It was a key point, one of the last few shots that decided the winner of the match. After a breathtaking 20-ball rally, I hit a winning shot. Before I celebrated, the other player challenged and claimed that the ball was out. I was furious but the rules told me to “trust” my opponent. People often criticize youth tennis tournaments as fraught with various creative ways of cheating. What drives some tennis kids to break rules and desperately try to win every match? 

For me, youth tennis used to mean playtime. However, as competition gets extreme, the meaning behind it has shifted. Children are scolded, reprimanded, or even cursed by parents and coaches when not playing competitively. Sometimes, the overwhelming pressure turns into misbehaviors on the court. It is time to set the priority of youth tennis back to joy and personal development.

On one hand, parents take heed of youth tennis’ benefits to college admissions. As a result, intense training becomes the way to their children’s success. In his interview with Los Angeles Times, Travis Dorsch, director of Utah State University’s Families in Sport Lab and lead of a report by the Aspen Institute, explains that youth sports have become “adult-driven and competition-focused”. I doubt this diverted focus would truly inspire younger children.

On the other hand, Roni Caryn Rabin from New York Times explains that with children’s rising participation in organized sports, overuse of joints and muscles may “disrupt growth and lead to chronic health problems.” In addition, with the pressure to perform, the youth players may be pushed to train for longer hours, sometimes more intensively than their burgeoning bodies and minds can bear.

We all know that parents want the best for their children. In tennis, the high expectations may, in the end, contrive a vicious cycle, burning out young children before they have grown into their bodies and interests.

I still remember playing tennis as a clumsy little boy, losing all of my matches. Nevertheless, recognizing my accreted improvements kept me going, and the boisterous cheers from my coaches and teammates are memories I will cherish. Through years of training, I have learned how to become a better athlete. I am scared that, in today’s environment, small kids like me would lose their chances to grow.  

We must acknowledge the cruelty of competition, that on many occasions, there can only be one winner. But, let us not forget what drives young athletes to start in the first place: joy, growth, and the decency to take a loss if it happens. 

Get out to the sunshine, swing your racquets, and enjoy the game. Who says we are not winners!

Works Cited

Newberry, Laura. “Kids are Losing Interest in Organized Sports. Why that Matters.” Los Angeles Times, 6 Dec., 2021.

Rabin, Roni Caryn. “Parents Should Limit Sports Participation for Children, Trainers Say.” The New York Times, 17 Oct., 2019.