play tennis

Work especially on three areas:

1) Return of serve
2) Second serve
3) Backhand

Discipline myself to stretch before and after every game

Play in USTA leagues and maybe T2 Tennis

3/25/2008 – Practiced serve
4/13/2008 – Team practice
4/15/2008 – Hit the ball with Paul

In my 50th year I want to play tennis at least 50 times

1. 4/20/2008 USTA Team practice
2. 5/7/2008 USTA Match – Win
3. 4/27/2008 USTA Team practice
4. 5/04/2008 USTA Team practice
5. 5/11/2008 USTA Team practice
6. 5/18/2008 USTA Team practice
7. 5/20/2008 3.0 top dog doubles
8. 5/21/2008 USTA Match – Win
9. 5/25/2008 USTA Team practice
10. 5/24/2008 Men’s singles
11. 5/25/2008 Mixed doubles round robin
12. 5/26/2008 Mixed doubles at club
13. 5/28/2008 USTA Match – Win
14. 5/31/2008 Crestmoor 3.5 pick up game
15. 6/01/2008 USTA Team practice

I expected to move up and gain a 3.5 USTA ranking but despite winning most of my games I remained a 3.0. My social life was much more active as a result of playing tennis. I was more fit, but not as fit as I got from running and lifting weights. I did not lose much weight as a result of playing so much tennis.

The following unexpected things happened from playing tennis:

1) Saw two nuns in full habits playing tennis
2) Hit the back of a baby stroller with an unforced error
3) Went to my first doubles match in the club tournament and found my partner and I were dressed in the exact same outfit – white tennis shorts, and blue tennis shirts with white sholders. Told him we would be accused of commiting unnatural sexual acts and we were.

• Met my girl friend at a social tennis mixer in the fall
• Was asked to captain our 3.0 tennis team through the Twilight Season
• Won the last point, in the last game, in the last set after everyone else had finished to win our match in three sets. Although we tied the next best team in number of matches won, our team came in second in the division by winning one more set than the third place team.
• Swept our sister team, Crestmoor Red, winning all three matches.
• Pulled a muscle in my back at the beginning of the big week in my season. So painful now it hurts to stand, sit, or sleep.

What I expect to happen if I pursue this goal:

1) move up to a 3.5 USTA ranking,
2) have a more active social life
3) be more fit
4) lose weight

Season

Try and do one drill class and play for fun 4 times a week. Play in a USTA league. Enter tournaments. Cross train. Cardo 4 times a week, strength 3 times, stretching 2 times.

In July I played too much against too many weaker players and the level of my tennis suffered as a result. If I am going to be competitive in the club tournament I need to rethink my strategy, but of course even bad tennis is a good emotional and athletic outlet.

Off Season

In the off season play twice a week, and do one drill class, one lesson, or one session with the ball machine. Lose weight. Workout with weights following a program designed to strengthen the muscles used during the game.

10/28/06 Used the ball machine
10/29/06 Played mixed doubles mixer
10/30/06 Ran
10/31/06 Tennis drill cancelled by cold weather

11/1/06 Played singles
11/4/06 Used the ball machine
11/5/06 Played mixed doubles
11/7/06 Rode bike to work
11/8/06 Played singles
11/11/06 Rode bike to use the ball machine
11/13/06 Played Midnight Tennis
11/15/06 Played singles
11/18/06 Used the ball machine
11/19/06 Rode my bike to mixed doubles, played for 2 and 1/2 hours, rode home, played singles again
11/22/06 Played singles
11/25/06 Rode my bike to use the ball machine.
11/26/06 Played Men’s doubles.

12/06/06 Played singles.
12/07/06 Started organizing a tennis tournament for this summer.

1/19/07 Played mixed doubles on clay – fun!
1/24/07 Played singles
1/31/07 Played doubles

2/5/07 Played singles
2/12/07 Played Men’s doubles
2/14/07 Played mixed doubles
2/23/07 Played mixed doubles on clay

Played 4 times in February

3/6/07 Played mixed doubles
3/8/07 Played singles outside in beautiful weather
3/16/07 Played singles
3/17/07 Practiced serve
3/19/07 Played Canadian doubles
3/21/07 Played singles
3/22/07 Played singles
3/25/07 Played singles
3/26/07 Played mixed doubles, canadian doubles, and singles

Played 9 times in March

4/1/07 Played mixed doubles
4/2/07 Played doubles with three women players
4/9/07 Played men’s doubles and mixed doubles
4/14/07 Attended Prince demo event
4/14/07 Hit the ball with the kids
4/15/07 First team drill of the 2007 season
4/16/07 Played singles
4/21/07 Played mixed doubles
4/22/07 Team drill
4/23/07 Hit balls
4/26/07 Played singles
4/29/07 Ball drill
4/30/07 Hit the ball

Played 13 times in April

5/1/07 Practiced serve
5/6/07 Drilled, played men’s doubles, men’s singles, and mixed singles
5/7/07 Played Men’s doubles
5/9/07 First USTA match. Played #1 doubles, lost 5-7, 4-6
5/10/07 Hit the ball around with my son
5/11/07 Hit the ball around with my daughter
5/13/07 Drill Class and mixed doubles
5/15/07 Played top dog men’s doubles
5/16/07 Second USTA match. Played #1 doubles, won 6-4, 6-6, 7 to 5 tie breaker
5/19/07 Played Men’s singles
5/20/07 Drill Class
5/21/07 Canadian doubles
5/26/07 Club round robin mixed and men’s doubles
5/30/07 Third USTA match. Played #1 doubles, lost 6-6 (tiebreaker 7-4),
3-6, 2-6.

Played 14 times in May.

6/2/07 Played in Men’s Round Robin
6/3/07 Drill class
6/3/07 Fourth USTA match. Played #1 doubles, won 6-4, 7-5 with an ace on my serve
6/4/07 Played mixed doubles with Russ, Conner, and Anita
6/5/07 Practiced serve
6/6/07 Fifth USTA match. Played #2 doubles, won easily 6-1, 6-3
6/11/07 Drill Class
6/15/07 Played Canadian doubles with Kim and Sandy
6/16/07 Hosted Father/Son Mother/Daughter tennis tournament
6/17/07 Drill class. Played very badly
6/18/07 Hit with the ball machine, practiced serve
6/20/07 Sixth USTA match. Played #2 doubles, won 3-6, 6-1, 7-5. Down 4-1 at one point in the 3rd set
6/22/07 Played mixed doubles
6/24/07 Drill class
6/25/07 Hit balls with Anita. Too windy for a game
6/27/07 Seventh USTA match. Played #2 doubles, won 6-3, 6-4.
6/28/07 Practiced serve
6/29/07 Played mixed doubles

Played 18 times in June.

7/1/07 Drill Class
7/2/07 Practiced serve
7/3/07 Top Dog Doubles
7/4/07 Tennis with Anita and friends
7/4/07 Mixed doubles
7/6/07 Hit ball with Henriette
7/7/07 Played Men’s singles
7/8/07 Drill class
7/9/07 Doubles
7/10/07 Doubles
7/11/07 Sub for a match. Warmed up but did not play.
7/13/07 Played singles
7/15/07 Played singles on clay
7/16/07 Played mixed doubles
7/17/07 Played top dog doubles. Was top dog scoring 20 out of a possible 21 points.
7/18/07 Eigth USTA match. Played #2 doubles, won 3-6, 6-7 (6-8 tie), 6-4
7/22/07 Drill Class
7/23/07 Mixed doubles
7/24/07 Ninth USTA match. Played #2 singles, won 6-7, 6-4, forfeit
7/25/07 Played in a Men’s round robin
7/28/07 Played singles with Henriette
7/29/07 Drill class
7/29/07 Played in a junior’s round robin with my son
7/30/07 Played mixed doubles
7/31/07 Played singles and men’s doubles.

I have played 25 times in July.

8/3/07 Played softball tennis with kids
8/6/07 Played Dr. Paul
8/6/07 Drill class
8/8/07 Top Dog Men’s doubles. Was top dog tonight
8/10/07 Played mixed double
8/11/07 Played men’s doubles. My partner and I beat a pretty good 3.5 team
8/12/07 Drill class
8/13/07 Mixed doubles
8/14/07 10th USTA Match won first set 6-2 before being rained out
8/21/07 Played men’s singles then mixed doubles. Played really poorly
8/22/07 Practiced serve
8/24/07 Played in first tournament as a singles. Quickly eliminated 6-1, 6-0.
8/25/07 Played men’s doubles. My partner and I, both ranked 3.0 won against two 3.5 players and played a good match agaist a 3.5 and 4.0 players.
8/26/07 Drill class.
8/27/07 Rained out of make up match.
8/28/07 11th USTA Match won 2-6, 6-4, 6-3.
8/30/07 Lost first match in the singles competition in the club tournament 6-2, 6-3.
8/31/07 Won first match in the doubles competition 6-4, 6-2.

Played 17 times in August.

9/2/07 Won first consolation men’s singles match coming back from losing the first set, winning the second and the tie breaker.
9/2/07 Lost the second consolation match.
9/2/07 Won the first set but lost the second in the Men’s doubles semi-finals. Tiebreaker rained out.
9/3/07 Lost the tiebreaker in the heartbreaker

So far I have played 4 times in September.