Student Victor Manuelle Mendieta Credits STF for Consistency and Responsibility

How has STF and tennis challenged and rewarded your growth?

Serve the future and tennis have challenged me in a few different ways. The first way is being consistent. This is because during the summer I showed up to all the practices that I could from Tuesday to Friday. In the beginning of practices, I wasn’t as consistent as I was near the end of the summer, but thankfully Coach Leslie talked to my parents, and they all motivated me to make the STF/ tennis practices my 1# priority. This has helped me grow because all the practices have helped me improve all my swings, also my technique like topspin and serves. Consistency has also helped me prepare for other activities like going to the gym or waking up for school.

A second challenge STF has helped me with is being responsible. This is because during the STF summer camp I had to drive myself to and from the practices. Some other responsibilities were setting my alarms, eating a light breakfast, and leaving the house on time to not be late to the practices. Learning responsibility helped me grow because I was able to change those responsibilities to other activities like going to the gym and school where I must get up early and eat a good breakfast.

One way tennis has challenged me on the court is by having me be more aware of where I am, which just means court awareness. I overcame this challenge by always moving back behind the base line after every time I hit the ball. This has helped me because it ensures that if they hit a ball that is near my waist, I would know whether it is in or out. This also can help me not lose many points in the games. Another way tennis has challenged me is by always being ready (In a ready position) all the time. This has helped me because if I just hit the ball with my forehand and I didn’t get ready if they then hit to my backhand, I wouldn’t hit the ball good and I would lose the point. It’s also very important at the net for the volleys because the ball can go very fast you will have little time to prepare the swing correctly.

Another way tennis impacted my personal growth is by helping me do more exercise throughout the summer. This has really impacted my personal growth because one and a half months before summer ended my parents, and my slightly younger sister all started going to the gym and we got personal trainers to help us grow better and to educate us on what to do. Tennis has really helped because I was able to do both, and I believe that I was able to grow better because of both together. 

The last way tennis has impacted my personal growth and is helping me get out of my comfort zone. I believe the most recent example of this was actually this summer because it was one of the first times when I drove without a adult and the more practices I drove to the more confident I felt about driving by myself. Another way STF/tennis have impacted my personal growth is by allowing me to improve massively compared to my first year and being able to be a role model for my little sister who wants to do tennis just like me. The very last thing STF/tennis have impacted my personal growth is by allowing me to seize all the opportunities because both of my parents work very hard for my sisters and me, so we are able to have opportunities that they were unable to have. I also believe that this program will have all the opportunities so I can grow and have the opportunities my parents have worked so hard for."

Victor Manuelle Mendieta
Junior
3 years in STF