Tennis!!!

I remember the times clearly. Summer vacations in BHEL Township when I was a little girl. My brothers, dad and I would take our tennis net (ya we owned one) and go to the tennis court. Put up the net and then play tennis for the next few hours. We started at 5 in the morning and went on till my brothers could move no more. My brothers played tennis for the state and they practiced like crazy, dad was their coach and I was their designated ball girl.

We had to buy our own net because BHEL tennis courts would put up the net each day at 3pm or later only, so to practice early mornings with no one else bothering us dad just bought us our very own net. Brothers were ruthless and played with such focus that it was always fun to watch them play. Me on the other hand did sprints, excesises, ball picking and wall practice a lot. I loved it.

When we got back home, mom would have raw eggs ready for us to gulp down before we had our shower and cleaned up for breakfast.

When I was in grade 5 my brothers decided that it was time for me to ball pick for them in the evenings too. I diligently went with them and did the ball girl duty for them until one day few boys wanting to play doubles in one of the courts were short of one person. My older brother told me to

go and join them. I was more than eager and ran and took my place.

Boys are always boys, at first they just used me as a prop until of course I began kicking their ass and then I became a threat. So from then on my brother encouraged me to go and play with everyone so that I can develop a court game. So I had graduated from being a wall practicer to a tennis player. Phew! That felt good.

And again boys will be boys...they ill treated me. They would make me wait till 7 in the night before letting me play a game. Then I took matters into my hand and bought my mother along. Things sorted out and I played when my turn came up and I continued to kick their ass! Jerks.

I had solid foundation. I could (at that time) hit the ball to the wall and back straight without dropping for an hour. The rest of them bought a raquet and thought they could play tennis. Plus I practiced with my brothers too everyday. I mean what were they thinking. Seriously.

So now y'all know why my first love in sports is Tennis.

I played a bit of tennis on and off after coming to US but then again the jerk of male friends I have do not want to play with me because I am a girl. Which probably is true now because I do not drink raw eggs and neither do I work out regularly and I am rusty as a 100 year old nail submerged under the ocean bed.

Last Saturday I was at my BIL's house and we decided to play some tennis and it was so relieving. I felt so happy and I lived through my childhood days all over again. Everytime my family gets together we do a tennis evening when all of us get our raquets and hit the court.

G and I went out and played tennis at 6.30pm last night in 100F heat. We came back home roasted and hot and we could not for the life of us believe how players work under 100F+ temps in Aussie Open. Probably because they practice under similar conditions too.

The bottom line for me is that Tennis Rocks and I love playing the game. I would be so happy if Babs also develops an interest in the game so G, me and Babs can go play and enjoy a sport as a family...lets see how things turn around...

Love

ART

Love Ping Pong too... to play and not to watch though :)