We'd scheduled a playdate for Megan and Tanya yesterday.
These kids are so hyperscheduled, Tim and I make an effort to get them together once a week for some unstructured playtime.
"Tanya has a tennis lesson at 4:30," he said. "Do you mind if she comes along?"
I had no problem with that. Gareth played tennis in college and tries to bat some balls with her every so often. He even bought her a small racquet of her own. So we brought it along.
Tim invited me to leave her so I could run some errands. These days, I live for invitations like that. I had a full 90 minutes to do some shopping - all by myself.
I met them back at the local tennis court as the lesson was ending. There were about seven kids in addition to Megan. I recognized some of them as friends of Tanya's.
Tim and the other parents were seated under a nice market umbrella. He introduced me to a lady named Nikki, who runs the tennis school for the kids.
"Your daughter's really good," she said.
At the conclusion of the lesson, the instructor joined us. "This is Megan's mom," Nikki said.
"She's good. Especially for her first lesson."
Nikki joined in. "She's probably the best I've ever seen for never having a lesson. A natural."
Who woulda thunk I'd be raising a little jock?
First gymnastics, then tennis. Can golf be far behind? Your daughter sounds like a natural athlete. In my experience, athletics can be a wonderful thing as long as parents don't try to live vicariously through their kids or pressure them too much (I'm sure that you won't do either). Getting involved in something physical is a wonderful antidote to today's mediated world.
Posted by: ComfortAddict | August 12, 2005 at 11:59 AM
Bury that teeny tiny tennis racket, or buy yourself one of those Richard Nixon face masks.
Posted by: Lorna | August 12, 2005 at 04:28 PM
I've heard of soccer moms. Are there tennis moms? Do you already have an SUV? If so, you'll need to purchase a sticker or magnet in the shape of a tennis ball. And your license plate will have to be personalized into TENISMOM.
Posted by: sp00kalot | August 12, 2005 at 08:22 PM
Maybe tennis is cheaper than gymnos...Probably not...Just wishful thinking on my part. Good for her, though. Lot's of opportunities for the athletically inclined.
Posted by: Amy | August 13, 2005 at 03:40 PM
Maybe you should be thinking about lining up some endorsements for her...
Posted by: jen | August 14, 2005 at 06:30 PM