← Writings Competing · Mindset — April 14, 2025

Respect every opponent

“It is disrespectful to my opponent and does not make me better if I think that I can do whatever I want and win.”

Scan of the handwritten notebook page, April 14, 2025
Notebook page — April 14, 2025

Transcript

Today, I'm playing districts with my team. We are seeded #1 at every line and I haven't lost a game against anyone in my district. We are expected to win pretty convincingly, but I still want to make sure I treat my matches with respect. I will give my full focus to every point and I will give it the importance of a tournament match. It is disrespectful to my opponent and does not make me better if I think that I can do whatever I want and win. I want to take control of the short balls that I get. Even if I know I could win the point by just hitting the ball back to the middle and waiting for them to miss, it won't work when I play better players and it doesn't make me better.