Two years ago I joined the JV tennis team. My only experience with tennis was a few lessons in the earlier months, and whatever I remembered from the lessons I took in fourth grade. I really wanted to try out because I'd never done a sport, and tennis seemed interesting. My mom had told me not to do it- she was afraid I'd get cut from the team. My annual family trip to Delaware interfered with the tryouts- so until very last minute I couldn't try out. I still made the team because there was an open spot left; and a few people told me everyone usually makes it. No matter what.
My first year on the JV tennis team was something so new for me. I didn't understand what it meant to really work. I was overweight and slow compared to everyone else. I had to chose between a tight fitting medium or an old large dress, because the company was out of larges in the 'new' style. I chose a tight fitting medium, but I didn't regret it. I didn't really give it my all this season because I was new. New was scary. I didn't understand what I was doing. After the banquet had passed I decided that I really wanted to do better next season. Justina had told me she went from exposition to 2nd singles and I thought that was really awesome. I thought I could do that same thing, or at least get to singles.
Singles was my goal and I buckled down and worked as hard as I could through the following winter, spring and summer. Right after the banquet I started taking lessons at Sportime with my best friend Sterling. Still I was clumsy and the one to be the most out of breath. I was at the bottom of skill at my lessons. Jed, the instructor, had always called me out on not moving my feet and running and whatnot. When spring came around, I was improving. I could beat a few of the other people in the group. My shots were still clumsy. A month followed and a guy named Neal came to help out, since the group was getting bigger. We were working on serves, and he told me to relax and just hit the ball. Out of nowhere I slammed the ball into the court. This was the first time I hit a ball from a serve this hard. My movement was finally corrected, and I could finally have a powerful serve. This was the changing point in my tennis carrier. Serving was the most important part of the game- if you didn't have a serve that would make it in the box, there was no way that you could win. I practiced and practiced the rest of spring and into summer, taking more lessons with an obnoxious guy named Sam. He told me his goal was to make me cry, and I kept speaking back to him because he seemed like he was still just a kid. I didn't have any respect for him, as rude as that is. I was the best out of the lesson group. Summer was the season I just played with my friends, my mom, and even my dad. Anyone who wanted to play I would play. Finally tryouts for JV tennis came.
Tryouts went well, I was undefeated a lot. I was extremely happy with my success. Once the first match came around, I looked at the lineup. I was placed at number one singles. My face was priceless. My hard work had paid off.
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