Have a good day, but bad days have their place

Sports can teach you lessons for other aspects of your life. They can teach you how to win and lose graciously. They can teach you how to think quickly. Studies have shown the split second decisions a tennis player must make when the ball zooms toward her. Should I go down the line, crosscourt, lob, run to the net, hit a drop shot… the options are numerous. But those options are nothing without the actions of your opponent. The funny thing is a good tennis player doesn’t think much during each point. She has already thought about scenarios prior to the match – during the hours and hours of practice – or prior to an actual point. Then, she develops a kind of mind and body muscle memory that will take her through a point. If you are winning, stick with the strategy. If you are losing, time to go with plan B, a plan which you had already worked out by the way. A tennis player, like any athlete, has good days and bad days. Some days, every ball you hit is a winner. On other days, you might as well have stayed home. Accepting the good and the bad is part of the game of sport and part of the game of life. You practice. You study. You put your hours in. Some days you have a golden touch with a pitch or blast out a press release with ease. On others, you couldn’t sell ice to an Eskimo; the technology is mumbo jumbo. The trick is to listen to yourself. Sure, get frustrated. Don’t discount your feelings. But then settle down and figure out plan B. And if you'd like more information about playing tennis, let me know or go to http://www.usta.com/home/default.sps.

My point? Bad days can help you appreciate the good days. And I hope you have a good day.