This may sound like an exaggeration but it's not. I believe tennis saved my life at the lowest point of growing up. Think about the darkest moments in your life. How did you get through? Therapy? Or maybe you turned to something else that wasn't a healthy solution, like drugs or alcohol. My coping mechanism was tennis. I hit the ball as hard as I could for as long as I could, sometimes playing up to four hours a day. I wasn't very good at the time but that didn't matter. What mattered was finding a way to release my anger and bitterness.
I'm at the age where many stop playing or slow down. Every day that I can play at a competitive level where my team still wants me in the lineup is a good day. Today is one of them. I'm on three different teams, mostly composed of the same players who value the game like I do. In a way, they are my accountability partners. I came home the other night after playing over four hours with six different doubles partners. It didn't matter that outside temps were in the negative range. The only thing that mattered was the joy I felt inside that my body was fit.
My hope is to play tennis into my 90's should my body and mind not give out. Physical and mental fitness are important. My hope for you is that you find something positive that you can do like I have with my tennis. Have a great day.
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