"Fierce Tennis" and Changing My Destiny

“Fierce” Tennis


I play on a traveling competitive women’s tennis team. I like to call it the Spoiled Upper Middle Class Women Who Have Time To Play In The Middle Of The Week League, but nevertheless, I love it.

I works like this: each team has three teams of “doubles” players who play first, second and third position. There are teams in all kind of towns around the state; just like high school sports we all have home and away matches and we compete for the league title. The League Title winners get a jacket; second place gets a vest. I’ve won the vest, but I’ve yet to experience the sleeves.

So yesterday I had a match. Away. At Cohasset. Now, nice as they are, the Cohasset women are more in the Very Spoiled Women Who Have Time To . . you get the drift. They’re good. Durn good. And we were on their turf, which is clay (takes some getting used to for a hard court team like ours).

I have a new partner this year, Terri. She’s really nice and a good player. She’s not afraid to dictate play and I like that (even back in my freestyle skiing and gymnastics days, one of my great skills was: I’m coachable. Tell me what to correct, I’ll correct it. Suggest a strategy, I’ll adopt it). That said, Terri and I have been on a brutal losing streak. I know there has been a win or two in there, but they are way overshadowed by our losses. Because you see, we haven’t just been losing, we’ve been throwing it away.

Let me explain. In women’s tennis you have to win two sets, each set the first team to six games, and always by two (if it gets to 6-6 you do a tiebreaker that defies explanation or logic). Every single match, Terri and I have crushed the opposing team in the first set.

And then tanked and lost the next two. And for the life of us – including a match our coach watched start to finish – we could not understand why.

So we were a bit, well, concerned as we took the court yesterday. Right away I saw that Cohasset had done some shifting. A doubles team that would normally play a slot or two above us was in our slot (some accuse clubs of doing this to win an easy point; take the better team and put them against a weaker team for a sure thing; let a weaker team fight it out in a higher spot) but I don’t think that’s the case with Cohasset. They are really rather nice.

So I said to my partner, who is not as familiar with the teams, “These guys are good. We’re going to have to play our hearts out to stay in this thing.”

True to form, we crushed in the first set. As we crossed over to start the second set, I looked at Terri and said, “Oh my. We cannot repeat history.” And then I errored away my service game. We proceeded to win not one point for the next three games. The old Moira would have started retreating. But I dug deep and said to Terri, “What is it that changes? Where do we go wrong?” She gave me some ideas having to do with ball placement, and I said, “No. We just have to be tough.” We almost came back that set, but did end up losing it, 6-4 (close anyway after that dismal start).

So it’s time for the third set and I look Terri deep in the eyes and say, with all determination, “We are changing our destiny.”

She quipped back, “Yeah because if we don’t, we’re gonna need a psychologist right here on the court.” But I really meant it. And adopted it.

I tell you, we killed them that third set. I ran. I lobbed. I grunted and hit fierce backhands right past their shocked – and still – racquets. I actually even dove for a ball (and got it!).

When it was over I felt strong. I know I’ve only started this life change a week or so ago, but my muscles felt better; my body felt more able and most of all, my mind was set on not letting a little bump in the road keep Terri and me from victory.

I wonder, now, if I can adopt that in real life. When it comes to eating, my “first set” is always great. I eat a healthy breakfast and stay away from junk all day. But come evening, I start to fall apart. I need to change my destiny.

Have you changed yours? In any way and any part of life? I’d love to hear about it. Inspire me.