Maybe, I was a tiger, when I wasn't fainting.

I do remember certain girls that we competed against, who brought out the tiger in me. One girl, used to take a moment(or more) to tie her shoes, when she was tired, after a long rally. I don't remember, if I ever beat her. She was my arch nemesis. The number of times we played eachother, through school we were neck and neck as, I recall.
There was something about her that made me love her, even though she beat me and I beat her, several times. She was always a good sport! I remember her with fondness, because, she was never so angry that, if I were beating her, to clap at a good shot that I made. I think, after she would clap at a great shot, I would lose the whole game, for the pride of that shot.
She was smart enough to know when she was tired and tie her shoes. I would wait until I fainted and blacked out, to know that I was tired.
Everytime, I think about clapping at a good shot on the court, I think of that nice competitor, from another school.
There were fierce competitors that made you shiver in your boots to play them. When some of them went up for a spike, you just covered your head and ducked. Their presence was so ominous. I was not one of those kinds of people, although my spike was a force to contend with. They never shivered. That is what Dad wanted to see. He wanted to see the other schools regroup, because I was coming. That didn't happen. I would hit them and then say I am sorry. What a nice girl, even though she hit me, she said I am sorry. Yvonne Goolagong, was my inspiration.
I often see the faces of the old competitors in my mind and they help me, dealing with my life responsibilities, now. Especially, my stubborn children. That was a good shot, I say, they back down and lose the game, everytime, just like their mother. (parenting the stubborn...)