Everyone has worries. Hopefully these worries don’t overwhelm you so much that you find it hard to get anything done. Like the quote above, worries will always be a part of our lives, it is figuring out how to calm these worries that can provide us with a sense of accomplishment. A worry is just a problem that needs to be figured out.
I have encountered many people worrying about their rating and how they are perceived by others on the tennis court. I first want to ask what are your goals? Is it to become a 4.0 when you are a 3.0? Is it to beat a certain rival? Is it to prove to yourself that you can improve?
All can be legitimate goals because everyone is different therefore each goal could be appropriate for different people. I do know that if you spend too much time worrying about these goals rather than working toward improving yourself and your game then that goal will be a lot harder to achieve.
Quite often we go into a match worrying about losing. This does not help. We should always go into a match to see if we can improve and enjoy the time on the court. When playing a tournament match or a USTA Team match most often we can be a bit nervous. The nerves are normal, and the best competitors learn how to use that nervous energy. This nervous energy just means you care and if you can find a way to use this energy to focus on one shot at a time you should be on your way to a fun match.
Like in our tennis matches and in life we should just keep trying to do our best and most things will work out for the better.
As in the words of Bobby McFerrin “Don’t Worry Be Happy.
~Matt
