By Vincent Qi (22S06T), Boys’ Captain, Kyra Yip (22S03O), Girls’ Captain
Have you played tennis before? If you have, you may remember the soreness in your forearms the next day, the characteristic grunt with each swing of the racket, and tirelessly chasing after balls. Who knew such a small, yellow ball could make you work so hard? Tennis may sound like a taxing game, but beyond the physically demanding nature of the sport lies an amalgamation of tactics and fun.
Tennis is not just a sport, but also an art. It requires the player to produce a myriad of shots varying in height, depth, speed and spin, and piece them together in a scintillating sequence. To win the game is not as simple as putting one more ball over the net than your opponent. Every shot counts. You can win from the first serve with an ace, hit a winner from the baseline, advance to the net and finish off with a volley, or even pull off a surprise drop-shot to send your opponent scrambling after the ball to no avail.
Tennis is also extremely fun. From exciting games of singles and doubles to laughing at your friends’ silly shots, you are in for a stress-reliever every session. Not only will you build up your fitness and health through the staple drills and conditioning exercises, the creative games and matches played together as a team are guaranteed to be enjoyable.
While tennis is often seen as an individualistic sport, Tennis CCA is a team, a community or even a family. Even in a singles match, you’re never fighting alone. On and off court, we build strong friendships and camaraderie, spurring each other on mentally and physically during training, and bonding over meals after each session. We laugh and have fun together during our games, and suffer and complain together during physical training (PT). Comprising approximately 10 to 12 people per batch, we are a tight-knit community that brings warmth and creates a comfortable space in school.
Tennis also instills discipline and sportsmanship. Week after week of hard work is needed to pull off those beautiful strokes on court. During PT, we are reminded by our coach not to cut corners (quite literally – when we are running rounds around the court) and to give our best. The drills and physical training build the strength needed to tide through an excruciatingly tiring match on court, as well as the constant setbacks faced from losses. By constantly challenging and redefining your limits, you will walk off the court feeling stronger. Tennis demands a strong mindset that is crucial in the execution of your game.
We dedicate four hours each week to hard work, sweat and fun on court. We can be found at the tennis courts above the canteen during our official training sessions on Wednesday mornings (8-10am) and Friday evenings (5-7pm). Apart from our official training, we also organise informal sparring sessions outside of school to enjoy the sport we love as a team.
Every year, we partake in the A-Division National School Games that typically take place from May to April. The A-Division season is the culmination of our hard work on court. There are tears and failures, but more often than not, the uplifting support of a team and thrills of victory after much perseverance predominates the experience and memories made from the games. Since COVID-19 had cut short most of the school games, we were only able to enjoy half a season in 2021. But it is with much optimism that we embrace the 2022 National School Games, as we look forward to another year for us to compete as a team.
We look forward to seeing you at the tennis trials! While foundation in tennis is preferred as we are nurturing school team players, don’t be daunted by the selection process if you are interested in tennis. Pick up your racket and come join us now!
