As an oldest child, I was branded from birth as the family guinea pig and forced to participate in every after-school activity known to humankind — Girl Scouts, swim team, piano lessons, ballet and an array of sports leagues, to name a few.
While each had its impact on my childhood, not all of my extracurriculars rendered positive experiences. There was, for instance, my club basketball coach who could instill fear into the heart of any 10 year old with the threat of suicide sprints and a single steely glare. Or the equally terrifying diving camp, during which every leap from the board resulted more often than not in an excruciatingly painful belly flop.
Tennis, of course, was always my favorite after-school activity, a sport that I played competitively since I could swing a racket until my senior year of high school. Yes, there were the days that I dreaded going to practice, when I lackadaisically dragged my feet across the asphalt, but more often than not I enjoyed those afternoons on the court, and remember them fondly. (Why aren’t their instituted after-work extracurriculars for adults, by the way?)
But what set tennis apart, for me, as the best after school activity? (Besides the absence of a 33-ft diving board, of course.)
It was the diversity of practice options that kept me interested and engaged over the years.
If I wanted a more social atmosphere, I could attend a group clinic. If I felt more competitive? A match against my neighbor could satisfy my need to compete. Feeling focused? A private lesson with high-intensity drills could better my game within an hour.
If I wanted to improve my serve, I could take a hopper of balls to the court and work on it alone. If I wanted to hang out with friends, I could “practice” my doubles game and spend plenty of time chatting on the sidelines. From beginner’s classes, to junior tournaments, to my high school team, my experience with tennis was always variegated.
There are some people who can do the same thing every day. I cannot. That’s why I’m glad my parents forced encouraged me to partake in so many after-school activities, whether I liked them or not.
But mostly I’m glad I had tennis — the after-school activity that was social, competitive, fun, intense, team-oriented and individual all at once.
If you haven’t yet forced encouraged your child to try tennis lessons as an afternoon activity, I highly recommend having them start this school year.
Tennis practices are some of the best memories of my life.
