TENNIS Round Robins—and New Shoes
Tennis round robins tell us more about participants’ personalities than I’d imagined they could. As you’ll gather from my May 22nd, 07 blog entry, I’m not a terribly serious tennis player, but I do enjoy the activity. And, in order to get a somewhat regular game, I’ve been attending bi-weekly round-robin socials. Now, while I’ll put my all into what I’m doing at the time, I don’t always have to win. Others, however, do, and let strangers know it in the clearest of ways.
For "social round robins," you’re randomly coupled and players aren’t always the same level—which isn’t supposed to matter. They’re billed as fun events at the end of a long week, not serious matches. But, not everyone would agree. Certain partners send grimaces and give huge sighs, while others praise even the most lousy strokes and misses, suggesting "nice tries" when they’re not.
You certainly get a sense of who’s a "good sport"—who has a positive attitude and who might be difficult or moody (off the court as well as on). Game after game, over the last few weeks, I’ve found this a very interesting getting-to-know-you experience, while improving my play—hopefully, in every aspect.
By the way, remember my retro tennis shoes. Well, after a few spins on the court, they finally disintegrated. So, an exhaustive search for comfort and value led me to a new pair of Nikes. Not only do they work for narrow feet, but I like their plain white no-frills look.
