Different Paths Forward and Finding New Goals
A few days ago, I was researching about ways I could put some of my tennis experience to use as a coach. I'm starting to see that even if I don't make it as a tennis professional, I could take other paths and create new goals.
It turns out there's a lot of free coaching knowledge out there! There are many sites that offer tennis coaching education to people who are interested in learning, and the USTA finally has some free options for beginners. I read an article that the USTA is trying to make coaching easier for people to get involved in, so they're investing in education and affordable coaching paths. I was a little daunted by how much effort goes into getting the coaching badge, but fortunately the entry level education isn't as complicated as it was before.
I'm pretty excited to see all these developments, so when I have the time available, I want to explore some of the free coaching resources! Then I can learn how to train students and be more prepared if I become a coach myself one day.
One of the tennis life lessons I learned through changing my path is that it's okay to pivot to something new, even if you spent a lot of time chasing your previous goal. I was working really hard for years to become a pro tennis player, but it didn't work out because of many factors beyond my control.
When COVID-19 happened, that changed a lot of things, and our plan to tour and go to more tournaments in the early 2020's wasn't really possible anymore. I also started realizing how difficult it is to move beyond the very early stages of a pro career, because professional tennis is an expensive sport, and you don't always get the financial support you need to sustain your career. When I saw you have to pay for all of your own coaching, travel, and even health expenses, I began to understand this might not be a feasible path for me.
But I still don't see my time in tennis as a waste. I learned a lot from practicing and honing my skills all those years. I developed positive traits I can carry into a lot of different fields, such as self-discipline, focus, and resilience. And I sure had a lot of adventures! :)
Even in tennis, there are so many other jobs beyond being a pro tennis player. I kept my eyes open and noticed folks taking roles in many different ways, such as running tournaments, working with the logistics, and coaching other players. You don't have to be a pro player to have a job in tennis: there's a lot more you can do!
With this in mind, I'm going to use tennis as one of my foundational skills for whatever else I do, and I'm still open to taking on a tennis-related job if that becomes available. If I become a really good coach, for example, I could find spots where I could train other students who want to learn the game.
And even if I don't get a tennis-related job, I'll never consider learning how to play a sport I love a waste of time! Tennis is still something I really enjoy, and I'll take the lessons from it in the new goals and paths I explore.