Tuesday 12 July 2016

Winning isn't Everything

When I was younger I had a state ranking in junior tennis. Mum and I would travel around to the different tournaments as I accumulated a nice collection of golden trophies. It was fun. It was exciting. But it was lonely.

You see, when you’re at the top, everyone else wants to be in your place, not with you. I remember the jealous glares and the cutting remarks, the feisty parents and the coaches who taught us how to cheat.

When our family moved away from my tennis epicentre of Warrnambool it was time for a change. I didn’t join the local club and I didn’t practise day in, day out anymore. I still enjoyed playing but to be at the top, you need to put in the time and money. And the motivation for that was gone.

I don’t regret the time we put into tennis as I grew up. Not at all. It was filled with many great memories. And if any of my children wanted to take their interests to the top level then I would gladly help them pursue that. But I would also make sure they knew that winning isn’t everything and if their goal was in searching for some kind of satisfaction, there’s better places to find it.

Something fun my kids have been working on. Don't forget to Subscribe!