Anaiah Jones '21 Recruiting Profile

I was four years old when I held my first tennis racket. I remember exactly how I felt holding it in my hands. I held that racket with a firm grip. I felt fearless. I felt powerful. My father was the one who introduced me to tennis. He wanted to teach my sister and me a sport that we could play throughout our lives, even when we are old. I never thanked him enough for putting tennis in our lives. Tennis is one of the things that my father left for me when he left this earth. I will not let all his teaching and my hard work go to waste. As I have gotten older, I have come to understand that tennis is not just a sport or two rackets and a ball. To me, it is way more than that. It's therapy. It is a stress reliever. It is motivation. It is dedication. Tennis has brought me a long way. Honestly, I cannot imagine my life without it.

My goals and aspirations for college are (1) to learn more about who I am on and off the court, (2) to meet new friends and create more connections, and (3) to test all my abilities--mentally, physically, and spiritually. I want to be challenged mentally both on and off the court; I want to be pushed physically both on and off the court; and I want to be free from fear, worry, and doubt spiritually. 

What makes me a good candidate for your team? Well, for one, I am more than a "good" player. I am a great player for your team, and here is why. I believe in myself. Every shot that I hit over the net is a good shot. Even when it goes out, I still believe in my technique and skill. It is easy to correct a mistake. I used to beat myself up about missing shots. My coach would get mad at me because I would be so hard on myself about an 'out ball.' He would calmly say to me, "Anaiah, dear, the best players in the world miss shots. It is okay. Relax and just play." He still tells me that to this day. I have gotten better. I am sure he would agree. Another thing that makes me a great candidate for your team is my thinking skills. I enjoy planning out points, especially in doubles. My sister and I have this thing where I yell out something weird. We use it to distract our opponents, but they do not know that this is how we use strategy to win the point. It is funny when it works for us. It can help to reduce the stress of game play and help us to have fun.

What makes me different from others? My mentality on and off the court. No matter the score, no matter who is watching me or how I feel physically, I stay strong mentally. I keep trying until I find out what works. I bought a book a few years back called "Mental Toughness 101." At the time, I was struggling with my mind. I could not get it right; I was always in my head. After reading that book and implementing some of the advice given by pros, I felt better playing under pressure. I understood what was going on when my body showed symptoms of fear and doubt. One thing that helped me was humming a favorite song in my head or thinking of something funny. I like to laugh at silly stuff. It makes me feel good. From an athletic standpoint, I think my energy and serves are my strong suits that set me apart from other players. I love to ace my opponents. It gives me more energy to want to ace again and again and again. What makes me different academically? I do my best on every academic assignment and work hard in the classroom, just like I do on the tennis court. While in college, I want to major in Exercise Science. I enjoy motivating myself and others to exercise and obtain optimal physical fitness. I understand why education is especially important and am committed to getting a good education.

 Thank you, coach, for reading my statement.

Anaiah D. Jones