Like musical instruments, I have also tried more than my fair share of sports. I have done gymnastics, tee-ball, volleyball, basketball, swimming, soccer, and tennis. I found the most success and enjoyment in tennis and basketball.
A few years ago, basketball was first, and foremost my main priority when it came to sports. I loved it. I remember practicing year round, outside on my driveway in the summer, and when is was too cold outside, I would dribble a basketball in my basement, 20 minutes with each hand. I was really good at basketball, but I wasn’t great. When the school team practices would begin each winter, I would be on the highest team, but I was never the best on the team, never a starter. During games, I knew what needed to be done, but I couldn’t handle the pressure, and the stress that accompanies being a part of a team. I found it very hard to be relied on by four other girls on the court. So when my freshman year of high school came around, I quit basketball, and decided to focus my attention on my second love, tennis. It was the best decision I could have made.
I have played tennis for eight or nine years now, and I love it. Nothing compares to the feeling you get when you ace your opponent, or rip a forehand winner, there’s just nothing like it. My goal freshman year was to play on varsity, and with God’s help, I achieved my goal. But achieving my goal was not easy, not by a long shot.
I know I said earlier that I had played tennis for about eight or nine years, but I didn’t really start playing tennis until about three or four years ago. Now before I have you completely confused, let me explain what I mean.
Throughout my tennis career, I have had four different tennis coaches, and though I didn’t know it at the time, the first three coaches were actually hindering my chances of success in the long run. Each tennis coach I have had have been different. I learned different techniques from each of them, and it wasn’t until I started taking lessons form my current coach that I started to get really good at tennis. I have been taking lessons from my current coach for about three or four years now, and that’s what I meant by saying that I haven’t really been playing tennis for eight or nine years, because my current coach had to “fix me.” Starting lessons with him, Joe, was almost like starting to play tennis for the first time. He had to re-teach almost everything to me, and my first year of lessons with him was a rough one.
Through these last few years, I have grown really close to Joe; he is like an older brother to me. I know that I would not have been as successful as I have been in tennis if I had never met Joe*. Now, when I feel too tired, or lazy to go to clinics (group lessons), or go out on my own and practice serving, I don’t feel like I’m just letting myself down, I feel like I’m letting Joe down too.
What I’m trying to relate back to is something I said in a previous post. I said that “I think in a lot of situations, where a person lives, or rather, who lives in their surrounding area, makes one of the biggest contributions to what a person will try out, and how successful that person will be.” This has most certainly been true for me, because had I not met Joe, my life would probably be very different, because tennis wouldn’t have been as big a part of my life as it has turned out to be.

*I would also like to add, that even thought my coach has helped me become the tennis player that I am, this was only possible through the glory of God.

“Your talent is God's gift to you. What you do with it is your gift back to God.”
~Leo Buscaglia

Taken from http://www.quotegarden.com/god.html