down memory lane: the game of love
Wednesday, September 21, 2005
i still remember falling in love with tennis 15 years ago in noontime sweltering heat, having played for 4 hours and asking for 2 more of the same conditions. never mind if i started playing it like baseball, thinking that homers would give me points. never mind if i had to do push-ups with fatigued arms for mistakes i made. never mind that i wasn't as technically sound as the other junior players. all i knew then was that when i whacked the ball, i felt good.
i've tried other sports over the course of the years, but it seems that i always come back to this one. a special bond, i might say. tennis has always been close to my heart. 15 years down the road, i've learned to understand the intricacies of the sport.
it is a game of rituals. i have my own set of preparations: opening my can of tennis balls; cleaning the dust on the painted lines with my shoes; shaking the dirt of my soles with my racquet; preparing to receive a serve; twisting of the handle of the racquet in between strikes of the ball. it gives me the space that i need to string points together and remain competitive over the course of an hour.
it is a game of respect. opponents will be too good at times. they deserve an applause. and the only way to win is to respect the game of the other. first and foremost, i am able to play because of my opponent. i find new heights in my game when pushed by a good opponent. i look forward to be on the other side of the net of a good competitor.
it is a game of tenacity. the player who wins is the one who could hold his nerves better. missed chances may occur often but what matters is that one moves on from those. this is not a game for the light-hearted. it is a game of mistakes where line calls may or may not be correct. where points can be made with the length of a hairstrand. where a ball hitting a netcord can land anywhere. where heart and courage, above all else, are the measures of success.
it is a game where you cannot hide your true self. especially in singles, a player cannot mask his state, or even his emotions. this even happens with the best of 'em. i remember the time when pete sampras played in the 1996 us open where he had his heart on his sleeve. a man not known for showing his emotions, looked so sullen and yet so determined on court when he just lost his coach tim gullikson to brain cancer at the age of 44. he actually cried on court when he played against alex corretja on that fortnight. it's bringing what you have on court and laying whatever cards you have.
i've uncovered a lot about myself playing tennis. and if and when i do decide to have a family, i definitely want my children to learn this sport. it has taught me a lot and i hope and pray that this sport will give to them as much as it has given me. it was, and still is, the game that i play. and at the end of the day, whatever the scoreline is, it will always be game, set, match and both the winner and the loser will walk of the court.
it is a sport for the ages. a sport where a man stands and faces his demons. a sport where the word 'love' is built upon. a sport where life itself is mimicked so subtlely, yet so profoundly.
indeed, i have found my sport.
posted by lex @ 10:51 AM,
3 Comments:
-
At 12:16 AM,
said...
-
astig.
parang ako sa volleyball. kahit namamaga na ang ugat sa kamay dahil sa maling tama ng bola, tuloy pa rin ang laban. kahit natadtad na ng peklat at sugat ang tuhod (dahil walang knee pads) tuloy pa rin ang laban. kahit talunan, tuloy pa rin.
pinakamasarap pa dito ay yung pag nag-arc na ang body mo, both feet in the air and ready to kill...kahit hindi mo napatay yung kalaban :) -
At 8:26 AM,
Daffodils in Pyjamas said...
-
Wow! This post is breathlessly amazing Lex :)
-
At 9:20 AM,
lex said...
-
mia: galing nga. i believe that a person should really find a sport that suits him or her. it makes you better person because of it.
daffodils: thanks! glad you like the post!
