Day 17

Saturday was a fun 3 hour training session! My strokes and shots were working sooner. My serve was more consistent and hard, what could be better? When I first arrived I was pretty peeved to see Redwing Park crowded with a soccer tournament, I think it was the "Old Dominion Soccer Tournament". It seemed like it featured mostly junior HS players. I was peeved because I thought I was not going to be able to park nor play. As luck would have it there was a parking spot open right in front of the tennis courts....reserved for me! There was one well four or more hitches; kids playing soccer and generally going wild on the other side of the wall, their ball kept coming over and I started feeling a little grouchy about it until I asked myself ; "what were you like when you were that age???", then I smiled and laughed to myself and just relaxed and welcome the distractions. As a rule most tennis players I used to run into , hate outside noises. Years of handball helped me adjust to it, so I took that into consideration and got into a good groove hitting the ball and dodging the occasional soccer ball flying over the wall and almost nailing me! But I got my revenge because I am still not that consistent and they almost got nailed with a couple of tennis balls whizzing by them at approx 70mph! Well , they were polite and energetic young men and I was glad to see there are still some active children in this new generation. Many other kids are planted in front of the tv playing video games and are generally inactive. Anyway , these kids saw that I was just an "older kid" and they asked if they could play dodge ball with me hitting tennis balls at them! I thought about it for a second , and thoughts like; "is some kid's father going to come over here and try to deck me for taking his kid out with a tennis ball?", but I was already there for about 2 hours and people saw and heard how I was hitting the ball when there were no kids there. So I said ok, they thought I was hitting the ball at them(3 kids then 4 kids then they rotated in a group of about 8 of them) but I felt more like a knife thrower at a carnival, I was hitting the ball at about40 to 50% and hitting it to the side of them and above their heads etc. Sometimes I slipped and sometimes they slipped but it was fun for them and fun and an EXCELLENT learning experience for me. Then they realized that I was not trying to hit them and I admitted to it, so then they were trying to swat the balls I hit against the wall and I had to avoid that, and I would hit it at about 60% and a little flat to make them dodge it a little bit. That little experience helped me become more consistent, deal with distractions, and get into a relaxed groove with my ground strokes. Then it evolved into them wanting to try to hit with my racquet against the wall, I gladly let them do it as I was done with my workout and started to "bonk" a little because I didn't eat. I gave them pointers and they started catching on pretty well then I get a call to come home and I told the kids I had to go, I felt bad because they were getting into it and I gave them an old racquet and some balls to use and keep and I went home. I really appreciated that learning experience I wish them and their families health, happiness, and success.