Bennett had spent last Spring and Summer wrestling with a very hard decision, whether or not to return to basketball in the Fall. It's not because he didn't love the sport anymore, it's because he loved it so much. He ultimately decided to sit out basketball his Senior year. It was an agonizing decision for both him and us. But its his life and we have to respect his choices. The team, the coach, the other players, the demand to his time were all slowly seeping the joy out of the game he has adored since he was in 1st grade. He felt at peace with his decision and we supported him.
This past summer he decided to start practicing with the tennis team in hopes of making it during Fall tryouts. Not only did he make the team, he made Varsity. He was put on the 4 Doubles team with someone else who was also a first time tennis player. They did so good they ended up making All Conference because they didn't lose a match during their season. Incredible!
This is why we spent this past weekend at the Colorado Regional Tennis Tournament in Denver. It was a perfectly crisp, sunny day to play tennis. Actually, the first day there was still a ton of ice on the courts from the snow storm we had the day before, so it got off to a slow start until the ice melted. Sadly, his partner was having an "off day" on the first day of the tournament and they lost a match that they should have won. This put them in the bracket to play for 3rd place instead of 1st or 2nd. We watched them play two fantastic matches. They had fun and ended up taking home 4th place. Only those teams who won 1st or 2nd at Regionals had the chance to go to the State Tournament.
I'm so incredibly proud of him for trying something new during his senior year none-the-less! He learned alot, gained alot of respect for (and from) his coach, enjoyed being outside practicing and playing games during the best time of the year, and made many new friends. Win/win.
He is going to end up lettering in Tennis this year. Way to go Bennett...the consummate athlete!
