Youth vs Experience

Our team was the team to beat. We had not lost a single match to any of the teams our region. We first pummeled and then rolled up our opponents in style. I was a big part of our success in our previous seasons. I had lost only one game out of all the games that I had played. However, when the going is that good, it is the humble that succeed. No doubt I was good, but thanks to my victories there was the little matter of becoming over-confident. Still it seemed to make no difference to my game. I was winning games everywhere! And then fate decided that it was time for me to come back down to earth.

It was the second match of our season. Faithful to our reputation we had just rolled over our previous opponents and were looking to walk in and out to record our second victory. After all we had thrashed this team the last time we had played them. It was full of old guys who weren't expected to hold a candle to us.

I was told that I'd be playing this 60 year old guy. I smirked and asked a teammate of mine if he was sticking around so that I could practice a little with him after I was done with this guy. We made some jokes about how these old guys were making our games so boring. I mean we weren't playing professionally or anything, but playing these old guys who could hardly move around was just taking the fun out of the game.

My decrepit opponent shuffled up to me and we introduced ourselves. The first thing that went through my mind on seeing him was that he seemed to look like a turtle! His face was all shriveled up and he was hunched up a little making him look like he had a mini shell on his back. I sighed thinking what a waste of energy this was and we warmed up. He took awfully long! I was sympathetic and figured I may as well give him a little fun. So we traded blows and after an eternity decided to start the game.

He won the toss and floated a serve across the net. I almost fell over laughing. I smacked it with all the power I had and watched it zoom back to him. I expected him to fall all over himself trying to avoid getting hit by it. However to my amazement all he did was get his racket to it ... and it sailed over the net for a perfect drop shot. I could have got it easily, had I not been rooted to the ground, mouth open in shock! He grinned at me and said, "Great shot!", and then shuffled over to hit the next serve. Another floater, another boom as I smack it, another lovely deflection, followed by the grin and shuffle. I couldn't believe it! Two returns that any pro would have been proud of and I was two points down!

I then decided I would make the bag o' bones run a little. The next serve was another floater, but somehow he managed to put it in the one spot that I couldn't reach even I had dived after it. He had aced me. I didn't have to look up to see the grin on his face. I could almost feel it!

Game after game, he out-thought me, making me run and play the kind of game that he was most comfortable with. I did win the occasional game and point, but I was completely unnerved. I would not have been able to recognize the game this old guy was making me play. Game after game, point after point, the grin-shuffle kept coming and going, until I couldn't stand it anymore. My captain who was watching the game walked up to me and asked me why I was playing the fool. All I could do was shrug. Another sly grin formed on my opponent's wizened face when he heard this. I managed to make a mini-comeback and win a set but in the final set he had wrung every bit of energy from me. And somehow he was still standing. Here I was, a strapping 25 year old in the form of his life toyed with by a man almost three times his age!

At the end of the game, he walks up to me and handed me his hand gingerly said, "So your friend still sticking around for that game you wanted after you thrashed me?" and ambled off into the darkness.

All I could do was stand there with my mouth open.

In order to win, ability alone does not count. In the fascinating world of sports, you could be faster, stronger, more competitive, more talented, and able. However, unless you respect your opponent you could get schooled by your opponent. Never again will I doubt someone based on their appearance or age.