The foundation of this discourse community is based on athletic skills, mental toughness, and academic success. To fully participate in this discourse community and achieve success as a tennis player, I had to possess all of these qualities.
By employing the three appeals of logos, pathos, and ethos, I will learn the fundamental regulations of tennis, earn my position within the tennis community, and develop the mental strength required to join the discourse community of varsity tennis. The experience of playing tennis as a team member differs greatly from the perception derived from watching professional matches on television. Despite appearing complex and intense, the rules of tennis are actually quite straightforward.
Before joining this discourse community, I initially believed that tennis was a trivial game where two individuals simply hit a ball back and forth with a racket. However, I quickly discovered that tennis is a highly skilled sport that demands much more. Mastering the game necessitates acquiring a deep understanding of its mechanics and effectively utilizing one’s abilities. To make reasoned arguments and appeal to logic (logos), comprehending the inner workings of tennis is essential. In a standard tennis match, three sets are played, with the first player to win two sets being declared the victor.
In a set, you play six games and must win four points to win a game. However, these points are not on a normal scoring scale. The scoring starts at zero, or “love,” and goes up to 15 after winning the first point. It then increases to 30, and then 40. Winning the next point results in winning the game. Understanding the scoring system is not the only important aspect of tennis. For instance, when serving, it is crucial to ensure that the serve lands in the correct service box and that the foot does not cross the baseline to avoid a foot fault.
Each point on the tennis court is played from a different side of the center mark, causing the serving target to change with each point. In addition to losing the point by hitting the ball out, there are other ways a player can experience setbacks. These setbacks include committing foot faults, getting aced, or having points deducted for destructive behavior on the court. Through my discourse immunity, I have learned how to avoid these setbacks and maintain my focus on playing the game without becoming overly concerned about making mistakes that might lead to losing.
Throughout middle school and high school, I dedicated a significant amount of time to playing tennis. By doing so, I aimed to establish my credibility through ethos. Our team had to prioritize practice and matches, which often took place day and night. This meant that I had to make commitments to consistently show up on time and be prepared to play for extended periods in all weather conditions. To ensure our readiness for the season, our coach even scheduled practice to start almost a month before school began. Each summer, we had to sacrifice our time to make up for any potential gaps in preparation. Occasionally, I found myself prioritizing tennis over my academics.
Balancing tennis and schoolwork was a challenge for me, but I was determined not to fail. In order to be part of this discourse community, I had to maintain a certain grade. Otherwise, I would be demoted and have fewer opportunities to play matches until I improved and regained my position. By the end of my senior year, I had earned 2 trophies and 5 medals through my participation on the team. My goal was always to excel in this sport and continually strive for improvement to uphold my standing in the discourse community.
Throughout my four years in high school, being a member of the varsity tennis discourse community allowed me to thrive individually and as part of a team. During the fall season, we participated in both singles and doubles matches, with our team’s overall score hinging on our performance. It was my personal duty to excel on the court and avoid disappointing my teammates. Whenever one of my fellow players was competing, we would all gather by the fence to support and root for them. Initially, having all eyes fixed on me felt overwhelming. The pressure to perform flawlessly in front of everyone was nerve-wracking.
Although it was my own match, I approached it with the mindset that my entire team was playing alongside me. The demanding aspect of tennis did not just involve hours spent on the court, but also intense strength and conditioning sessions afterwards. These workouts left me soaked in sweat and with weakened legs resembling rubber. As a tennis player, enduring the sprints was no simple task. I frequently questioned my coach about how effective this exercise was in enhancing my tennis abilities or if it had any impact at all.
I used to believe that lifting weights and doing seemingly pointless exercises were unnecessary for tennis. However, being a part of this discourse community has taught me the importance of gaining endurance and physical stamina to excel in the sport. Despite grueling practices and late-night matches, I remained devoted to tennis and gave it my best effort. I soon realized that winning was not solely dependent on hitting the ball hard or acing serves.
A good tennis player would focus on winning the game, while a great tennis player would also possess the mental strength to secure victory. In order to achieve this, I learned to separate tennis from any outside distractions, adopting what we referred to as the white line mentality. Mastering mental toughness was the most valuable lesson I gained from this discourse community, as it is crucial to be able to manage emotions in any circumstance, whether on or off the court.
During a match, I had to demonstrate mental toughness in handling various situations and utilize pathos to appeal to my opponents emotionally. This meant harnessing their emotions for my advantage, whether by disregarding their confidence or their temper. I discovered that losing a few points or even an entire game did not signify the end of the match. Similarly, being in the lead did not permit me to become complacent. Instead, I learned to control the pace of the game and remain focused, adopting a mindset as if I were behind and needed to rebound.
Despite being ahead in the set, I had to maintain a humble mindset and not assume that victory was guaranteed. I approached the game as if I were trailing and needed to give my absolute best effort at all times. Tennis has the potential to evoke intense emotions. In order to avoid becoming excessively confident or angry, it was vital for me to learn how to regulate my emotions within this community of players. Occasionally, during my matches, frustration would arise when I hit a ball incorrectly or lost a long rally. During these moments, I would sometimes react by slapping my leg or even my racket with my hand.
Slapping myself not only results in physical pain, but it also reveals a lack of emotional restraint and has a negative impact on the team. It took me some time to overcome this detrimental behavior. I had to discover alternative methods for venting my frustration when losing a point, such as switching my racket to the opposite hand or engaging in self-dialogue to regain composure. On occasion, receiving encouragement from others would assist me in calming down. Since joining this community of individuals, I have acquired an understanding of how crucial it is to handle challenging situations in a positive manner by cultivating mental resilience and appealing to the emotions of my adversaries.
Finding a balance between tennis and school proved to be challenging, but I was able to manage it. It takes more than just being a good tennis player; being great requires understanding the rules and thinking logically. By learning these techniques, I have become a skilled athlete capable of excelling individually or as part of a team in the professional realm. I am confident that these abilities demonstrate my belonging in this discourse community and my knowledge of using the appeals of logos, pathos, and ethos to succeed in future communities I plan to join.
