It’s OK to Be Bad… at Tennis

It’s OK to Be Bad…

at Tennis BY LURA ROTI

In my 40s, I don’t do much that I’m not good at. And I’d bet, if you’re over 40 and reading this, you can probably say that same thing.

By this stage of life, I know what my talents are, and I put them to work in my family and career, and I share them when I volunteer in my neighborhood and community.

I also have a pretty good idea of what I am not good at. In most cases, instead of dwelling on these things, I know who to hire!

I say, “in most cases,” because I am taking tennis lessons.

And I am not very good.

I have never been good at sports where objects fly toward me. I played volleyball with friends during summer youth group gatherings, because that was what everyone else was doing. I rarely “volleyed the ball.” Thankfully, my friends covered for me.

I was on a swim team and played soccer as a pre-teen and freshman in high school, and I did OK. However, about the time I hit high school, I discovered my true talents were in communication and I poured all my free time into preparing for and competing in communication/public speaking contests. I excelled. I won state competitions, received scholarship dollars and amazing travel opportunities. I made lifelong friends from across the state and nation. I received the opportunity to serve as an ambassador for some prestigious agriculture organizations. I focused on my talents, found my happy place and I remained engaged in communications/public speaking events/competitions until college graduation.

At that point, I poured all my energy into building my career. Then, into building a life and creating a home with my husband, Shon. And then, into being a mom and hopefully helping our daughter, Parker, discover her talents and the activities that spark her joy.

And in all actuality, I have not given much thought to the things I’m not good at…until a few years back when I began taking tennis lessons with a group of good friends. Some of our kids were

301 S Minnesota Ave #2, Sioux Falls, SD 57104

Instagram: @janeraeevents Facebook: Jane Rae Events (605) 799-3761

taking tennis lessons together and as we sat watching them, we got to talking about how fun it would be to learn tennis. Somehow, we found a time that worked with all our work schedules. We also found a great instructor, Darin Rima.

These tennis lessons reminded me what it is like to not be good at something. It’s humbling. It’s funny. It can also be frustrating. The great thing is, because I’m learning alongside friends, our twice-weekly tennis lessons are a highlight of my week.

Tennis is a scheduled time, twice a week when I get to see four of my friends.

Before tennis, weeks could go by and I would not have any designated “girlfriend time.” And that was before COVID!

Tennis lessons are also good for me. When I quit tennis lessons for a year in 2020, I gained the COVID-19. Since I started back up, I have left some of those unwanted pounds on the court.

Tennis is also a great way to de-stress. When we are going through drills or playing a game, the yellow ball is all I’m focused on (and side conversations with friends). As a grown-up, there are not too many times during the work week, when I am allowed to focus all my energy on something as trivial as a yellow ball.

And boy, when I hit that yellow ball with my racquet, and it lands in bounds, what a great feeling that is! And when I witness my friends do the same – wow it’s cool! Three years later, it is amazing to me how far we have all come. We can actually play tennis.

Now, that is not to say I am very good. In fact, there was one lesson where I became so frustrated that I wanted to quit. On my drive home, I gave myself a pep-talk — which included a prayer of thanks for the fact that my body is healthy enough to play tennis. And I have the finances to pay for lessons. And most of all, I have friends who make time each week to take these lessons with me.

The reality is, I do not need to excel at everything I do. As long as I enjoy tennis, I’m going to keep “playing” tennis. To that point, tennis is fun to “play.”

And as a grown-up, we may not do too much that we aren’t good at, but also, how often do we actually get to take time out and play?