Blood, Sweat, and Tennis


Back to Article
Back to Article

Blood, Sweat, and Tennis

Mesonma Alexis Anwasi, Author


Email This Story

He slowly raises his hand high into the air, tosses the ball up, and slams his arm back down, making a huge imprint in the uniform silence left among the spectators. A killer serve. He and his teammate, Ryan James, slam hands as they switch positions to begin the next point. He gets into position, ready to sprint across the court. Everyone watches as his feet move across the court resiliently, like a cat, and his arms swing the ball back to the other side with stinging power.

Rohan Tanjavur has been playing tennis for 5 years, yet he still loves the game. This year, he and his teammates broke a record for Hirschi Tennis, becoming 12th in the entire state of Texas. Together, they faced months of intense practices, even through the summer, keeping their eyes on the prize. With a hard-working team, and changed attitudes, he, Ryan James, Shermain McDaniel, Elizabeth Weiskircher, Leticia Aviles, Avery Boyle, Savana Mayfield, Joseph Mayfield, Senghong Hor, Zachary Leon, Simon Duchrow, Sarayu Malireddy, Delilah Dominguez, and Ahad Mohamed have worked jointly to make their dreams reality. Despite all this, no one knows the amount of hard work needed to achieve goals like this.

“Although it may not seem like it, tennis is more of a mental game than a physical one,” Tanjavur states. Venus Williams elaborates on this concept with the following: “Tennis is mostly mental. Of course, you must have a lot of physical skill, but you can’t play tennis well and not be a good thinker. You win or lose the match before you even go out there.” There is no space for pain and fear in the mind- you must be focused on your most current goal, which is grabbing the win for that point, which becomes a game, a set, and finally a match.

Many people don’t realize how much time and effort is required to play a sport like tennis. It is not just a sport that one can learn and perfect in a week. You must be consistent with practices and dedicated to the game. Tennis becomes a part of who you are. Like any other sport, tennis requires hours and hours of practice to become good at it.

“High school tennis requires a work ethic that all athletes should have. You must be willing to do anything possible to win and work hard all the time,” Tanjavur states. This includes attending after-school practices, participating in conditioning, and practicing hard everyday to excel in the sport. Tennis is commonly thought of as an easy, layback, leisurely sport, but there is so much more strength and technique involved in the entire sport.

This year, Hirschi High School’s Varsity Tennis Team has accomplished many things, including receiving 12th position in the entire state of Texas. They have earned themselves a space on the school’s shelf, and they have created a new record for them to beat next year. The Hirschi Husky Tennis Team has been surely rising over the years, and they are finally getting recognition for their hard work and for their coach’s, Lee Gregg, hard work.

We, the Hirschi High School body, will continue to cheer on our tennis champions as they start their spring season, and their competition season next fall. We are all looking forward to more wins that will continue to put our school on the map and reward our students for the hard work they put out.