Becoming Good At Something Isn't Always Fun

As im sitting here in Nielsen Tennis area in Madison, I am watching the UW tennis team practice. They're really good and I am kind of envious of them! Some day, I want to be that good at tennis! I doubt I will practice that much ever for tennis though, but maybe something else. They are sending the ball flying into the other court so fast, I would never be able to return it. They come from off over the world to play. One I saw was from the Czec Republic (I think) and the other from Germany. I find it funny when they get mad, they all speak to themselves in their native language. But whatever, they're good. This is making me realize I need to work really hard to accomplish something I love, even though it might get stressful at times.

These players going through intesive drills as I type this now. They are practicing their lobbing, ground stroke, cross-court passes and whatever so fast, and somehow they make it all in. However, when they miss, they yell at themselves. Upon that, the coach is yelling corrections as well. Also, tons of people are watching them too, at the sidelines. My point is this is this all very stressful to them. Even though this is supposed to be a sport for fun, they are taking it very competitively, even in practice. However, i think this is the right attitude to have, and I think we all can relate. Something that is supposed to be fun, we can mad at when we're losing because we want to win.

I suppose I want to be good at a different language, like French. My old football said, "perfect practice makes perfect." He added the first perfect in that phrase because we need to push ourselves during all practice. To become "perfect", you will have obsticles and stress, but push through that and it will make you better at whatever. However, if you just practice and do the bare minimum, of course you won't have stress, but you won't become more skillful.

Watching this still, they were practicing hard for like 1.5 hours now. Hard at work, they are becoming better athletes too. Maybe when I get home, I will force myself to practice French. I know it won't be the most fun thing in the world, however seeing the tennis team's extremely hard drive to dominate at something gives me the adreniline to push through the difficult language of French... Well, at least for today or tomorrow.