Tennis is my favorite sport and hobby. I actually did not partcipate in any extracurriculars until the 7th grade, because my schools did not offer any. That all changed in the 7th grade when my sister and I were introduced to the NYJTL(New York Junior Tennis League) program. Completely for free we were able to learn the skills of a sport that you typically do not see many Black people, or people of color in general at all. Tennis is an expensive sport which is why you usually need to be upper class to go far in it. Although I started too late to ever become a professional player, I would say my love for the game is a strong as any pro. I play as much as I can with my family and on my school team. I also read tennis articles and Twitter posts, along with watching dozens of matches and highlights on YouTube and Tennis Channel. Tennis has taught me incredible lessons, especially about persistence and dedication. I literally cannot imagine my life without this beautiful sport.