Some of my friends think I have a bit of athletic talent…or at least moderate proficiency…age aside. So after watching four days of squash, I was itching to get back on the court myself. To not overdo it and remember the motions, I hit balls yesterday morning for 30 minutes. Then later the same day, I played with a friend.

To be completely honest, I was decimated. So here is an email I sent to the squash coach at the school where I play squash:

Dear G—

I played my first match this year and, as usual, lost every game. I have never beaten this friend. He was impressed how well I hit the ball when we warmed up. Then we played games, and I still can’t return a serve high off the side wall. I lose almost all my points by missing the ball completely or hitting it so poorly that he just puts the ball away on the next shot.

He likes to play 9-point games. Once he serves, he just wins straight points. I only get a few because he lets me serve first. So I lose 2-9 or 4-9. Once I had him 7-4…then he served right to 9-7. Last game I had him 1-0. Then he served 9 straight points.

So G— do you have a student I can pay to just hit serves to me for a few sessions? I must practice this return of serve off the wall. I’m pretty frustrated and have to learn to handle this shot…(end of email)

HELP!!!!! ANYBODY WANT TO BE MY SERVER SAVIOR??

Today I played tennis for over three hours. All the players are very strong, and I have the weakest serve. So my team almost always loses, because I am broken frequently, when it is my turn to serve. Otherwise we are very competitive. Lost one set in a tie break, and then the next two, 2-6, 2-6.

Ahh the challenges of sport. You gotta love ’em…even if they are maddening. And I can’t rationalize one iota by telling myself that my opponents have been playing for decades. I must get better!!!

By the way, I have realized that in both sports I need to have stronger quads, so that I can bend my knees to achieve power in the tennis serve and reach quickly for the squash ball. So now I have more exercises to do…push ups, abs, lats and now quads. aaaaaaarrrrrrrggggggghhhhhhh.