Letters: Edition 3

Dear relatives of our tennis community (including my wife and kids), thanks for letting us escape to Angola for camp. While you are missing us, we're working so hard - to find good hiding spots at the church for hide-and-go-seek. Or maybe to choke down a whole order of breadsticks with cheese. Or to become the "King of the Raft" in my parent's pool. Or to keep all our chips in the senior Poker game. It's a real stressful week for us. But truly, thanks for your support.

Dear team, this display of unity makes me smile. It may not be "unison" but at least it was done in the effort of "unity."

Dear Seniors, this is your year. Your hard work this offseason and especially during the summer has been pretty impressive. It is time to unite together as teammates who are ready to work hard. I challenged you back in your 8th grade year to put in the work to win Sectionals. You've got 1 month to put in that work. Keep it up and go play!

Dear Jan van Huntelaar, thank you for showing us a visual of what savage joy is all about. The dictionary defines savage as "fierce, ferocious, untamed." At camp, I tried to illustrate this by pointing to Joel Gerig and his cathartic "Let's go!" during his matches. There's a certain release of joy that is so powerful that it produces an "untamed" and unplanned reaction. Something like this...

Dear God, we tried to contemplate the ways we can receive Your joy at camp. But the truth is that only You provide lasting joy. So here's my prayer:

"May we rejoice in the you always. Let us rejoice! Let our gentleness be evident to all. Let us know, you are near. May we not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present our requests to you. And may the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, guard our hearts and our minds in Christ Jesus.

Finally, may we think upon whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable— anything that is excellent or praiseworthy. Whatever we have learned or received or heard from you, or seen in you—may we put it into practice. And may your peace be with us."