Summer Games Tennis

Can I just tell you how insane last weekend was? I signed up to volunteer for and play tennis in the summer games, and Thursday, Friday, and Saturday were some of the busiest and hardest-working days I've put in in a long, long time! But it was all worth it. I helped out the tennis coordinator (Karen, you're awesome) and played womens singles and mixed doubles with Ben. Needless to say, I was slightly busy. ;)

Not only were those days plenty busy, but the whole experience was kind of surreal in a way. I set out to accomplish a goal to win a medal...and I succeeded! I earned a silver medal in singles, and it was a long road to get there.

My first match was Thursday at 12:30. I was a bit keyed up, as I hadn't played singles seriously in a while. Not to mention the day before was so ridiculously windy it was rattling the siding on our house and blowing everything all over creation. Thank goodness it died down and was beautiful tennis weather Thursday. Unfortunately, my mental game was all out of whack and I lost my first match 4-6, 5-7. A match I should have won. I knew I was a better player than my opponent, and not in a cocky I'm-so-much-better-than-her way, but just in the way that I knew I could have won. I just hoped that I would be able to meet up with her again and get her. Nothing personal. I just wanted the win. That loss put me in the loser's....I mean "consolation" bracket, which means I had to win from there on out to earn a medal. I played again that night at 6:30 and won 6-1, 6-0.

I played my next match Friday at 8:00 a.m. The weather was very nice, but only because the wind had slept in that day. (And I got to play on SUU's brand-spanking new courts. My, are they lovely. SUU finally got smart and went up to BYU to find out how they built their courts so they don't weather like the old ones. They also put in some new fencing and lights and painted all the fencing and light poles black. It really looks nice. If you haven't had a chance to see them and you're in town, you should drive by.) Anyway, I won that match 4-6, 6-3, 6-3. My opponent was young and just graduated high school...and very fit, skinny, and tall. She was also a lot of fun to play with, and challenged me in a way that improved my swings and serves. That match was where I really started to find a comfort zone with my serving, and I was loving it!

After winning that match, I wasn't scheduled to play singles until Saturday morning, but Ben and I had two mixed doubles matches Friday: one at 12:30, and one at 3:30, both of which we lost. And that was okay because I was D-E-A-D, and didn't know if I could keep up singles while playing doubles. I've never liked playing doubles in tennis as much as singles. I never really learned all the technicalities of playing doubles, and I'm really uncomfortable playing at the net. Singles has always been much more enjoyable for me. It's opposite in pickleball though, because I'd rather play doubles than singles. Weird. But this is me we're talking about.

Because I lost my first match, that put me out of the running for the gold medal. Which means I had to play and win all three matches on Saturday to win the silver. I tried not to think about in those terms, and it worked fairly well. I just took one match, one set, one game, one point at a time. I played Saturday at 11:00 and won that match 6-2, 6-0. She was a nice lady, a little older than me, but she didn't like when I hit with top spin, and the wind was messing with her head. That and she is from St. George and after two days was "still trying to get used to the altitude." Her words, not mine.

My next game was scheduled for 2:00, but because the matches were getting closer to the finals, a lot of them were going to three sets. And the girl I was supposed to be playing was in a mixed doubles match that, of course, went to three sets. And I hate to say it, but I was glad because she had really nice groundstrokes and a good serve, but her mixed doubles match wore her out. We played after she had a quick rest and I won 6-3, 6-3.

Now it gets good, because my next and final match determined who won the silver or bronze medal. And it was against the lady who beat me my first match. I couldn't have been more excited. I knew I was a different player than she had met on Thursday, but she didn't know that. Funny story...she showed up a little early and I was still playing the tired girl. She asked Ben what the score was, and at the time, I was up in the first set 4-3. She made a comment like, "So, she's doing okay, just trying to get on top." And Ben replied, "No, she's winning." She didn't say anything after that. Guess that's what assuming does. ;)

I think inside her head she told herself that she had been able to rest up all day Saturday, and I had already played two matches out in the wind and sun and I was tired. All of those things are true, but what she failed to realize is that I had been practicing my serve, forehand, and backhand nonstop for the past two days...while she had been home resting. I had also been adjusting for the wind and it was no longer messing with my game or my head. I'll just mention she wasn't a big fan of the wind and leave it at that.

It was the weirdest, most satisfying match I've ever played. I knew by the second game of the first set that I was going to win. I remember serving and thinking, "This is mine." I can't explain why I knew, but I just knew. And I was right. I won that match 6-2, 6-0. A little better than the first time I met her, don't you think?

It was such a good experience for me. Granted, Sunday morning my knees and feet were not very happy with me, but I was still on such a high! I learned so much about myself. Even though I'm 14 years older than when I played in high school, I'm a much better player. Life has helped to soften my temper and increase my patience. Those two things have improved my tennis game just as much as any physical work could.

I also had a great cheering section! Ben was there for all my matches, Melanie for some, Tonia, Jon, Jeanne, and Grandma for some. And some good, good friends were there to cheer me on and make me laugh. And remind me that the green was in. Which is sometimes helpful.

Now, for next year. Gold.