I grew up playing tennis at least once a week, so when I got to high school, trying out for the tennis team was a given. I played on the team for all four years, and I definitely had a lot of rewarding, funny, and sometimes downright weird experiences. Anyone who played high school tennis will have recognize at least a couple these experiences from being on a high school tennis team.
1. Tryouts were the most stressful time of the season.
The end of season tournaments also gave you stress, but the beginning of a new season means that everyone is on an even playing field, and you are not guaranteed the position you had last year. There is always the uneasiness that someone new is better than you
2. You still have to practice in the offseason.
Coupling with the last one, you need to keep playing a lot in winter and spring because if you stop, you will be rusty when it comes to tryouts. There is never a break, but you’re okay with it because tennis is the best.
3. You start out the season in shorts, but end it in sweats.
Since fall sports begin in August, it is 80 degrees outside, and you realize that you had no idea that people can sweat that much. However, when state tournaments come around in October, it is freezing and raining.
4. Winning a long match is the best feeling.
While easily beating someone is a good confidence boost, it is way more rewarding to feel like you earned the win. Pouring everything you have into a two and a half hour match and winning gives you a great sense of accomplishment.
5. Are you sure? This is something that every tennis player has either heard or said. However, when the girl you are playing overuses it, it just becomes irritating.
6. The different types of grunts you hear.
A stereotype of tennis players is that whenever we swing our racquet, we loudly grunt. While this is not true for most high school girls, there is always that one who basically screams every time she this the ball.
7. All of the different handshakes you make.
This is at least true for doubles players because every time your partner hits a good shot, you have to do your handshake! Whether it’s just a high five or a more complicated one, every doubles team has to have one.
8. The snacks are the best.
Sometimes after a long day at school, you don’t feel like playing tennis for three hours. But, the snacks that the parents bring make it all worth it. My teammates and I were like six year olds at their Little League game when the parents would bring snacks for the match.
9. A new racquet makes you feel unbeatable.
When you get new equipment, whether its shoes, a racquet, or just a vibration dampener, you feel like a new player. You are the coolest one on the court!
10. Your teammates are your family.
Spending every day together for three months really bonds you with all of the other girls on the team. You know what is going on in everyone else’s lives because you are a tennis family. You’re sad when the season is over, mostly because you don’t get to see everyone every day, but you it makes you look forward to next season even more!