Personal Narrative: My First Tennis Challenge Match

One failure that has greatly affected me to this day was the first tennis challenge match of freshman year. In order to establish seed rankings, we had to play eight-game matches against each other. The concept of challenge matches was not new to me, but nonetheless my experience proved futile in the face of my opponent. This match had taught me the importance of hard work, consistency, and discipline, but to attain these values, I had to travel a difficult path that destroyed my pride and confidence.
I was cocky going into the match, because I had played and beaten Jacob, my opponent, beforehand. I assumed that the skinny, lanky sophomore was nothing more than a pushover that I could dispatch easily. The match started out with my serve, another boost to my confidence, and progressed smoothly as I quickly won the first game. But I quickly realized that Jacob would not go down so easily. He sprinted, lunged, and chased after every single ball no matter what speed or power I put on each shot. He patiently persisted, meticulously striking each shot to be not fast but instead consistent- my biggest weakness. I began to panic. I started to hit balls harder, causing me to make more mistakes, and taking more risks in order to end the grueling rallies that ran me dry. I tried everything that I could think
I found that my grades greatly improved, having achieved a 4.0 GPA for the first time in my life, along with my clarinet skills when my band director elected me to perform my first solo at the spring concert. I finally began to see the fruits of my training throughout my life and I realized that to truly excel time, effort, and unwavering commitment must be implemented. That single match had transformed me into the disciplined, hardworking person that I am today, and with the things that I have learned, I continue to improve