Personal Narrative: My Last Tennis

My heart was pounding, my mind racing, and I was telling myself that I had to win this point. This was it, my time to shine. At that moment everything was going well, the toss of my serve was perfect, my adrenaline was pumping, and the crowd was on their feet. I worked so hard for this point. Unfortunately, that one crucial point didn’t end up going the way I hoped for. I was devastated and dispirited for losing one of the biggest matches I’ve ever played; but losing that match has shaped my life in so many ways.
Last tennis season, my partner and I were competing in the Regional finals match. The winner would receive the number one seed going into the State Championships, and the other team was our conference rivals. This was our toughest match-up of the year. We ended up clinching the first set 7-5. The next set was an up and down battle, consisting of long rallies and some amazing shots. The opposing team ended up winning the second set 7-6. This was heartbreaking because I had match point on my racket, practically in my hands and I failed. We were so close to winning the match, but …show more content…
Throughout the season I pushed myself for my goal, and it felt disappointing not being able to say I achieved it. I learned a lot about myself through this failure, however two lessons stand out. First, I’ve learned that if you aren't working hard enough then someone else is, and this has changed my perspective. While in school, I keep the feeling of the loss in my mind, and it motivates me to work harder and to make better grades. At the tennis court, every drip of sweat I leave is just a reminder that I am working towards my goals. Second, I learned that failure happens to everyone and eventually you have to face it, and learn to move past it. The way I moved past my failure was that the loss I had in the finals hasn't stopped, slowed me down or prevented me from picking up my racket and going back out on the