A Letter to West Point
Ana Joyner '21
"I want this more than anything else in my life” was one of the many thoughts racing through my mind as I tirelessly tried to run my opponent around the court, only for her to retrieve the ball, launch it into the sun, and back onto my side. It was the Patriot League Finals, and we were fighting to overcome a 1-0 deficit against Navy. We had lost the doubles point in a close match, and although it is not required to win a dual, the momentum was clearly in Navy’s favor.
One of the most challenging parts of tennis is the mental component. You can spend countless hours working on your technique, perfecting your tactics, and becoming a physical specimen, but it all means nothing if cannot adapt to changing conditions or push through when you are down. Sometimes you have bad days. Sometimes there is wind. Sometimes your opponent lobs every ball into the sun. And sometimes, you don’t really know why things aren’t going your way. Frustration is natural when you feel that your hard work has not paid off, but the ability to overcome adversity separates good and great players. The mental game is the hardest to master, but sometimes the only thing that you can truly control.
After narrowly losing the match that would have won us the doubles point, my partner and I walked off the court looking and feeling demoralized. I tried to ignore Navy’s joyous cheers, but that only made them more prevalent. In former matches, I had never felt like giving up, but for the first time, my brain felt fried, and my body felt drained. I knew my opponent, and I knew that I did not feel prepared to play a marathon match in the heat of the day.
To my surprise, my match was extremely competitive. Although I had anticipated that I would be too tired to hold my own, I found myself in a battle with my opponent. The score was often tied, and winning a point was usually a difference of one of us missing by a few inches. As I took a seat on the bench for a changeover, I looked over at my other teammates. I could not see exactly where they were in their matches, but what I could see is that every single one of them was giving 110 percent of their effort. They were running for every ball, fighting for every point, and cheering every chance they had. I could see it in their eyes; they were playing for something much bigger than themselves. It was in this moment that I realized the importance of being on a team and the role that I played.
Tennis, by nature, is an individual sport. Growing up, I had always worked hard and pushed myself to improve and get better results. I was proud after my victories, and disappointed after my losses. I did whatever it took to ensure I got the practice and resources I needed, but never considered how I impacted my coaches, practice partners, and family. As a plebe on the Army team, I felt very fortunate to play in the starting lineup. However, I spent much of the year comparing myself to others and only focusing on my results and performance. Hearing my teammates cheer me on when they were down and seeing them run for every ball made me realize that I am playing for something so much greater than myself. Being on a team means putting your heart and soul into every match. It means pushing through the heat and physical pain. It means having the mental fortitude to come back when you are down. Why? Because you are not playing for yourself, but for person to your right and left, for the teammates cheering in the stands, and for the people that have supported you along this journey.
When I realized that I wanted to win the match more than I wanted to breathe fresh air, I knew that I would be able to push through. Clinching the match against Navy is by far the most memorable moment of my life, but not because of any individual success. The feeling of my entire team rushing to me when we won cannot be matched. This culminating moment showcased the care we had for one another and demonstrated our hard work throughout the course of the year. From that moment, I knew that I was becoming part of a family, one that I would fight for until the very end. I am incredibly grateful for the past four years and the opportunity to compete for the Army Women’s Tennis Team. WAT Forever.
Champs!#GoArmy pic.twitter.com/aqDJRDZ0f2
— Army W.Tennis (@ArmyWP_WTennis) April 22, 2018
To My Coaches: Coach Peck and Coach M, thank you for your unconditional support these past four years and recognizing me for who I am off the court, rather than on the court. Prior to West Point, I believed that my self-worth was strictly defined by how well I practiced, whether I won or lost, and how much time I was able to commit to tennis outside of my other obligations. Although I was often inclined to be hard on myself, you taught me that bad days are part of the process. Over time, I have learned the importance of switching my mentality when I walk onto the court, no matter what kind of day I’ve had. I am truly fortunate to have been able to reach out to both of you when I felt that I was struggling. I am also forever grateful for the on-court coaching, extra practice sessions, help overcoming losses, celebrating victories, and most importantly, spending the last four years with you two as my coaches. Thank you for bringing out the best in me and showing me what it means to be a coach. I will cherish the time I had on this team for the rest of my life.
To my teammates: Words cannot begin to explain how much this team means to me, and how much I cherish every one of you. We are all too familiar with the challenges that West Point presents – DPE classes, Thayer weeks, late nights, early mornings, IOCTs, and company positions do not even scrape the surface of what we do on a regular basis. At times, tennis can make our obligations seem even more overwhelming, but I cannot understate the importance of recognizing how incredible you all are as a group of individuals. I can honestly say that seeing everyone at practice has been the highlight of my day this past year. We have accomplished so much together, and we really have come a long way. Although we didn’t have the opportunity to compete first semester, I was truly inspired by everyone’s work ethic. We pushed through hours of tiring conditioning sessions, long lifts, tough practices, and a global pandemic. Most importantly, we all did so together, and I am so proud to be part of a team that is so close. For those of you that have been on the team with me for several years, thank you for helping me and being a lifeline when I was struggling. I’m so thankful for all of the memories we have made, and cannot wait to see where the future takes everyone. I came into West Point to be on a team, but I can confidently say that I am leaving with a family. #RTKA
WAT Family Forever,
Ana Joyner