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Hi TL!
This is my first OP and blog, but it's because I'm overwhelmingly sad and I thought I could get some help. Last week was tennis tryouts, and I did not play at my ability at all. And on Saturday, I got cut. I dealt with this by just playing some BW, but today, it's just been too much. All my friends (3) that play with me made it, though they're around my level. Of course I'm happy for them, but they'll get a lot better by playing so much while me, not so much. This will let them get into varsity next year while I barely have a chance (I'm a sophomore now, so next year varsity is pretty much a must.) Due to this, my parents will stop getting me private lessons to further stunt my growth, and they want me to quit. Tennis has been the only productive thing that I really liked, and now it seems I'll have to part with it forever. On top of this, I needed PE credits, but can't even do track because the season's already started. I can't even bear imagining my friends playing tennis for the next 3 years with me just sitting at home. I can't help but feel like the world is over. I don't want to do my normal things like practicing piano or doing homework because it just feels so pointless. Sorry for just ranting, but I really need some help. Thanks guys.
Edit: Tennis isn't really a career thing, but just something I really like to do. Also, my team is extremely competitive. I'm not very good, but I know I'm good enough for JV, but I was really bad on the 3 tryout days
Edit2: These 4 posts have actually helped a lot! I feel like I can go somewhere. Now I have the chance to focus my energy on piano, or tell my parents that I really want to pursue tennis. I'm still in a dilemma as to whether I want to spend a whole year for the chance I get into tennis, including all the money that goes into lessons or just do track next year. The money it'll take to improve as much as my friends will though will be tremendous (a tennis membership to some club plus lessons so that I can play as much as they do)
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The best advice I can give you is that if you truly want to pursue tennis as your passion/career, don't give up, think of this as a minor setback. Just because you didn't make it this time, that's all the more reason you should try harder for next time! Practice up, or if you don't want to continue playing tennis, move on to something else. You said you played piano, why not give that a try for a while? Sometimes it takes people years to find their calling, it's possible you just haven't found yours yet.
Best of luck to you in whatever it is you attempt ^_^
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Not sure how I can help you, that's a shitty situation.. If you really love tennis keep playing and try your best.
I hope things work out for you man, good luck.
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What division is your school in? Is it a 5A school? I've never heard of anyone being cut from a team. Typically, a person can be demoted to junior varsity until their senior year. Keep taking private lessons and ease your way into the team. People will drop off or fail their classes and then the coach needs players.
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Life isn't always easy. If you really feel that strongly about tennis then don't despair so easily. Make sure your parents understand how passionate you are, if you are able to continue with your lessons there is still a good chance you can make varsity next year if you give it your all. Where you are at right now sucks but it's definitely not the end of the world.
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How long have you been taking lessons for? I took lessons for about 6 months, and I stopped when my parents told me I had to start paying for them. Really, if you know how to flat serve and slice serve, and can make hits mostly consistently, you're not gaining much from lessons aside from a motivational boost.
If you don't make team this year, keep playing! You don't need the private tutoring, but do go out and hit every week with your friends. Not making JV this year would be disappointing, but it's not the end of the world. I went from absolute garbage in my Freshman year to the #1 position player my senior year with a lot of competition. Tennis is a very fun game.
If your parents are ragging on you for playing, have them watch an organized match against your friends. My dad thought I was a lost cause when he saw me hitting against my teacher's tennis ball machine, but hitting against him or my friends, he saw my strengths playing in real situations.
Good luck!
EDIT: If your coach is nice, and there's enough room, you will probably be allowed to come to practices and work with other players. Think of it as free lessons! Assuming your coach is any good, you'll have a few improvements each day of practice. Even if they totally suck, you'll have a chance to play a few times a week right after school.
Just ask your coach if you can play JV, and just be nice about it. Any coach who isn't a total dick wants people who are willing to work on their game, especially in something like Tennis, which isn't exactly the most popular sport.
EDIT2: I sound like a broken record, it's been a long day >.> Time for some sleep
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I don't know if you should hang onto this desperately... for all things not intended for long-term career development (including your favourite hobbies and pastimes), there comes a time when you have to put it aside.
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1. Find your coach's phone number.
2. Find $500 somewhere.
3. You know what to do.
4. ???.
I would not give up before you try all the options. Make a plea man.
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Hey man, I know your exact pain right now. It's unbelievable how much your story coincides with mine. My dad recently watched a match and started yelling stuff at me in the middle of the match and I just yelled out "Go home" to the fence not directly at him, but he was pretty pissed.
Now he's decided to stop paying for my tennis and piano lessons and forced me to just do all this on my own because he says that all the lessons I'm taking are for nothing since being the top of varsity + captain isn't good enough. So now I'm in a pickle and I don't know what to do either. Don't let your parents bring you down, just make your own resolve to get better. From this point on, until your parents decide to help you, you have to show that you are willing to really work for this.
There are coaches out there who are willing to give lessons for free to anyone who is willing to learn. One of my friends, raised in the darker parts of town I might say, has one of those coaches and he's actually very good for being self-taught with a bit of free coaching on the side. You can't give up on this if you REALLY like it. If you aren't angry, then you don't care enough.
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If your TeamLiquid name is Never.Say.GG, you're kind of being a hypocrite there, you know? Get your ass working hard, hope for some good fortune and improve. By yourself. If you really love the sport, and love it as in want to play it every aching second, you'll find a way. Down to the gym, in a club, whatever. Anything it takes to get better, and make the team the next time around. In fact, you actually may improve more off a team. While your friends are content with simply being on the team, you're doing everything in your ability to get better. You'll develop much faster than them. Spend the money. Don't regret later on when you can't make up the lost time. Your parents will always be there to support you. Just be there to support yourself as well. Show them you're actually interested; that this is not just a phase. If they keep treating you like it, take it and try to tough it out by getting a job and paying for your own lessons. Or talk to them after a few days, and tell them your story. Unless they're a**holes, I'm pretty sure they'll understand (also unless you're really poor).
That, or ask the coach to reassess you. But I would hate it if someone challenged my decision.
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Dude I played tennis in high school and made state every year and really all the practice you need is wall practice man. Consistency is key you cant doubt yourself. As soon as I learned how to make my kick serve bounce whatever direction I wanted, I abused the shit out of it. I played tennis only to beat rich kids who got lessons since they were 6. In the end Tennis is a game. You must love what you do even if your losing you should always be having fun. I asst coach kids at my old high school now and there a lot of kids who suck bad but it really takes a lot of losing to start really winning. If you backhand is bad just learn a backhand slice. Youtube that kick serve. Its pretty awesome tool to have and I always saw it as a 80% in serve to me so it was both my first and second serve. Check it out. Although I warn you it'll keep your forearm sore if you do it too much at first.
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Michael Jordan tried to make the varsity basketball team his sophomore year as well... he got cut.
Personally I would turn all of this into motivation to become better. I'm not sure how you become motivated, but when someone tells me I can't do something or I'm not good enough, they are about to get proven wrong. Fuck them, practice more and come back stronger.
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The best things you can develop playing at a high school level are your serve and return game. These are the 2 most important shots in tennis (because they happen every game) You don't really need lessons on these 2 aspects(once you know proper techniques) as repetition is all you will need to improve this. Develop a strong kick/american twist serve that's consistent. If you can improve these 2 aspects of your game you will EASILY make varsity. I was pretty piss poor at everything besides serving and forehands/backhand slice. My volleys were average my foot speed was lower than average but I won so many free points from serve and return that I made the team and continued to progress up the depth chart off of those 2 things alone.
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On February 14 2011 15:12 zerglingsfolife wrote: when someone tells me I can't do something or I'm not good enough, they are about to get proven wrong. Fuck them, practice more and come back stronger.
This is something you should always keep with you. Whenever someone tells me I can't do something, or that they're better than me in something, they'd better be ready to prove it to me, because I don't take that lying down. And if it turns out they are better than me, I will work ridiculously hard to prove them wrong.
If a coach says I don't have the talent, but I do have the talent, and I do have the passion, I will be back the next year ready to destroy anyone I play. Because it's not about anything but motivation.
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On February 14 2011 15:05 Silent12ill wrote: I played tennis only to beat rich kids who got lessons since they were 6.
Win
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EPT
