FROM THE COURT TO LIFE: LESSONS I CARRY

I was 11 years old when I picked up a tennis racquet for the first time at an academy in my home town, initially it was just meant to be a fitness activity- something to keep me active and outdoors. But over time tennis became more than just a sport- it became my passion and something I couldn't imagine my life without.

In these four years of playing tennis, it taught me life lessons far greater than those found in textbooks. Tennis taught me that life is not always about winning, it is more about showing up, learning from mistakes, falling and not getting disheartened by defeats and rejections.

Setbacks and losses are not the ends instead they are teachers which take us one step closer to victory. I learnt how to handle stress, anger and disappointment in high pressure situations and also how to cope with frustration. There were times when I felt stuck, my game was not improving and I felt like quitting but I realised that giving up was never a solution. Those were the times that helped me understand the true meaning of resilience.

Success does not come overnight, it requires grit, discipline, consistency and most importantly, patience. It teaches that always have faith and believe in yourself when nobody else believes in you. Without a fight, never acquiesce to your own defeat. Even if the scoreboard says “6-0, 6-0, 40-0” down, believe that you can win because you truly lose when you stop believing that you can. You must defeat your enemy to the last, or outwit him.

What I will remember the most are not just points and rallies but the quiet moments I cherished like observing those sunsets, identifying the types of clouds- stratus, nimbus, cirrus or cumulus and tracking the position of moon from the tennis court was really the best part.

Now, as I prepare for Class X with a goal of becoming a doctor, I sometimes worry that I might lose touch with tennis. But I know that these life lessons will stay with me for life- quietly guiding me, just like those moonlit evenings on the tennis court.

Sanvi Aggarwal, Class IX, Kurukshetra