Ethan Esclamado

Most people write about themselves while centering around a certain aspect of their lives. Some people choose a favorite hobby or talk about a core memory. For me, one of my key pillars is the game of tennis. It was not like I came out of the womb swinging a tennis racquet or anything, but I slowly fell in love with the sport at a young age.

I was first introduced to the game when I was four years old. I dealt with asthma during my childhood so my parents had me get my daily exercise in the form of sports. From basketball to baseball to golf, if it involved a ball and cardio, I had probably tried it. In the end, tennis was the sport that really stuck with me. When I was nine years old, I decided I really wanted to pursue the sport more seriously. I started with daily practices after school in addition to playing local tournaments on the occasional weekend. But eventually, I was so committed to the sport that it pretty much became half of my life.

I took online classes so I could leave school earlier and get on the tennis court faster. My practices increased from two hours a day to four, and I dedicated at least two weekends a month to travel for tournaments. From countless matches played in cities in the middle of nowhere, to exhausting drills in the summer heat, I sacrificed a lot of my time and effort to pursue my love for the sport. But looking back, I do not think that I would have wanted it any other way. I enjoyed being able to go out there and work hard for multiple hours trying to perfect my craft. The daily challenge of showing up to practice and giving my all truly tested my mental toughness and helped to build my character. It taught me important qualities like perseverance and work ethic, and I hope that I can carry these attributes throughout the rest of my life.

I was lucky enough to continue my tennis career through my freshman year at Bucknell University, but I decided to stop playing during the following summer. I reached a point where I felt like focusing on my academics was more important, and so I ended my competitive tennis career. After one and a half years at Bucknell, I decided to make a change and transfer to the University of Georgia. Even though my focus is on my studies, I am grateful for all of my experiences with tennis and the great memories that I will never forget.