A Time for Battle:

There are moments in life when we are challenged. Conflict is a necessary and core tenent to being Sith. It elevates the strong and weeds out the weak. Butterflies fill our guts. Are we good enough? Doubt creeps in. We are about to receive a reality check. It's moments like this that I thrive.

Do you know what a real warrior is? A tennis player. We are true athletes. As our skill levels rise, we are plucked from obscurity and drafted on teams where we become warriors battling against others for supremacy. Our self worth is measured exclusively by skill, rating, and record. We are Sith.

This past weekend, my Baton Rouge team played in the Louisiana Championship Tournament. We were invited to participate after winning our nine team division with a perfect record. We faced the five best teams from Louisiana who earned the right to play by virtue of slaying their own competition.

After twenty-five matches, my team finished #2 in the tournament. Unless we miraculously get a wildcard spot in the regional playoffs, our four month season is over. As Sith, we are not happy with the result!

I personally feel shame towards my own performance. While I beat a team's #1 singles player on the first day, I lost a critical one in three sets to another team's #1 singles player. I must now grapple with the reality that my Team Captain could purge me from team next season. Your value to the team is only as good as your last match.

This is the way of the Sith. Life is harsh.