Winning Another Champion Trophy!
Well, I surprised myself by winning another champion trophy at a USTA tournament! I was playing matches in Edison at its college. When I played there, it was a super hot day, and so we all tried to find some relief in the shade.
I played a USTA Open event, where everyone can participate. It was a lot of fun! Although I was a little slow to warm up in the beginning, I ended up winning both of the matches I played. When I finished, I was surprised and happy to receive a USTA champion trophy!
One of the things I learned through playing these matches is that I often play better when I relax more. At first, I was nervous and worrying about whether I'd win the matches or not, but then I told myself, "Just relax. If you lose, it's not a big deal. Have fun out there!" As I started to enjoy myself more, I began to have a lot of fun. I experimented with more touch shots at the net, and I learned how to mix up the pace so I could make the match a fun challenge for my opponents.
The life lesson I learned from playing those matches is that even when you're dealing with struggles, it helps to relax and try to calm your mind. A day before the match began, I received some scary news about a health issue I'm dealing with, so I was really jittery in the beginning. But I felt playing tennis would help me get my mind off my troubles, and it worked. Even though I was nervous at first, I told myself to relax, and that made a difference in how I played.
My opponents gave a great battle, too, and I really enjoyed playing them. We all shared celebration photos together after the matches were over!
Another life lesson I learned came from one of the players I competed against - her name is Crystal. After we played, she talked about how important it is to find joy in life, and to live your life in joy. That made me smile, and I realized she was right. Even though I was dealing with a stressful situation with the health concern I had, I could still find joy by having fun on the tennis court.
Now that I've won these matches, I've reached the number 1 spot in the Open rankings, in my district of the New Jersey Region! I'm also ranked number 4 in the Eastern section. These are great improvements, and I believe that as I keep playing, I'll build my national ranking high enough to start improving my chances of competing in ITF (International Tennis Federation) events. One of the tips I learned from former competitive players is that it's best to start with small goals. Before you think about playing in a big stadium, try to be the best player in your city, state, and nation. As you get more confident with these smaller goals, you can tackle the larger ones!
So right now, I'm taking it one step at a time. I'll start by winning smaller tournaments, like the local Open events, and then I'll graduate to bigger tournaments and more experienced opponents. Over time, if everything works out, I'll gain enough experience and ranking points to play even better players, and I'll be winning ITF matches soon.
Thanks for reading! Here's a picture of me and my mom with the trophy.
