LLEYTON HEWITT FIGHTS ON THRU 2015

Written by: Reyes Gonzalez on 16th February 2015

LLEYTON HEWITT FIGHTS ON THRU 2015

epa04575132 Lleyton Hewitt of Australia reacts during his second round match against Benjamin Becker of Germany at Rod Laver Arena during the Australian Open Grand Slam tennis tournament at Melbourne Park in Melbourne, Australia, 22 January 2015. EPA/LUKAS COCH AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND OUT |

The Thrill of the Fight

By Chris Chaffee

“Always find a way, like gold through fire” – ME

Tennis is a unique and remarkable sport that contains many life lessons. It tests you mentally, physically, and spiritually. Tennis is a sport that confronts you with challenges, situations and choices, and it is up to you how you are going to face them. You need to be willing, have strength, and courage to fight. Andre Agassi said once said, “It’s no accident, I think, that tennis uses the language of life. Advantage, service, fault, break, love, the basic elements of tennis are those of everyday existence, because every match is a life in miniature. Even the structure of tennis, the way the pieces fit inside one another like Russian nesting dolls, mimics the structure of our days. Points become games, become sets, become tournaments, and it’s all so tightly connected that any point can become the turning point. It reminds me of the way seconds become minutes become hours, and any hour can be our finest. Or darkest. It’s our choice.”

― Andre Agassi, Open

Tennis is a sport where your game can grow as well as your mental and physical strength. Tennis teaches you to believe in yourself and always give your best, which is the path to happiness. The game of tennis is a gift. It is a sport which teaches us about passion. It teaches us how to respond to a situation, to analyze the moment, and rely on your strengths when faced with obstacles and pressure. In this way, the game of tennis can help build character, and will lead to a good performance, and to the joy of the battle.

I am always trying my best on and off the court, and thrive on the desire to improve. I love the thrill of the fight, the battle, the challenges tennis represents and I have used this mentality within my own life. Tennis has taught me to deal with life’s challenges. I have never given up in a match, and in turn, have never given up when challenges or obstacles may have knocked me down or situations have not gone my way in life. I always found a way. My greatest strength is not my serve, nor the speed of my strokes, it is my speed on the court, but even when my legs get tired, the one thing that will never falter is my competitive spirit. My competitive spirit is my talent, and the greatest gift that I have both on and off the court. It is the fire inside that has always motivated me and pushed me even when I fall. It is something I have always believed in and used to move forward so I can keep fighting. It is my edge, my gold though fire. I believe we all have something inside of us we have to discover. Some inner power, and I discovered mine through tennis.

“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.” – Aristotle

Ever since high school my hero has been Australian tennis player Lleyton Hewitt. Lleyton Hewitt is one of the best competitors the sport has ever seen. Every time he stepped onto the court, he wore his heart on his sleeve. Hewitt also helped me learn that winning is not everything. It is the fight that matters.

“The essential thing is not to have won but to have fought well.” The thrill of the fight. That you keep fighting and fighting and keep coming back, you will never lose or be defeated.” Hewitt inspiration in the fight and giving your best still motivates me to this day. “To succeed, you need to find something to hold on to, something to motivate you , something to inspire you.” – Tony Dorset.

Idolizing Hewitt helped me want to become something more. I discovered that if I gave my absolute best, believed in myself, and used my competitive spirit, then I would never lose. I used my heart and my determination as my strength in every match as well as in school, and in life. I could be outgunned, or over muscled, but I could never be out hearted. I preserved through sweat, hard work, and determination. This Hewitt philosophy is simply to go out there and try, and keep trying harder and even harder the next time. By practicing this, you will learn that being a champion is what is inside of you and how you view yourself. Throughout Hewitt’s career he laced up his sneakers, gripped his racket, and stood tall as a devoted champion. What does it mean to be a devoted champion? A devoted champion is to push yourself to never give up on goals, hopes, and dreams. It is something you find, and when you have it, you use it to compete and make the best of yourself.

I won a lot of matches with heart, and was able to move forward because of it. One memorable match was during my last year at USM. If I won my match, I would clinch the LEC Champions, and also be the singles champion of my flight. It was an uphill see-saw battle with obstacles of nerves, pressures, and trying to find the strength and energy to keep coming back. In the end, I found something extra special within myself, and pulled out a story book ending to win the match. That emotional experience is one of the reasons why I love tennis. It’s the thrill of the battle. The gold through fire. I suffered, and went through peaks and valleys but came out victorious. After the match, my brother, my parents, coach, my team, opponent, and opposing teams, congratulated me by saying “Amazing, just amazing. What a fighter.” It felt like a movie. I will never forget that moment and that feeling. Like Hewitt, I will always want to remembered as a great fighter, whose amazing talent was his ability to fight until the end.

Tennis has taught me that In life if you wake up with goals, hopes, dreams, and work hard to achieve them then you are become an everlasting symbol. I get up each morning, go to work, train my butt off in the gym, give my best on the court, while also passing my love and knowledge of tennis to others. My hope is to give each and every person the chance to discover this wonderful game, and to see that tennis is not only a sport, but a journey, and a reflection of life. “The will to win, the desire to succeed, the urge to reach your full potential… these are the keys that will unlock the door to personal excellence.” Confucius.

If someone was to describe me, I would want them to think that I am not only passionate about tennis and willing to teach others knowledge, but that I was made for chasing dreams, and have worked as hard as one could to achieve it, and that I am someone who is inspiring, and sees the hope and possibilities that life and tennis has to offer. I am thankful that I have indeed, impacted some people’s lives and they have shared to me how I have inspired them through my tennis.

One member at the tennis club I work at told my mom, “You could see how much passion and love he has for tennis. How much he wants to keep getting better. It is inspiring to see.” A gentleman I play competitive matches with very often told me, “Having someone as committed and determined as you to play against and with motivates us to keep playing and keep wanting to getting better.” A woman who won’t let any injuries keep her out of the game said, “I love having you teach me because you really care.You use your heart. You give me hope. You love the game of tennis, and it shows.” Lastly, someone I have taught and played tennis with said, “You look like he you can run and play all day, You never get tired, and never give up on a ball”.

I am grateful for these compliments, and they help me go to bed with satisfaction that I am making a difference in peoples’ lives. I hope while reading this article, it inspires and motivates you to do your best, even when you might not win because to do your best reveals character. I want people to feel like they can always improve and get better. Everyone possesses a fighting spirit that they can use in life and in whatever challenges they face. Lastly, remember to lace up your sneakers, grab your racket, and stand tall, not only in tennis, but in life. If you do this then no one can take your heart. No one can defeat you. I hope this inspires people to try tennis, to fall in love with it, and to keep playing. It is a beautiful sport that takes you on a courageous journey. Tennis is the game of a lifetime. Play tennis, not just for the fun of it, but for the love of it.

“Every time I fall I get back up again

Cinch my saddle up and find me another wind”

-Randy Houser