Group B Blog Post

The David Foster Wallace readings really hit home for me. His struggles and triumphs in an, at times, lonely sport seemed aligned with my experiences as an athlete. Like Wallace, I began playing and competing at a very young age. Squash has been the only sport that I have pursued passionately. There are strengths and weaknesses to my game that I have learned to manage and adapt to over the years. I used to be a complete mess on court. I had tantrums when I lost and would dwell over a bad performance for days. My mental game was non existent. I was this little 9 year old playing all over the United States and world competing in a sport that I would, simply put, bully kids at.

Wallace and I have had opposite experiences when it comes to the comparison of mental and physical aspects attributed to athletic success. Wallace relied on his mental game when he was young, focusing on the precision of his shots and taking the time for his opponent to make a mistake. On the other hand, I relied on my physical prowess and bullied other kids on court without thinking about it. As Wallace grew older, he fell behind physically. As I grew older, I fell behind mentally. The importance of adaptation in order to succeed was the main takeaway I got from the readings. Although Wallace did not achieve as much as he wanted, he learned that he had other talents, like writing to pursue. I achieved my goal of playing college squash, but it took a lot more than just skill. I had to change my game hundreds of times to figure out the best formula of success for me.

Comments

  1. Jordan SilversmithOctober 21, 2018 at 7:50 PM

    It is very interesting to read your connection to the Foster Wallace readings. I never played racquet sports, and while there is a connection between sports you do not have the same experiences. Seeing the readings through your perspective adds a depth to them that I previously did not have.

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