By Rebecca Chestnut, age 18

Yakima, WASHINGTON — It’s a scorching 100 degrees with cloudless blue skies and a warm breeze. It is the perfect day for tennis and to play with friends.

Last summer I did just that. I participated in USTA Jr. Team Tennis and enjoyed beautiful weather, tennis and friends. It was one of the best experiences I have ever had.

As a part of the Wenatchee Valley League, practice was held weekly on Wednesdays at our local high school. Anyone who wanted to play tennis was welcome to join. We started in June and practiced in preparation for the USTA Jr. Team Tennis Eastern Washington-Northern Idaho regional tournament which was held in Yakima, Wash., later that summer. If we were able to win the regional tournament, we would move on the section tournament where we would play for the chance to go to the national championships.

On the morning of the first day of the regional tournament, we were ready to go. With racquets in hand and the sun shining, each team faced six different teams from all over Eastern Washington and Northern Idaho for the next two days to play a combination of singles, doubles and mixed doubles. These two days were probably the highlights of my summer. I was able to form friendships with people and make memories that last a lifetime.

At the end of the regional tournament, my team had come out on top giving us the opportunity to move on to the USTA Pacific Northwest Jr. Team Tennis Section Championships held in Tacoma, Wash. We returned home, tired and sunburned, but ready to prepare for sectionals.

The weekend I spent in Tacoma with my team is one I will never forget. Getting the opportunity to meet kids from different schools and form friendships with them and the rest of my team was an experience that will be treasured forever.

Unfortunately, our run came to an end at the section championships. Our team took third place and only the top two teams move on to the USTA Jr. Team Tennis National Championships which were held in Arizona. In the end, it was okay that our team didn’t advance. We fought hard, played our best, bonded as a team and vowed to come back next summer to clinch one of the top two spots so we could compete for a national championship.

Our friendships have continued since we returned home. We get together to hang out, play tennis and share in the love of the game that brought us together and continually keeps us coming back. Tennis has opened so many doors for me and USTA Jr. Team Tennis is an exceptional program that encourages kids to get outside and be active. We learn to play a sport that we can play and enjoy throughout our lives.