Learning from Mistakes One day that I will probably never forget is the day that I had to play Jonathan Walker. He was easily the best table tennis player in our school and he had even been offered to play on the National Junior team. I remember the match as if it was yesterday. It was the time of year when competition smelled thick in the air and everyone was excited about Inter-House Sports. I was particularly involved in Tennis and Chess but I was really excited about Table Tennis as I had been named Vice-Captain. It was a grueling school day that had ended with an arduous 120-minute Chemistry practical. The school bell that rang was like sweet music to my ears and the only thought that whisked through my mind was that of going home and sleeping in my big, comfortable bed. Just then, I remembered that the Table Tennis contest between Team C and Team D which also incidentally the finals, was at 4:00 p.m. I sluggishly changed into the clothes that I had in my locker and headed for the Games Room. I was very tired and hoped that I would have an easy opponent. However, this was not to be my lucky day. The captain of our team, Jason, was sick so I had to play the opposing captain, namely, Jonathan. Panic and doom were those thoughts that dominated my mind when I was told this. However, I was always an optimist and tried to convince myself that I could defeat him (Yeah right!). We approached the table and shook hands. In the few initial minutes, we warmed up, just casually rallying the ball around, but even then he was playing better tennis than I ever had. The coach then blew his whistle which concluded the warm up and signaled the commencement of the match. At this point in time, I tried to swallow all the fear and anxiety that I had and to face my opponent valiantly and courageously. The match began and before I had fully realized, he had won the first game 21-05. He had won it with the utmost ease, returning even my best shots without any struggles or even remote difficulty. I tried not to feel discouraged, saying to myself that he still had two more games to win and that I would not give in without a fight.
Years of playing the game and not improving, Gawande incidentally finds himself play tennis with a young man who is a tennis couch. The young man gives Gawande a tip about keeping his feet under his body when hitting the ball. At first he is uncertain, stating, “My serve had always been the best part of my game….. With a few minutes of tinkering, he’d added at least ten miles an hour to my serve. I was serving harder than I ever had in my life” (Gawande, 2011, p.3).
Jimmy worked like a demon to make up for the difference. By age 8, Jimmy was skillful enough to enter into tournaments, and he made a good showing in them. Jimmy did not win his first tournament until he was in the ten-year-old competition. The losses only gave him determination and the wins only gave humbleness. Jimmy Connors, a paragon of all sorts, had an unconquerable spirit. Jimmy knew that he had to be himself out on the tennis courts if he wanted to succeed. At times in Jimmy’s career, he was known as a spoiled brat for his cocky attitude. He was often called “mouth”. He had this spirit ever since he was a young boy. Being the smaller kid of his age group, he had to have something to hold onto.
The game was one sided with us scoring early on then again in the second half. The final score was 2-0. I was ecstatic, I couldn’t believe that we had won the tournament. At the presentation of the trophy, all I could hear was the parents shouting and screaming, I was so proud to be part of the team.
Coakley, J. J., & Donnelly, P. (2007). Violence in Sports . Sports in society: issues & controversies (9th ed., pp. 198-199). Boston: McGraw-Hill Higher Education.
It was the match that we have been waiting for all week. We had battled out set after set and we were in the top three doubles left in the tournament. As we faced our coaches on the green, dusty clay court that we had practiced on against them throughout the summer, laughing and improving night after night, I knew that all the work was worth it. We were playing two of the best tennis player I know, and this time it wasn’t practice; we were playing them in competition. Shot after shot went by, and after an amazing comeback on our part, the match ended with us losing a close breathtaking set. We had seen how far we had come by almost winning against our coaches, the people who had helped make us the players we are today. Competitions like this one only reinforced why we practiced and worked hard. It reminded me of last year’s districts where we played another set of highly trained identical twins, and lost by a small margin. That competition, which has only propelled our intensity of practice this senior year, and others like it: the mini matches at practice, the matches we play against the teams around us, the nerve racking seeding tournaments that place us on the team, are tests for us; they showed us how we improved and what we had to work on. Our first ever competition that we won was one of the best days I’ve experienced; as we walked off the court smiling wide
When I realized I was playing against her my confidence left me, like the air I was breathing out. Luckily, I was playing Noor in doubles first so I thought I could strategize and try to pinpoint her strengths and weaknesses. So, my partner and I stepped onto the court, and found ourselves down by three games in less than ten minutes. We tried to relax ourselves and play better but only got more tensed and therefore lost the match in less than an hour...
Coming towards what most likely is the end of my tennis career, I have begun to reminisce on how I have adapted and grown as a player. I think one of my biggest growth periods in my game came after I really started to focus more on my mental tennis. It is one of those things that you don 't think about much when you are just learning the game but becomes an essential part of developing into a better player.
“Marrero and Verdasco mixed up net and baseline play to negotiate a break of the Stepanek serve to 30 for a 5-4 lead in the first set.” This is the language of tennis and this is what I belong to. I’m a big tennis fan and also a tennis player. I will watch every single match in the ATP world tour final and the World Cup of Tennis. Tennis match gets me excited and bursts my fire inside my heart. I love tennis so I join tennis team in high school and in college. Tennis has made a significant impact to the world and unlike other sports, each member has their own unique ranking in the team, ranking is essential for each tennis team member. From No.1 to the last number, every player will fight for their highest ranking and try to challenge the one above their number. Tennis is cruel and challenging, but that is why I love it.
At this moment when I am sitting down here writing this, I suddenly think of this time last year when I was fresh out of high school, hearing about Berea for the first time. I sent my application to Berea with lots of confidence and hope, and I knew I was not accepted. College to me, as much as to many others, is so important. At the time I heard the news of my being denied, I was disappointed, but soon I realized that my failure was just among the many challenges that anybody has to face during their lifetime. Further more, I happened to know, later on, about the two other Vietnamese who were accepted. Having known that hardly ever more than one student from each country is accepted to Berea, I was so proud to know that the ability of Vietnamese students has been recognized and that, despite of the fact that our country still faces many difficulties, the students have been trying to reach high goals.
Some sports are violent by nature. Boxing is the obvious example, where physical attack is the point of the exercise. There has been much debate over the sport with many calling for its abolition. Other sports, such as wrestling and the martial arts, also involve one-on-one unarmed combat. These forms of "violence" are within the rules of the sport and the possibility of injury is well known by participants.
My love for tennis blossomed at the young age of eleven. During middle school my peers knew me as the boy who was remarkably talented at tennis and I savored that title. Butterflies floated throughout my youthful body whenever someone complimented me. As the years passed, my dad nurtured me into a top player. Before I knew it high school arrived and it was time to compete at a higher level. My excitement was out of this world, but I knew my dad could no longer push me forward and my future was up to me. However, the ego I developed over the years blocked what lie in front of me. I wasn’t looking at the bigger picture; the hard work demanded of me, teamwork, and the motivation to reach an ultimate goal. Throughout my four years of participating
My first volleyball game! I hopped out of bed, and got ready faster than I have every gotten ready before. I was in the car before I even knew it.
The crucial importance and relevance of economics related disciplines to the modern world have led me to want to pursue the study of these social sciences at a higher level. My study of Economics has shown me the fundamental part it plays in our lives and I would like to approach it with an open mind - interested but not yet fully informed.
First I am going to give you some tips to ensure that you are fully prepared for your job interview.
During our tennis season in the fall, our team participates in many competitions. I try to encourage my teammates to keep this same attitude to always give their absolute hardest on the court during competitions, as well as during practice. I learned this year as captain, that a group of individuals, united by a common goal and drive, can accomplish great achievements. We fought hard and made it to the Regional Semifinals, and completed our season ranked as the number six team in the state of Texas.