It all started in West Virginia with a simple phrase: “Why not try?”
Before going to the United States, I only played badminton. With the intense pressure of high school, I had very little time for sports each day, and tennis was completely foreign to me.
When I first arrived in that small West Virginia town, I felt pretty unsure of myself. It was my host family that changed everything. They smiled and encouraged me: “Zi, why not try the tennis team?” Even though I had absolutely no experience, their somehow moved me. And just like that, I joined the North Marion tennis team.
I remember being so incredibly excited for practice! The scheduled time never felt like enough. According to the rules, students finished training at 4:00 PM, but I stayed behind to practice extra every single time. Coach Mason still remembers that during the first week, we often practiced until it was too dark to see the ball, while my host mom waited patiently by the court for me to finish so we could have dinner. Later on, even the senior players got inspired and started staying late to practice with me. The coach said my passion “infected everyone,” completely transforming the team’s atmosphere. Fighting and improving alongside everyone made me feel like I truly belonged. The team’s record also turned around - from a dismal 0-15 to a stunning 10-7.
Riding the yellow school bus to away games was fun. As the bus wound through the hills of West Virginia, the melody of Country Roads would often play in my ears - “Take me home, country roads…” I can’t remember the wins or losses of the matches anymore, but the high-fives after a seamless play with my partner Sam (we went 6-1 in doubles!), the cheers from my teammates, and my host family rooting for me from the sidelines are all unforgettable.
I even made the local newspaper, described as someone who “actively integrated into and influenced the team.” Seeing the report and photos warmed my heart.
My host mom said I “studied harder than the local students,” and joked that she worried tennis might make me slack off. But what touched me the most was what she told the reporter: “We might not host another exchange student, because we would inevitably compare them to Zi, and that wouldn’t be fair.” Those words made me realize that what tennis brought me was precious friendship and the acceptance of the entire town.
In June, I left that small town. But even now, the moment I hear the intro to Country Roads, the hills of West Virginia, that yellow school bus, my younger self running on the court, and the smiling faces of my host family all instantly rush back to me. It wasn’t my hometown, but it gave me a youth memory that felt just like home. And all of this started with that simple phrase: “Why not try?”
And this is the very first behind-the-scenes story of Matcha Tennis.