PLAY THE GAME, PUSH THROUGH THE PAIN ELIZABETH LAVIN Multiple Tennis Balls

YOU MAY THINK OF TENNIS AS A MEASLY SPORT, BUT RIGHT NOW TENNIS IS DEMANDING ATTENTION! TENNIS IS REACHING A NEW TIME, AND THE PHYSICAL DEMANDS ARE CHANGING. NOW, YOU MUST PUSH THROUGH THE PAIN IF YOU WANT TO PLAY THE GAME. Tomas Berdych

WHY YOU WANT TO KEEP PLAYING WHEN YOU HAVE TO CONTINUE PLAYING, IT CAN PUT PHYSICAL STRESS ON YOUR MIND AND MUSCLES. BUT THERE DEFINITELY ARE SOME ADVANTAGES TO PLAYING THROUGH THE PAIN. PLAYING THROUGH THE PAIN BUILDS STAMINA, DETERMINATION, AND PERSEVERANCE. THOSE ARE SOME GREAT TRAITS TO HAVE, BUT YOU MIGHT GO THROUGH A LOT OF PAIN TO GET THEM. ALTHOUGH YOU NOT ONLY GET STAMINA, DETERMINATION, AND PERSEVERANCE, YOU ALSO BUILD MENTAL TOUGHNESS AND STRENGTH. PLUS, IF YOU’RE NOT REALLY IN PAIN, YOU STILL CONTINUE TO PLAY THE MATCH TO TEACH YOU NOT TO LIE.

WHY YOU DON’T WANT TO KEEP PLAYING PLAYING TENNIS CAN PUT A LOT OF STRAIN ON YOUR MUSCLES. AND SOMETIMES, IT’S BEST TO QUIT. BY QUITTING, YOU REDUCE THE CHANCE OF GETTING INJURED FURTHER. TENNIS IS CHANGING, AND YOU NEED TO HIT HARDER AND WITH MORE POWER TO KEEP UP WITH THE GAME. DOUG SPREEN, A SPORTS MEDICINE TRAINER ON THE ATP TOUR, STATES “THERE HAS DEFINITELY BEEN AN INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF INJURIES IN THE PAST 10 YEARS. I BELIEVE THAT MOST OF THAT CAN BE ATTRIBUTED TO THE FACT THAT GUYS ARE HITTING THE BALL MUCH HARDER THAN THEY WERE 10 YEARS AGO. THE PLAYERS MUST ALSO MOVE MORE QUICKLY AND EXPLOSIVELY TO GET TO BALLS. IF GUYS ARE GOING TO PLAY WITH MORE POWER, THE BODY HAS TO BE TRAINED TO HIT WITH MORE POWER.” SPREEN ALSO SAID “NOW EVERYONE IS TAKING MORE RISKS AND CHALLENGES, THOSE OF WHICH CAN MAKE OR BREAK A CAREER.” Doug Spreen coaching a player.

HOW TO STAY SAFE DOUG SPREEN, A MEDICINAL TRAINER, KNOWS A LOT ABOUT KEEPING THE BODY FIT, BUT NOT JUST THE BODY. TENNIS IS ALSO A SPORT OF THE MIND. DID YOU KNOW THAT JUST ONE BAD MEMORY CAN MAKE A PLAYER QUIT TENNIS FOREVER? AND ONE PLAYER CAN MAKE A HUGE DIFFERENCE. IMAGINE IF SERENA WILLIAMS, WINNER OF OVER TWENTY GRAND SLAMS, CURRENTLY NUMBER ONE IN THE WORLD, HAD QUIT TENNIS. VENUS, HER SISTER, WOULD BE AN ONLY CHILD. VENUS MIGHT NOT HAVE EVEN STARTED TENNIS. ALSO, WHO WOULD BE NUMBER ONE? ONE PERSON CAN MAKE A HUGE DIFFERENCE. SO, PICTURE THIS: A DOUBLES TEAM IS SERVING 4-3 IN THE THIRD SET. THE BALL GOES UP AND THEN… AND THEN… THE NON-SERVING PARTNER HAS HIS KNEE GO OUT. THE PLAYER WAS NOT REALLY IN PAIN, BUT HE COULDN’T CONTINUE PLAY SO THEY RETIRED THE MATCH AT THE POINT. COULD THAT HAPPEN TO YOU? HERE ARE SOME WAYS TO PREVENT IT. WHEN YOU’RE PLAYING TENNIS, ALWAYS HAVE PAINKILLERS, ICE AND HEAT PACKS, PLUS BAND-AIDS ON SIGHT. YOU SHOULD ALWAYS KNOW WHERE THE NEAREST HOSPITAL OR MEDICAL CLINIC. BE SURE TO CARE FOR THE INJURY USING PRICE METHOD: P: PROTECT THE AREA HURT, R: REST THE INJURED AREA, I: ICE THE INJURED AREA, C: COMPRESS THE AREA, E: ELEVATE THE SWOLLEN AREA. REMEMBER, THERE ARE MANY WAYS TO HEAL THE INJURY. FOR EXAMPLE, A HOT PAD IS BEST FOR CHRONIC PAIN AND NON-SWELLED INJURIES. HEAT RELAXES TIGHT MUSCLES AND STIMULATES BLOOD FLOW. BUT, AN ICE PACK IS USED FOR AFTER ACUTE INJURIES OR FOLLOWING A TRAMATIC INJURY TO REDUCE SWELLING AND PAIN..

YOUR OPINION SO, COULD YOU HURT YOUR KNEE? WOULD YOU HAVE TO KEEP PLAYING? YOU SHOULDN’T HAVE TO. IN FACT, YOU MIGHT NOT HAVE TO. SINCE THE INJURED PLAYER WASN’T SERVING, THERE WERE ONLY TWO GAMES LEFT, AND SINCE THE RULES STATE A PLAYER CAN BE POSITIONED ANYWHERE ON THE COURT, THE SERVING PARTNER COULD’VE PLAYED OUT THE GAME BY HIMSELF- AS LONG AS THE PLAYER WAS ON THE COURT. THE PLAYER COULD’VE STOOD ANYWHERE, EVEN LEANING AGAINST THE BACK FENCE. THAT WOULD’VE BEEN OKAY. WHEN YOU’RE PLAYING TENNIS- OR ANY SPORT- PLAYING THROUGH PAIN SHOULD NEVER BE OKAY. CONTINUING TO PLAY CAN BUILD CHARACTER, BUT DO YOU REALLY WANT TO BE FORCED THROUGH THAT ORDEAL? NO ONE SHOULD EVER BE FORCED TO PLAY..