When I first joined the high school tennis team, I was fresh out of eighth grade and had no idea what to expect.

Our tennis camp and tryouts took place in the first week of summer, and after a week filled with matches and drills, I was placed on JV as Singles #2. I was thrilled with the spot and excited for what the future might bring.

The following year, I believed I had a real shot at varsity. Our girls‘ tennis team had always been known for its welcoming atmosphere, making it a great place to start my high school tennis journey.

However, our coach announced that he would be limiting the number of freshmen accepted to the team due to an overcrowded roster, which made me anxious. At tryouts, I didn’ t make varsityand remained on JV.

I had an opportunity to move up to

Singles #1 after the top player left, but another teammate, who had also been working hard, won a match against me.

As a result, I stayed at Singles #2. I faced her again later in the season and came much closer to winning but still fell short.

I expressed my feelings to my coachnot out of a desire to complain, but to seek improvement. Soon after, some lineup changes were made, and my teammate

moved up to varsity, giving me the chance to play Singles #1 for the second half of the season.

The following summer, I set a clear goal for myself: to make varsity. Many players moved up as seniors, but I wanted to prove myself earlier. I trained diligently during camp, and by the end, the coach acknowledged the significant improvement he had seen.

At tryouts, I felt incredibly nervous.

During warm-ups, I struggled in rally after rally, and in my first match, I lost 4-6.

Then came the match I had been anticipating-playing against the same teammate

who had defeated me twice before.

I reminded myself to focus and give it my all. To my delight, I won 6-0.

When I learned that I had made varsity, I felt an overwhelming sense of pride-not

just because of the title, but because I had proven to myself that persistence pays off.

Every setback I faced had driven me to work harder, and each loss made this moment even more rewarding.

Now, I‘ m ready to step onto the court as a varsity member for the first time, knowing that this is just another step in my journey, and that there’ s so much more to come. I hope my journey encourages others to pursue their goals with determination and resilience.

<Alice Chae 서니힐스 고교 11학년>