I love tennis for three reasons. First, it keeps my mind and body healthy. It provides a healthy distraction from the pressures of school and social media, and helps me stay in shape throughout the entire year. This was especially important during the pandemic. Being able to hit with my family and friends meant that I could maintain some of my mental and physical health during a very difficult time.

Second, tennis allows me to spend quality time with my family and friends. For as long as I can remember, my parents, brother, and dog, Zia, would walk to the park every Sunday morning to play tennis. I still treasure this time with my family. And I get to see my friends every weekday after school, when we play tennis at our clinics. To me, nothing compares to enjoying your favorite game at a high level with your best friends.

Finally, I love tennis for all of the ways that it helps me in my day-to-day life, especially in school. It teaches me the importance of staying positive, how to come from behind, and how and why to play fair. It teaches me the value of discipline, preparation, hard work, problem solving, and resiliency. These are all lessons that I have applied in all aspects of my life, including how to do well in the classroom.

I am interested in playing college tennis because it touches on each of these ideas. College athletics is about trying to balance your mind and body alongside a group of friends and teammates. And it will help me prepare for the next stage of my life, wherever and whatever that may be.