Second chances and sacrifices.

If you are close to me, you know that my dreams of tennis went out the door on August 13, 2009. Well, I thought they did.

I couldn't handle it, mentally, for months--9. I would get angry on the court, break-down and walk away. Then, this past Summer, I picked up a racket with no anger. It was the first time, in a long time, that I could be happy on a court again. I could hit the ball again. I could serve. I could NOT move, lol, but I could hit. That probably was a big factor in my change this past year. I could finally enjoy tennis, again. And, honestly, I had never enjoyed tennis so much in my life. Even after a horrible appearance in a Southern tourny--somehow I won two matches--and so much anxiety that I puked before every match, I still wanted to play or at least give it a go. But, my parents said you need to finish school, and my dad didn't want to fund it or spend more than an hour a day on the court.

Today, after watching tennis every night for 2 months and not being able to forget about the last time I really worked my ass off on the court, I asked Dad for a second chance. Well, the second chance doesn't come with 5 hours on the court a day or me not going to school--which is my ideal. The second chance comes with a sacrifice from me, I will go to school part time and not expect 5 hours a day. And, for the first time in my life, I am finally willing to sacrifice MY time for the sport, not just my dad's. My head is finally in the right place, and I don't care about my "time", because I want my time to be spent on that court. I want it. Finally, I am willing to do it. As for my dad, I am giving him a second chance, and his sacrifice is to try not to yell and spend more time on the court with me, but most of all, to take me more serious than he has ever taken someone and to let me show him what I can do.

Second chances do exist, but sometimes to get that chance you have to sacrifice something you want, and I am so glad I did.

<3