Playing a sport of your choice while at your prime is one of the most unforgettable moments that can be etched in one's personal memory. It is that unforgettable moment that signifies a personal achievement: one bragging right that can be flashed to others when one retires from a sport that is well-loved.
It has been 6 years since I last played tennis on a full-blast scale. The whole of my High School life revolved, not just around studies, but also around playing tennis, from the day back in 1st year where I started playing the game, until 4th year where I became a varsity player. Every summer, during HS days, I'd ask my parents to enroll me at summer camp, tennis summer camp that is. The whole of my summer is immersed into playing tennis: improving my personal game, playing junior age-group tourneys (and eventually lose), and meet new friends along the way. Those were the summer days back then which really molded me, not just a tennis enthusiast, but also as a person who uses tennis to build self-confidence and self-esteem as the game is improved, little by little.
Everything about tennis eventually stopped when I made it to college. The tight schedule, the irrevocable commitments in school, and the career path itself really took me away from playing the game that I love most. I was shunned away by college life from holding a tennis racket, hit tennis balls, and play my heart out. This went on for the whole duration of my college life. Only in Med school where my love for tennis was revived because of an annual sporting event in Med land: Palarong Med.
I came back to my HS Alma mater a while ago to join another summer tennis camp. It has been 6 years since I joined camp. Back then, I used to play with people who were just my age or just a few years older than me. By the time I returned to the courts that molded my love for the game, everything was so different. The environment was not ideal for my time and age. The people who I was playing with were kids and teenagers: the oldest teenager was just 6 years younger than me. Good thing, an old teammate of mine joined camp. But still, it was a big number of youngsters who dominated the group. Who would've thought that just because of an annual Med event, this would cause me to join summer camp which is specifically concocted for kids, and not just for young adults like me.
As I warmed-up before hitting tennis balls, I noticed that at first, my teenage-era, youthful energy came back at me. I sprinted and did laterals like I was just back in HS. As time went longer and as I started to play again, the youthful energy waned off, and I felt that I was losing my senses. I gasped for air like I have never gasped before. My vision started to narrow, and my body was starting to get heavy. Not only was I feeling the fatigue, my feet were starting to form blisters, just as I was wearing new tennis shoes bought for that occasion. Every time I was hitting tennis balls, the shots were flying in all directions. Though there were some shots that legitimately went in, most of the supposedly clean shots turned dirty. My forehand was rusty, my backhand was becoming less orthodox (I play with an orthodox single-handed backhand, unlike the modern two-fist backhand), my serves were going out of the service box or hitting the net, and my footing and leg bending was not proper. Though I had my share of these problems, only my net approaches and volley shots were still intact, all thanks to playing badminton during college and Med. All the trainers there said that I lacked practice, and I cannot deny it: I really lack practice. I have to admit, 6 years of not actively playing can cause severe rusting of a once-good playing style.
The worst thing that had happen to me during the 1st day of summer camp was that both my legs started to cramp. I couldn't sprint faster; I had to jog to prevent, as much as possible, my legs to go down on me. After 2 laps, my legs started to give away. Much worse, my left leg had the worst cramp. I had to call on a trainer to manage my severely cramping leg. I didn't go on sprinting after that. Instead, I just ended cool-down by doing a few stretches.
As we grow older, we only get to do, with ease, what is left of our youthful prime. Though I may still be young, long years of inactivity (except for occasional leisure games with Med teammates) can really take a toll on the playing style. I may feel that I am undergoing a state of readjustment. It will take some time to get back the old game. Nevertheless, the mere fact that joining summer camp again is just a good feeling. It's a good way to start summer to prepare for the upcoming Palarong Med a couple of months from now.
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