Could this be the year you take the first steps toward starting a new sport? For me, it all started casually enough three years ago. I was bored with my boot camp workout classes and my husband suggested I join him in taking tennis lessons. Have you ever thought of doing something totally new? Something you’ve never done before? Well, I did. I took my first tennis lesson at age 43.
During both my pregnancies I gained a lot of weight (50 pounds each time, to be exact). To lose the weight, I worked out at a rigorous boot camp class. After a few years of boot camp, I was ready for something new. But what could I do? Pilates? Tried it. I prefer eating pretzels to twisting myself into one. I can barely touch my toes.
Yoga? I spent time in an ashram as a kid – I’m not going to relive those memories. Running? Not unless there’s a bear chasing me down. Krav Maga? Tai chi? Jujitsu? Tae Kwan Do? Help! Too many choices!
And then there was one more. All the moms were doing it. All the husbands were encouraging them. It was beyond the rage. Pole dancing! Despite peer pressure from several of the moms at my kids’ school, I’ve resisted taking a pole dancing class. Several of them are so enthralled with this form of workout, they have installed poles in their bedrooms. One of them has perfected a move called the “flying body spiral”. I just can’t imagine myself wrapped around a pole, wearing 5″ stripper shoes, gyrating to loud music, trying to get in touch with my inner goddess.
So, I found myself holding a tennis racquet for the first time in my life. Would this be what I wanted? Something I would look forward to and be motivated to do everyday? Something that I could do with pride? My first lesson was about how to hold the racquet. It was so intimidating. Hitting a tennis ball isn’t nearly as easy as it looks!
The first few months, I took several lessons a week. It was humbling because I’m fairly competitive. I’d swing for the ball and miss, my racquet ending up several feet from the ball. Just when I thought I had hit a decent shot, it would fly over the fence. My instructor was patient and kept encouraging me. Fortunately, there was no surcharge for lost balls.
I kept taking lessons. Progress was slow. Some days I felt like quitting. I didn’t quit. Nonetheless, getting it right hasn’t been easy. Improvement is gradual, very gradual. I’ve been playing for three years now and it’s been one of the best things I’ve ever done. I love tennis. It’s the most fun, exhausting, frustrating, exhilarating sport I’ve ever tried. I play with my girlfriends, my husband and my young kids. I’ve played in a Ladies Day tournament and I’m going to sign up for another tournament soon. I play pretty much any chance I get.
If someone had asked me if I’d be willing to learn a new sport in my 40s, I would have said no. But, you never know until you try something new.
Tennis has been a lifeline for me. I consider it a form of self-improvement. I use it to offset the stresses of being a mom. It has given me the confidence to try new things and not give up. I look forward to playing every time I step onto the court. I’m impatient to get to the next level. I feel a sense of accomplishment when I have a great lesson or game. I’m completely devoted to this sport.
There is only one problem. Somehow, my husband, who started playing only six months before me, is a LOT better player. He aces me with his serves. He hits shots he knows I can’t possibly get. Sometimes, when we play, I want to smack him with the ball. I don’t because I have him to thank for introducing me to this sport and I’ve made it my mission to beat him.
If you’re thinking about starting a new sport, give it a try! As moms, anything we can do to relieve stress and stay healthy is a good thing. I’ve thrown myself into tennis, body and soul. The thing that makes me happiest is that my kids take tennis lesson and now that they are seven and ten years old, we hit together as a family. On vacation, we stay at hotels that have tennis facilities. The good thing about tennis is that it is widely accessible. Public tennis courts are readily available with very reasonable court costs.
I’m happy to say, tennis has brought our family closer together. It’s 2011 and I look forward to many years ahead, playing with family and friends. Now, if I could just get to level 4.0, I’ll be really thrilled. Oh, and maybe I can get my husband to take up pole dancing.
This essay has also been published as a guest blog at The Well Mom.
QUESTION: Is there a hobby or sport you’ve always wanted to try? What’s prevented you in the past? Can you find a way to try it soon?
CHALLENGE: Be bold! Try a new sport this year!
Photos courtesy of Christina Simon
I LOVE this essay. What a great example you’ve set for the rest of us, Christina! Hearing about someone else trying something new (and loving it) makes me feel a lot less intimidated about trying something new.
This is so inspiring! When I turned 30, I set a goal to run a 5K, just so I could prove to myself that my body could still move it. This may not seem like a lofty goal, but for me it was! To that point I had never been a runner (unless I was chasing down one of my wandering children!). Well, after a few months of training, I was running 3 miles several times a week and I had the opportunity to run in 3 official 5K’s! I never completed a race in record-breaking time, but I finished each race and I felt great! I feel like we’re never to old to try something new!
I love this. My daughter is a college athlete, her dad was too. Me? Throw a ball to me and you will break my teeth. I love that you were willing to step out. I’m 51 now, have changed careers and if anyone told me I would I wouldn’t have believed them. It took confidence in myself. Not always easy I have to say. I had to have the confidence to not only be excited about the possibility of my future but of what I am capable of. You go girl!