I have played volleyball my whole life, so I am used to playing a sport where you are constantly working together as a team. This past year, I started playing tennis, and I’ve found it to be a completely different experience. Instead of relying on my teammates, I have to depend on myself and learn from my own mistakes. Even though tennis is very different from volleyball, it has taught me a lot about learning and improving.
One thing tennis has taught me is that making mistakes is part of the process of getting better. When I first started playing, I would get frustrated when I missed an easy shot or hit the ball into the net. I would constantly think about the mistake instead of focusing on the next shot. Eventually, I realized that getting frustrated or upset with myself was only making it harder to play well. At the moment, I have to figure out what went wrong and try again. I think this concept also applies to school. Getting an answer wrong in my math class does not mean I’m bad at math, It just shows me where I need to improve and what I need to work on.
Another thing tennis has taught me is how important consistent practice is. You cannot expect to suddenly become better without putting in the time and the effort. The same thing applies to learning. A new concept takes time to understand. As a tutor, I think this is something I can remind other students of too. So its okay to get something wrong the first time because that’s what learning is all about!
