Entering My Tennis Girl Era
love, deuce, game, serve, set, idk?
I just wrapped up eight weeks of tennis lessons, and I’ve truly never felt more like a cool, multi-dimensional adult woman. When I added “take tennis lessons” to my ‘30 before 30’ list, it felt pretty aspirational. For a few reasons:
Arlington County Parks & Rec classes sell out almost instantly. Truly cutthroat.
An eight-week commitment? That requires more forethought than I’m typically capable of at this life juncture.
Trying new things, especially ones you’ve never done before, is really freaking scary.
But when I saw that Arlington County had just released their April–June course schedule, I took a deep breath and snagged a spot in a Wednesday night Tennis I class. Ryan had zero interest, so I signed up solo. That alone was a leap—Ryan and I do most activities together, and I didn’t know a single other person in the class.
On April 23, I showed up to Stratford Park at 6 p.m. with only a vague awareness of how to hold a racket. There were two coaches and nine students, all in their 20s and 30s. Even though most of us were strangers, we bonded quickly over our chaotic forehands and mutual confusion on wrist pronation.
Fast forward to this week—our final session—and we genuinely got emotional about “graduating” from Tennis I. Over eight weeks, we became a little tennis family. We showed up with our cheap rackets, listened to our coaches' metaphors about follow-through, played goofy games, laughed at bad shots, and occasionally cursed when we hit a ball into the parking lot.
Of all the things I’ve done this year, taking tennis lessons might be the most impactful. I connected with a group of people I’d never otherwise have met. I learned a sport I find beautiful. And most importantly, I did it alone. Every week, I showed up terrified of embarrassing myself, and put myself out there anyway.
Taking tennis lessons embodied exactly what I hoped my ‘30 before 30’ list would inspire: doing the things I keep putting off. And it worked.
When I got home from our last class, I immediately signed up for another session. It'll be a new group and new coaches, but I’m genuinely excited. Because here’s what tennis reminded me: you’re never too old to learn something new, and it doesn’t matter if you’re any good at it. (Note: I do care if I’m good at it, but, in theory, it doesn’t matter.)
So if you’ve been thinking about trying something new, but are nervous no one will do it with you or afraid of looking ridiculous, this is your sign to go for it. I’m so glad I did.
