With Confidence and Joy

9 months after I started playing tennis, I finally have won a singles match. It felt good. It was jumping up and down, hooting and cheering, unbelievably good.

I walked into the tennis club tonight with butterflies in my stomach and my hands shaking from nerves. Halfway through the match, we took a quick water break and I could barely drink from my water bottle because my hands shook so badly. My hands still shook when we handed in our score card at the end.

My goal in tennis is always to have fun, but I also hope to grow to into a player and a person who has more confidence, both on and off the court. I am just a beginner and I will probably stay a beginner for years and years, but I’d like to be a beginner who embraces the game with confidence and joy.

I have a feeling tonight’s win will go a long way to helping me achieve that goal.