IMPROVING COMMUNICATION SKILLS WITH YOURSELF

After years of no tennis, I decided to go back to taking lessons. I have always enjoyed the sport and realized that I had a knack for it. Took action and signed up for lessons two weeks before the first class.

Eagerly awaited the class and dug my tennis racket out of the back of the closet. At the appointed time, I showed up for“Beginners and Intermediate Class”. Twelve other people were in the class so two courts were used.

It soon became apparent that I was the new kid on the block. Others knew the drill, where to start, when they were expected to pick up the balls, when they were to moved to the next court. With no direction, whatsoever, I found myself working to figure out the procedures-often going in the wrong direction.

We were hitting balls when the instructor came up to me and said “Kathy, how would feel about going into the Beginners Class”. I stood there in amazement; we were only fifteen minutes into the 1.25 hour class.

I said, “These folks have been together all season correct?” She replied “Yes.” She said they are going to run all over you. To which, I replied, “You haven’t even given me a chance”. (I knew I have always been killer at Serving and we hadn’t done a drill with that component.)

Humiliated, I found myself walking off the court. Went to my car and cried all the way home. Then got a grip once I entered my home. Called the club back and said “I just got kicked out of the “Beginners and Intermediate Class”, when are you beginners classes? He said, “I have one tomorrow night at 7:15 p.m. I said, “Great, sign me up.” He said, “I don’t think you are going to get bored because this Beginners Class has been going all winter.

The following night went through the same procedure. Arrived and there were only six people in the class….four of them had been playing all year. The instructor explained the process, smiled and said “I’m mean with a huge smile”, and said, “Let’s get started”.

Before long, I noted how much fun I was having. At one point, the man across the net said after I served well upon each attempt, he said, “She’s good.”
The time flew and I could tell that I had gotten a terrific workout. I walked to the car and thought to myself “What if I had given up last night?”

This lesson in my life needed to be shared. There are times when we want to give up—the interesting fact is that we never know when such a challenge will appear to help us grown.

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