HPTC Tennis Development Scholarship 2023 Essay

By Capri Butera

Hello. My name is Capri Butera and I am an 11-year-old competitive tennis player. First, I would like to thank Carmen and the Highland Park Tennis Club for their generosity and believing in me. I am very honored to be receiving the first ever Tennis Development Scholarship.

At only 11 years old, I have already experienced so much in the tennis world. I began playing just short of 4-years-old. As I continue to play tennis and compete in national level tournaments throughout the United States, my love for the sport grows and I know this is where my heart is. I have learned a lot about myself through playing tennis. It has built my confidence level on the court, as I believe I can do anything if I work hard enough. I have learned that I must be mentally tough to deal with all of the pressure on the court. And even though tennis is an individual sport, you also need to have good sportsmanship so you can be respected on and off the court.

My dream is to one day become a pro tennis player. Without hard work and support from my team, the dream is unreachable.

My advice to the young players out there is one of the most important lessons I have learned along my journey; if you don’t work hard you will not succeed. Some days might be tough, but pushing through helps you to grow and get better. Also, no matter what you do, you should always have fun.

I’ll leave you with this quote my dad always reminds me of “Good players practice until they get it right…great players practice until they never get it wrong.”

THANKS AGAIN!