The Importance of the Follow Through
It was the summer of 1989. I was 13. My mother decided to take a trip and visit her parents in Bosnia Hercegovina. While my father worked, I watched my younger brothers and made sure the house was clean. Exciting summer plans, I know! When I wasn’t doing either of those two things, I was glued to the television, watching tennis players like Stefan Edberg and Boris Becker compete in Wimbledon.
That summer, I fell in love with the sport. Well, I fell in love with watching the sport. Watching Edberg get called on foot faults and watching Becker scramble for just about every shot was my jam! I think that was also the summer I fell in love with the boys of tennis.
My love of watching tennis has remained consistent throughout the years. I watch matches on television; I watch matches from the stands. I do a lot of watching.
The playing? Not so much. I didn’t pursue tennis until later in life. It always seemed ‘safer’ to watch tennis than to play. By watching, I could avoid challenging plays and possible embarrassment. By watching, I would not have to walk off a court disappointed by a loss.
But what I learned was that by not playing, I missed out on the good stuff. I missed out on developing my forehand and backhand; I missed out on the opportunity to make connections with a community of people with the same interest; I missed out on doing something that brought me joy.
Eventually, I graduated from watching to playing. Over the last seven years, I’ve had an on-again, off-again relationship with playing tennis. I sign up for lessons or play with friends. I get into a groove and find my joy. And then it happens, I stop. I fail to follow through. Sometimes I blame my finances; sometimes, I can’t find a friend that’s able to meet me on the tennis court. Both are poor excuses. Both keep me on the sidelines.
This past summer, I was in Croatia. While packing for my trip, I placed my tennis racquet in my suitcase. I told myself that I would play tennis this summer. I’d been playing all year and wanted to maintain consistency; I tried to follow through.
I committed to early morning lessons in Makarska with coach Mirna. During a forehand lesson, coach Mirna explained that I start strong but fail to follow through. She reminded me that it’s not just hitting the ball that matters; it’s how you continue your swing once contact is made. Coach Mirna’s words resonated. I knew what she meant. For the last seven years, my commitment to tennis has always started strong. Then I either find an excuse, or I give up. I don’t follow through.
To grow, to improve, heck, even to stumble, you’ve got to follow through. Without the follow-through, we are all just spectators, sitting on the sidelines.
After years of starts and stops, I see how essential it is to follow through. My focus on the follow-through has improved my backhand and forehand; it has introduced me to a community of people who share the same interest, it has brought me joy.
I’m not sure where this commitment to the follow-through will take me, but I know that my game will improve with it.
I am excited to be stepping off the sideline and onto the court finally.
