03.29.23
Anthony and Brayden, Bushrod Park
Congratulations to Anthony and Brayden -- the twins played in their first USTA tournament recently and got their first win too! They are 10-years old and were playing in the 12 & Under Green Dot ball division.
Anthony had a tough second round, and was still upset about that loss when called up for his third round. Anthony said he thought of Rafa Nadal's quote: "losing is not my enemy, fear of losing is my enemy" when he went out for his final round of the tournament. In his words: "I tried not to think about the past and just the present.... In my final match, I played without worrying about losing to my opponent. Playing fearlessly and not thinking about my earlier disappointment helped me to focus on my game. I held my serve and I broke his serve most of the match. By letting go of the past and staying persistent, this allowed me to win the last match 6-3 and earn a bronze medal."
Brayden faced his own obstacles, and said how much YTA has helped his tennis game and more: "I like to go to YTA after school because I can play tennis with other people and make new friends with them. For example, I made friends with older kids and some younger kids, boys and girls....Going to YTA also helps me improve my tennis skills. My forehand and backhand have gotten really strong since the time we first started playing at YTA....I have learned that practice makes perfection....Finally, YTA is also free for all kids, so that you don’t need to pay for tennis, unlike other tennis lessons which usually cost a lot more. This allows all people to play and learn tennis."
Thank you to Brayden and Anthony's father, Phil, for interviewing them about their experience. And thank you to Phil also for being one of our invaluable volunteers with YTA!