I believe our society and the world places too much emphasis on winning. Sure, we all enjoy winning, and probably prefer it to losing. But in the context of sports I am a firm believer in focusing on the 'process' rather than the result.
'Self Worth' should not be equated with winning and losing. You are not a 'Loser' if you lost and you were trying your hardest and giving your best right to the end.
A Sport like tennis is just a vehicle to learn life skills such as interacting with others, problem solving, and handling crises and pressure. In fact, one of the main things a sport like tennis CAN teach us is how to cope with setbacks.
If we develop a bad attitude about competition and losing then we have missed out on the greatest lesson that sports teaches.
My advice is to set a goal. Go out there and give 100% of your effort and focus towards achieving that goal. If you fall short, KEEP TRYING. If you give your best effort, YOU ARE A WINNER...!
Trying one's hardest is all that can be asked of a person.
Before I was a Christian I used to get very depressed over lost tennis matches, but Ephesians 6: 7-8 says: we should serve wholeheartedly in everything we do as if we were doing that activity for God, not man....
After reading those verses I understood that when I gave my best I was honoring God. And that is now my goal every time I step on the tennis court. The winning and losing will take care of itself if I just give my best effort. And You know what, that attitude definitely took the sting out losing.
If you are a Christian I hope this tip has given you a new perspective on your personal relationship with God and how you can express it on the tennis court. If You are not a Christian I hope and pray that You have not been offended because my intent was most definitely not to offend, but to help you play better tennis.
If You have any questions about tennis or a relationship with Jesus Christ I would be happy to take time to visit with you. Please email me at coachsam@chadwelltennis.com or make a post on this blog.
HAPPY TENNIS...!
-Coach Sam
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