Mental Moments

I've been working on some fictional writing. Here's an excerpt from my story:

I woke up happy. I’d just endured the most grueling of all three set matches in my tennis career. The two and a half hour clash went well into the evening. Thankfully, I was on the winning end. There’s something totally surreal about playing in front of a crowd at night. All eyes are on your court and each and every stroke you make. Your steps are scrutinized. You believe the audience can actually feel the ball sliding off the face of the strings as you follow through. The intense lights reveal the creases in your opponent’s forehead when she dives to save a shot at the net. The glare is enough to lose the tennis ball for the split second before your racquet peaks to serve. You can barely make out the cushy green grass. I never could understand how I won so many points and games in these conditions. The silence between the breaks, while you’re beating the snot out of the ball or planning your next finesse drop shot, is otherworldly. Then the roaring and the clapping kick back in when the ball dies or skips away from the line. You’re at midcourt when the rally ends, staring into the white of the opposite baseline with the concentration of a surgeon. The crowd releases their tense breath in unison. It’s as if they are right beside you and Coach is patting you on the shoulder to make you feel alright. You are too involved in the art of the sport to realize he isn’t really standing next to you, but it’s still okay. The powder gray grip of your racquet matches Coach’s hair. You have that warrior mentality working for you. It shows itself in the neediest of occasions. Even the opposing Coach gives you credit for observing that spellbinding demeanor you were so blessed to receive. When finished, you shake the hand of the girl who you just beat. She looks you in the eye and you both know you are thinking the same exact thing. You bring out the best in each other. The worst part about winning is trying to accept that someone with as much heart for the game just lost. That’s the only worst part though. Nothing can compare to the feeling at the end of a tennis match. You somehow feel stronger and more powerful with each win. Anything is possible again. Nothing is too hard because you know you have the will to withstand the pressure. Everything in life comes with a consequence. Winning comes at a cost too. The more you win, the more you expect not to lose.
Determination is exhausting. If you don’t play this game, you cannot fully understand the inner agony. It isn’t just the ball going back and forth across the net, but your emotions taking a back and forth ride. As a kid, you’re just a copycat making routine shots. Mature adult players have to be original in their strategy. An innovative approach is what gets you to the critical moments. Falling back on rudimentary components carries you through them. You need both to survive the hostile elements. More importantly, you can’t play with fear. The minute you become afraid out there is the minute you’re defeated. Your feet freeze and your arm can’t function to its capabilities. Groundstrokes are the still the backbone to an effective tennis game.