This is my cousin Bruce. He was a professional tennis player and now is the Director of Tennis at a fancy schmancy place in Maryland. He was always my image of an athlete.
One time, when I must have been around 18 or 19 we played tennis at the tennis club. I played my best tennis of my life. I could do no wrong, and yet still, he was toying with me. He kept lobbing the ball up and land it directly on the T. I slammed it each time with all my might and he barely got to it, lobbing it up once again only to land perfectly on the T. I would drop shot, perfectly, and he would stretch and get it at the last second, I would lob over his head, he would sprint back and just grab it, I would drop shot again and over his head again and slam and slam and slam and each time, he would lob it up and hit that T.
I got exhausted and quit when the score was 5-4 or something. I couldn’t move.
He went bald a few years back probably as punishment for putting me through that, but I always wondered; How good could I have been with more training? I loved playing tennis. My 2 weeks in tennis camp were 2 of the best weeks of my life. I haven’t played once since moving to California. I haven’t played any pool either. And my cue got lost in the move from Berkeley. I had to quit softball this year to help Katie with the baby.
Sport is important. It is good for the soul.
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