Tennis with James (Part 5)

James plays tennis here at TCU.  Since I used to play tennis (many years ago) we decided to change things up a little this week and have our conversation from the courts.  I was really excited because I’d wanted to play since I brought my tennis racket from home in August but never went.  We set out from the BLUU to make the journey to the courts.

            It was about a twenty-minute walk so we had plenty of time to catch up after spring break.  James enjoyed the break, although I suspect he was somewhat bored with everyone gone on trips and at home.  He was able to get his Driver’s License, which seems like quite a lot to get done with the classes and testing required.  We also talked about our previous experience playing tennis.  James travels with the club team and competes in tournaments and matches.  He’s been to UT, Baylor, and UNT to play tennis as well as playing in several tournaments here at TCU.  James also played tennis in China during high school.  He said it wasn’t a very popular sport in China but it was his favorite sport that he has played.  He has a lot of experience with sports, having played basketball, soccer, table tennis, and volleyball.  It was neat to hear how childhood sports were similar in China as they are here.  There also seems to be some major differences between sports here and in China, namely the unpopularity of baseball in China when it seems to be one of the most popular childhood sports here in America.

            When we reached the tennis center I was amazed about about how nice it was.  With the lovely weather, incredibly green grass, abundant flowers, and the nostalgic sound of tennis rackets hitting back and forth I was even more excited to return to the familiar sport now that we’d arrived at the facility and I’d seen how nice it was.  After we got a court our conversation soon became focused on details of the game that I’d forgotten over the years: where to stand, when to serve, etc.  James gave me tips that come with his years of experience and coaching and pretty soon we were able to keep the game competitive between us, making for a great afternoon.

            After about an hour of volleying, we decided to play an actual match.  It was so much fun to get out and enjoy the nice weather and return to a sport that I’ve always enjoyed.  I’m going to have to go back to play tennis a lot more often now that I’ve seen the courts.  James and I will definitely play again since we both enjoyed the game so much. It’ll make for some awesome future conversation meetings!