Pressure is a Privilege by Taha

Pressure is a Privilege by Taha - May 2026 Scholarship Essay

For eight months, my life was consumed by tennis: in the mornings, I would practice countless serves; in the afternoons, I would analyze my groundstrokes frame by frame; and at night, I would prepare for the next practice. I had one goal in mind—to make the varsity tennis team at my school.

During my freshman year, the first ever class I took was PE 9, and during a tennis unit, I made the decision to go all in on this sport and compete at a level I never thought was possible. I didn’t know at the time how much effort I was committing to. Although I had only started playing tennis when I set that goal, I was determined because I had developed a strong passion for tennis through my close friends. To ensure I would reach this goal, I had a strict schedule over the summer: playing tennis in the morning, evening, and night for two hours at a time. During each of those practice sessions, I would record my serves, forehands, and volleys so that, in between sessions, I would analyze them. I would compare them to those of professional tennis players. What am I doing differently? How can I adopt these small things? Maybe they kept their torso in when serving or extended their arms more on a forehand. I began to adopt these small things one by one into my tennis game. By consistently applying these changes, I was able to improve my game drastically.

However, during these practices, I would face backlash. Like anyone trying to do something extraordinary, people would tell me, “It’s not possible to make varsity in such a short amount of time,” or, “You’re just not good enough.” Those comments were the fuel for my work ethic. I realized the true key to tennis is that I don’t need to beat the people who doubt me; I need to beat my own self doubt. Tennis was not just a sport but a way of thinking. Being able to navigate uncertainty through personal conviction and unseen work taught me that confidence is built through belief in your actions, not others’ opinions. I realized that if I wanted to make varsity, I had to put enough work in that my doubts would vanish.

The day of the tryout was a weird morning. I woke up unusually calm and relaxed, almost too relaxed. But I knew exactly why. Since making JV1 my freshman year, I had dedicated my life to this sole goal, and the work was immense. I knew that even if I didn’t make it, I would have no regrets, nothing to look back on and think I could have worked harder at, because I could not have given more of myself. I gave it everything I had the entire way. After three long days of tryouts, my coach told me I made varsity. A wave of relief and joy washed over me.

I am currently nearing the end of my second year on varsity. I have learned how to compete and cheer my teammates on. Tennis is a sport where pressure can overwhelm you easily. During my first year, I would fold under pressure and play far below my ability. What I have learned from my experience is that pressure is a privilege, and harnessing it to your advantage is a power most people never develop.