hope our athletes see the lesson here. There is always a way to practice. Even if it’s raining and you can’t get on the court you can shadow swing, do fitness, review previous matches, write down your goals, or watch instructional videos online. We forget that talent is not our natural ability. When we look at the athletes most praised for their talent such as Wayne Gretzky or Michael Jordan we often overlook that they are also known for practicing more than anyone else. Talent is what we create by putting forth every effort we have. Talent is hard work. We can do whatever we put our minds to.
I hope our athletes see the lesson here. There is always a way to practice. Even if it’s raining and you can’t get on the court you can shadow swing, do fitness, review previous matches, write down your goals, or watch instructional videos online. We forget that talent is not our natural ability. When we look at the athletes most praised for their talent such as Wayne Gretzky or Michael Jordan we often overlook that they are also known for practicing more than anyone else. Talent is what we create by putting forth every effort we have. Talent is hard work. We can do whatever we put our minds to.
