YOU LIKE TENNIS, BUT DOES TENNIS LIKE YOU?




We all 'like' many things… weekends, ice cream, the latest phone on the market or the new app everybody else is using.

If we buy the latest phone and spend hours on it to connect with friends, play games or to become more visible on social media, that new phone you brought is returning the love. It is 'liking' you back!

The fact is if we spend time nurturing those things we like, we will benefit from getting 'liked' back.

Imagine your favorite ice cream flavor. Whenever you want ice cream you choose that same flavor because you 'like' it so much. Each time you sit down to enjoy that flavor, the flavor repays you by sending all that great flavor and texture back to you. That’s the ice cream returning your 'like.'

However, that boy or girl in your class at school that you would like to get to know better behaves in the same way. If you like them, but don’t show them because you’re too shy, how can they return the 'like.' Your relationship with that person goes nowhere because you didn’t send any signals their way.

In life, you can only receive if you are sending the right signals out to the universe.

Take tennis as an example. Most players will say that they 'like' tennis. If you are one of those players who Likes tennis, ask yourself is tennis 'liking' you back? 

Chances are, like most players, you are involved in a love-hate relationship with tennis, whereby on some days when you’re playing really well, your relationship with tennis is wonderful. You’re enjoying the thrill of playing well and Tennis is complimenting your efforts by sending all that love back to you in the form of good vibes.

On other days you may be experiencing a mental meltdown on-court during a match and letting all your frustration, anger, and animosity towards tennis come out during the match. During these times, Tennis will probably not want to deal with you at all, and instead, let you continue to rage away by yourself. 

These moments are characterized by feelings of isolation on the court, and of you have to battle the world on your own. Tennis has abandoned you!
IN ORDER FOR TENNIS TO LIKE YOU, 

YOU HAVE TO LIKE TENNIS FIRST
Here’s how to develop a better relationship with tennis so that you become a better and happier player:



1. Become a contributor -

    Often in relationships, you have to be the one to “Give” first. A smile, nod or kind word to your classmate can sometimes be all it takes to open the door to their heart.

What are you contributing to tennis at the moment? 

When I was a junior player just starting out in tennis, I belonged to a tennis club near my home. My tennis club had a grass area around the courts that I mowed every week during the summer. It felt good to contribute to my club, not only because it made my club look better, but also by taking that job off someone else. By me mowing the lawns at my club it meant that an adult member didn’t have to do it, and that was a nice feeling.

By contributing in that way, I felt my relationship with tennis grew much stronger and more committed.



2 Show Respect -

    'Wherever you go and whatever you do, understand that you represent someone and something.'

Not sure? Check your surname. You represent your family, Father, Mother, and siblings every day. 

Around school, I was known as 'The Tennis Guy.' There were other more popular sports at school then, but I was that guy who played tennis and I often felt like I represented tennis at the school. With the honor of representing anything in life comes responsibility. Don’t let tennis down by acting bad and giving people around you a bad impression of tennis and tennis players. Tennis will thank you for that.

Players that don’t respect tennis never stay in the sport long.



3.    Have A Strong Work Ethic -

      'If you work hard good things happen'

Working smart and hard over time will give you the gift of excellence. It’s never easy trying to be the best you can be in any endeavour, it takes time, but eventually, Tennis begins to reward your effort.

Try to view Tennis as a special gift that is yours but must be earned. It’s like your favorite ice cream if it was available for breakfast, lunch, and dinner whenever you want it, would it still be as attractive? Tennis is like ice cream; it’s better if it has to be earned and only then does it have value. If it was easy, it would not be worth the effort of training each day, month after month. 

If you put the right amount of time and effort into your tennis you will gain the benefits. Tennis will repay you.


SUMMARY

 If you do all of the above you will become a positive salesperson for tennis, whether you know it or not. Tennis will reward you constantly during your tennis career and perhaps beyond (it may remind you to stay humble sometimes also!).

We all like to receive, but the secret to receiving anything long-term is to give first and often. By giving to tennis you will begin to receive back. Avoid being in a selfish mindset of taking only and asking 'What will tennis give me?' Instead, start to pay forward and wait and see what Tennis sends you in the future.
Location: Bangkok, Thailand

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