State Sports Star

I am ending the month of September with a poem about my college tennis playing days:

Coach knew I was a special player from day one
And labeled me the hero of the team, unsung
He set the significant duty of captain on my shoulders so slight
And hailed me the leader and settler of problems and plight
The reward of losing match after match isn’t much
And he tried to instill sportsmanship, regard for the game, and such
His lessons were valuable on and off the court
And hearing him reminisce was my restitution and resort
The few months traveling together in a van facilitated friendship
And we drove with determined direction, enjoying every trip
We’d laugh and taunt, the derides unintended harm
And Coach would endear us with his never-ending charm
I soaked up memories during those two seasons of play
And the more time goes by, the more grateful I am of the day
It wasn’t the only the superb sport that squeezed our souls
And none of us will forget to recall our indiscreet goals
The winning wasn’t in the cards often enough
And it helped to know I could survive the rough