How "sporty" can you get?

It was a nice sunny afternoon while I was driving yesterday afternoon and decided I should play an outdoor game as I had been off from field/court games due to chilly winter backed with occasional snow, wind & rains. With the recent fitness fever that has taken over me, it surely has to be a game which burns a plethora of calories. I have been playing cricket since childhood and decided to try something different, something new, something tennis! Yeah! The idle "Fed" in me woke up yesterday with a zeal, superabundance enthusiasm and I headed straight to the nearest Modell's to pick up my Wilsons'.

I have wondered many times that its been 24 years and what games have I actually tried and played & I wished I could have played. This is it; its time and I am gonna try it, I believed (maybe I am trying to connect the dots!). It's never late for anything and sports is a habit I had to inculcate in my daily routine. I can imagine 25 years down the lane, my child would ask me to play with him/her and I would want to be energetic more than ever. No one would love to hear their kid say with chagrin, "Ahh, my dad can't!" That comment or thought just irks me.

Tennis is a very technical game unless someone like Nadal who can play with a rhythm and style of his own and be the best at it. The 1st lessons were very important and my trainer was our very own "sporty shank" cum "wtf roomie" cum "author @ the-connexion" has played a bit of tennis and was there to give me the basic beginners' tips. (Believe me it helped!)

So here I am, at the Woodbridge Public Garden which consists of a small kids play area, 3 tennis courts, a big lush green lawn and a baseball ground. Holding the tennis racquet like a cricket bat and constantly hitting on the net vexed me initially. As I played more rounds of forehand practice, I learnt that controlling the speed of the ball is as important as the placement. Having said that, my trainer also very keenly taught me that footwork in tennis is more important than in cricket :)

To my astonishment, I gradually got the knack of controlling the ball speed, placement and also the footwork pretty well that being my first day. The alacrity to better every movement only increased with time. By the end of first day practice session I had learnt to hold the racquet, place the ball on the other side and run enough to give myself room to hit the ball. Ahem..I'm impressed with my performance!

I was reading about tennis in various bulletins and articles and learnt a few things which I would like to share with all my reading mates. Sources say that, tennis players scored higher in vigor, optimism and self-esteem while scoring lower in depression, anger, confusion, anxiety and tension than other athletes and non-athletes. Just playing it one day, I could feel that its not all about physical strength, it required tactful thinking and alertness. We all know tactical thinking will help you grow your brain and we would never get older :) Who wants to get older anyways?

Moreover my dearest reading mates, tennis burns calories! Yippie, so you have a sport you can play that I am sure you will enjoy the most plus burn calories - double bonanza! I am gonna get sporty and I hope all of you grab your racquets and just hit! For that matter just play any sport - playing sports is platinum. Period.

All my smoking folks, you shouldn't try sports - you never know you might just die panting on the ground. Quit today - stay fit!

Happy reading guys, think & stay healthy,
~RJ