The Conclusion to My Tennis Career (Written 10/16/10)

I just came back from my final states, which was a bittersweet experience. It was the perfect culmination to a great season with a great group of guys, who I had the pleasure of leading as captain. Though we did not perform up to the high expectations we set for ourselves, the season was a success in my mind because we bonded as a social unit and made some new friends along the way. Winning the tennis matches is only part of the equation when it comes to being a captain; I also need to promote a good team environment (which for the most part I was able to do) where we get along and can count on each other for support about issues off the court.

States started well for us; every flight won a tough match on their way to the semifinals. However, we were not as lucky the next day, with half our flights (including me) losing in tough semi-final matches. To be honest, I saw that coming; our practice habits disappointed me throughout the year and the Cranbrook doubles teams which defeated us worked harder. For this laziness, much of the blame should be attributed to the captains, including myself, who all too often emphasized having fun over being serious (indeed it was a false predicaments we put ourselves in). With that said, I think that all of the members on the team appreciated the family-like atmosphere we instilled. I know that the young freshman on our team made some new, dependable friends which eased his transition into the high school. So while we may not have come in 1st place at states, I know that we had the closest, most friendly team around.