1. It's not aggressive.
Okay, maybe sometimes it is... However, one of the initial things that I loved about tennis is that there is no contact. In basketball, you may have to rip the ball out of someone's hands. In soccer, you may slide tackle someone. That was never something I was interested in.
2. It taught me control.
So much of the game is control. You need to control your mind, to control your muscles, to control the ball. It can be hard to maintain control, but I am constantly improving.
3. It taught me patience.
This kind of goes along with control. I use to have a hard time excepting my mistakes. Tennis has taught me to be patient with myself. Sometimes we mess up, it's how we react and what with do with the mistakes that truly matters.
4. I learned what it was like to have sisters.
I have two older brothers, so the thought of sisters has always been pretty foreign to me. I know that a tennis team isn't quite the same thing, but I feel so close with them all. I feel like I can be myself and laugh and that's how I want to imagine having a sister is.
5. It keeps me in shape.
I. Hate. Running. Who doesn't? Tennis is a good way to get in a lot of sprints without realizing that you've done a lot. It also is great for your arms. All around it's great cardio, and if you're really going after shots you'll see the results.
6. While it's individual, the overall score depends on the whole team.
We have all heard "there's no I in team" before. Which is true, but tennis is a pretty close one. In tennis your match is generally you all by yourself. However, whether you win or lose effects the team score. It makes cheering on your teammates super important.
7. People are (generally) polite.
Pretty much everyone that I have played in tennis has been polite. There are a lot of "thank you"s and "sorry!"s being said and I love that. Yes, it is a game, but, yes, you are playing a real person who has feelings.
8. I feel like I belong there.
There's a lot about my personality that I wouldn't think of when I think of sports. I am quiet and introverted, among other things like being a bookworm and having a strong fear of failure. With tennis, these things don't seem like such a big deal.
9. It is something that I can play forever.
There are many sports in life that you have to say goodbye to once you leave your thirties or so. You can't cheer forever, you can't play baseball forever. But tennis somehow is different. Sometimes people have business meetings where they play tennis, or there's an elderly league at the park. There's some comfort that it never has to end.
10. Come on, how can you not love the uniforms?
If we're being honest, cute skirts and shoes are things that every girl lives for. Why not integrate it into the sport?
