=================================================== Last Friday, I drove my older son NB to a tennis tournament between 2 clubs in Cheyenne, Wyoming.
It was a half-an-hour driving. We arrived at a tennis club. It was an in-door club... which was nice... We didn't have a public in-door tennis court in our city... I wish we had one, so we could practice even there was 4 feet of snow on the ground!
In this tournament, there were 7 players from our club. NB was one of them. Most of the players were in either junior high school or high school. So, he was the youngest player playing in this competition.
NB played 4 mathces; 3 doubles and 1 single. In the first match, he paired with Audra. They played with 2 boys and lost 3-6. Well, they played good in the first 4-5 games, but they lost 3 straight games...
That's alright.... NB could now cope with losing situations far more better than the previous year.... If you met him last year, you would see the guy was so upset with his lost... and, I could assure you that it wasn't pretty, at all!!
During the first match, I noticed that his footwork was quite sluggish... So I told him to move his feet more... just that from his scientist dad!! Anyway, he said; "I will, dad!!"
So, after a short break, the next two matches, he paired up with a girl named MV and a boy name Alex. Both of them were junior high students. He and his partners won both matches (4-0 and 4-2).
When he played with MV, they played against two boys... These big boys were around 5'6"-5'8" while NB was 4'6" tall. During the match, MV and NB served really well while their opponents' first serves were not consistent and made some double faults.
Anyway, when a second serve came, young NB slammed it back cross court.... most of them resulting in a winner or unreturnable play.
Well, I just thought that those were pure luck!!
After the match, he had a 20-minute break... here came the bigger boys and much faster serves!!
NB paired with Alex against two even bigger boys (both of them were around 5'8"-- even taller than me!!)... Our players chose to serve first, because Alex had a big, big serve....
This strategy worked... In the first game, Alex held his service game quite easily. The second game ensued....
The Wyoming boy first served was pretty good... Alex couldn't return and they won the first point... Thus he served another one (I believe it was 100%) to NB... It was coming fast down the T resulting in an ace with NB's stun!!
They led 30-0!!
The following point, the boy gave NB and Alex with a double fault. So, in the fourth point, he would serve to NB... The first serve was dumped into the net... So, he slowed his pace down looking forward to not making another double fault.
His second serve was much slower and came to NB's forehand side.....
Whammmmmmmmmmm!!
It was a topspin forehand cross court passing the net player of the Wyoming pair.... banging down inside and kicking out of the court... It was a winner... with a sporadic whisling noise from spectators...
In this second game, they played to two or three deuces... and the Wyoming got the second game... The score was now tied at 1-1.
It's now NB's service game...
Well, serving is always tough... particularly for a small guy like NB.... Anyway he tried to mix his first serve up... sometimes out wide or sometimes right at the T.
When he could throw his first serve in, returns always came to the net or to the net player awaiting and putting the ball down by sharp-angled volleys. In this game, he didn't make any double fault... NB's pair held again....
Both pairs continued to hold their services until the game was tied at 2-2. It's now the Wyoming pair's turn to serve.
The guy might get a bit tired... So his first serves went mostly out or to the net... So he and his partner got to pay the price... even he didn't make any double faults... NB's and Alex's returns were too aggressive... So they broke the Wyoming and led 3-2.
Then it was Alex's turn to serve... Not surprisingly Alex was fast and strong... They held again pretty easily...and they won the match at 4-2.
The last match for NB on that evening was a single match. Since, in the Wyoming club, there was no players in NB's age... So he had to play with a 16-year-old boy... He's around 5'6".. not very tall... but that's still a foot taller than my little guy.
NB won the coin toss, he chose to return... I thought I knew why... He was confident in his serve returns....
The Wyoming boy in a white shirt said welcome to Wyoming to his little opponent with an ace!!
He led 15-0.
In the following point, he dumped his first serve to the net.... Here came a second serve, it was much slower but out wide to NB's backhand wing.
I thought NB saw the trajectory of the ball, so he moved to his left preparing his two-handed backhand... and unleased with short, compact swing beginning low and finishing high right at his right ear with an open stance on his left foot... The ball flew cross court ran in, then kicking out wide and....again... It was another winner for this young player.
His opponent was jaw-dropped with the pace of that little guy in the opposite side of the net. It was 15-15.
He moved to serve again on the ad court... thinking, he would ace NB again with his first serve...but, unluckily, it went to the net again... So, he now faced another second serve.
He served it conservatively---rather slow and not too deep... The ball went to NB's forehand wing... and, again, it's another winner cross court.
At the end of the game, NB held... He led 1-0.
He concentrated more on his first serve... Not too rush or anything, I thought, he was comfortable and felt more confident with his goofy returns... He held his service game and led 2-0.
The Wyoming boy in that white shirt now realized that his first serve was the most crucial part of winning this game against this swift hardhitter.
That added more pressure to his service game, unfortunately... Although he made 1 ace but he also made 2 double faults giving cheap points to NB. And, he was badly punished when he had to swing his second serves....
He was broken again... NB led three-nothing.
If NB won this game, he won the match. So, that might be a reason why his opponent increased his intensity in his returns... Anyway, the young slugger threw his serves all over the court troubling his opponent... He won again this game at 2 deuces....
He won the match at 4-0....
So, after the match, we drove back home... I would guess that he would feel very good about himself beating bigger boys in two double matches and that 16-year-old player in that whamming single match!!
He did what he was trained to play.... almost perfectly... He didn't play in any tournament for months due to recent bad weather in our areas... But he continued to be in his classes and his private lessons... I think his concentration when his coaches taught him was the key to his wins on that day!!
================================= Note: My life has been intertwined with works and many others. New responsibility has emerged, resulting less and less time for my ordinary life. Although, a love to write is still intact... But having less time is related to having less imagination.... Therefore, I could not come up with new writings for quite some times.
It might be a good time for me to leave this forum for moment.... Please take it as Mr. A.T. is having a sabbactatical leave or something like that....
As noted above, my love to write is still the same... and will not be changed. Sometimes somehow, I hope I could come back and give some thoughts in this blog once more.
Cheers, Mr. A.T. June 6th, 2008
=================================
Hello,
My pen-name in Pantip is amatuer translator. Actually, I'm a lousy translator with lame translation. My pen-name is somewhat misleading, I have no background in linguistics what-so-ever. Anyway I love to read, write and communicate with people...
Reading is my most favorite hobby. I read everything from shopping bags to articles in theoretical physics. I do research and teaching for my living. So, reading, writing, thinking and doing research works are my everyday routine.
I would like to define myself as a person who is accepting new ideas and adopting those into my way of life.
I believe in power of knowledge/education. I think every society can be a better society with knowledge. Ignorance can be dispelled by it. Humanity can live sustainably and harmoniously with each other along with its biosphere with understandings in the nature surrounding it.
Apart from my philosophical thoughts reflecting who I am, I can tell you something I like or love in particular;
I love dogs.... Particularly, labradore retrievers.... One day, I would like to spend my time and life with them as a big part of my family.
Zhuge Liang is my hero. With his wisdom and faithfulness, he led a tiny army to a mighty and formidable kingdom. He left his humble residence with a hope to come back. But, sadly, he had never returned and died far far away from home in a horse carriage in a battle field. If I could choose where I would, I would say where-ever my lovely wife was nearby.
I value happiness and my family as my first priority. My profession and my philosophy come in the second. Pursuit in wealth has never been in my desire.
I'm glad to be your friend, and look forward to seeing you around krub.
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ผู้ติดตามบล็อก : 1 คน [
NB is well fit for this Thai proverb.
- Lek Prik Khee Noo -
As for dad, you could be the sport announcer ka. I was able to imagine and picture the matches and the face of his opponents!