I thought that I had attended my last high school tennis match when Cameron played in the sectional finals in October. That changed today when I pulled into Bethany for the girls' first match of the season. Alina was playing #1 doubles and I had told her over spring break that I would be there to see her play.
There were definitely some changes from the fall season. With Bethany adding a lower school in the tennis parking lot, the spectator section had been moved to the north side of the courts. The pine trees had been trimmed to allow seating, but there were still a lot of limbs and even logs to navigate. I had also forgotten the different styles of play between the guys and the girls. The pace was slower tonight as was the speed of the ball. The girls were also a lot nicer to each other and talked a lot more to their opponents.
Even with the changes, the match was a lot of fun. Alina and her partner won a close first set and then easily finished the match off with a 6-1 second set. Cameron arrived just as the girls were shaking hands. Before I left, I got to congratulate Alina and her partner, Jessa. I also was able to meet Alina's mother where I commiserated with her about the pressure of team meals. As I walked back through the trees I talked to Daniel, Alina's coach and Cameron's assistant coach, saw several of Cameron's teammates, heard the ball hit the courts and watched the fans cheering on the players. It was all so familiar and nice to participate in once again. I will miss Cameron play tennis next fall, just as I did Meg and Cal when they graduated high school. Participating in tennis was a family event and meant a lot to Doug and I. It's time, however, for us to move on to the next phase in our children's lives. Cheering on Alina seemed appropriate tonight. Our time on the court was over. Instead I was happy to see others experiencing the joy of the sport and the family bonding time that it allows.
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