Join us as we dive into Gin’s remarkable journey from a 3.5 self-rated player to an NTRP 5.0 in just three years!
Here’s A Complete Transcript of Our Conversation with Gin
Carolyn: 0:06
Hi, this is Carolyn and I’m here with Aaron and we are thrilled to have on the podcast Jen. Jen has been bumped from level 3.5 to 5.0 in three years. We met Jen. How do we meet Jen Aaron? Aaron was captaining a 4-0 team that won the state championship. Jen was on that team. She was a 3-5 at that time. She is now a 5-0. Aaron, are you a 5-0 now?Erin: 0:36
Not close. But the funny thing about that is well, first of all, carolyn picked all the amazing great people on that team and our first goal was we want nice people to form a team with that are also good tennis players, and we got a really good group of people and some of us, including Jen and I, became very, very close through that team. But, carolyn, you picked all the great people. But I remember when someone at my club contacted me and said, oh, jen is looking for a summer singles team, I was like great. And then Jen I think we were on a group text and Jen was like but I’m a 3-5. And I was like you’re good, you’re fine, because I saw her play several matches and at that point I was like I want nice people and it’ll just be a fun team. And then, yeah, we went on to win the state championship, actually two years in a row.Erin: 1:26
And then we retired last year because I was like eh, jen got bumped.Carolyn: 1:36
Been there, done that. Yeah, I was like let’s go out on a high note. Too bad, there’s not a national championship for singles. I know I mean it just ends at the state level, because Jen would win her court, for us for sure.Erin: 1:42
Oh, yeah, it might be the only court we win all weekend, but she’d be winning it so anyway. So welcome Jen.Gin: 1:49
Thank you. Thank you for coming on. I’m so excited. I’m happy to be here.Carolyn: 1:52
Okay, tell us a little bit about your tennis background.Gin: 1:55
So, I definitely was like a total tomboy growing up. You know the kid who was just every ball I could get my hands on. You know, really tennis was not my main sport when I was little but I did do some tennis. I lived in a really small town but we had a pro that would travel to us so I took some lessons as a junior, but really, and my little high school tennis team did have some success and that was really fun, but really, you know, my main sports were soccer and basketball. We have that in common, carolyn, the basketball and but you know I just love anything athletic. And then I took off 25 years to have kids and didn’t touch a racket and so that was kind of the background, you know, until the present era starts. But yeah, it was kind of a lot of kid stuff and then a long time doing nothing but being a mom, because Jen has four kids.Carolyn: 2:49
Yes, that’s right.Erin: 2:50
Okay, wow, and didn’t you get back into it because your kids were taking lessons. I did yeah.Gin: 2:54
So that you know, my kids were playing, I had gotten them into the sport and they were taking lessons somewhere else and I kind of was like I don’t know that. I feel like you know, this is the best and so what, I’m going to look into where we could go. So I found our where Aaron and I are at our club right now and got my kids in there and you know, I was just watching them. I, you know, I still had a three-year-old, so I was then, you know, one day I was like you know, maybe I’ll take a clinic, Like this looks kind of fun, Like I, I can do this, Like I’ll get back out there and take a clinic. So that’s what I did. I think it was the fall of 21. I signed up for, just, you know, just picked one off the sheet, just not knowing anything or anybody, just I’ll try this clinic.Gin: 3:33
It was it was uh like a double strategy yeah.Erin: 3:37
That’s actually my favorite clinic, like a Thursday morning double strat. Yeah, so then okay, so you came in. Who talked you into getting into league play In our area?Gin: 3:47
anyway, it’s kind of like that’s what it. It’s like there’s not much else.Erin: 3:50
Right, it’s so competitive. Yeah, I mean you can do clinics and then everybody at the club.Gin: 3:54
That was kind of like what they did. I didn’t really feel like there was another path. Really, now at our club we do have some indoor like during the winter, but during the rest of the year it’s sort of like you, you join a league and and, um, you know, I didn’t know how to self rate. You know people kept saying you need to get a rating and you know I, I did the the forum online to self rate and it actually recommended that I’d be a 3-0. Which is crazy. Yeah, I answered all the questions, as it said. You know. I think it said did you play college tennis? I did not. Have you played tennis in 25 years? I had not. So it said we recommend 3-0. And I thought, ah, let me try 3-5.Carolyn: 4:31
Yeah, so I did that’s interesting. So you played 3-5, even though technically you could have played 3-0.Gin: 4:37
Right.Erin: 4:38
Yes, could you imagine her at 3.0?Gin: 4:40
Oh my goodness, sorry, yeah, so I guess you could say I went from 3.0 to 5.0.Carolyn: 4:45
Correct.Gin: 4:46
Yes, that’s amazing, but I did not ever. I did not self-rate. I’ve started as a self-rated 3.5.Erin: 4:52
And not to get off on a tangent, but that’s what I do.Gin: 4:55
That’s a whole nother episode.Erin: 4:57
We need to do a self-rate episode. Heard someone else that was like I did play college tennis, but it wasn’t within the last like 20 years. I think there’s like some sub. We should go through the questionnaire again online, carolyn. We did that years ago, but I think we just did a very high level or maybe we only went over, like the NTRP ratings and what you should be able to do with that rating, but the whole self rate. We need to have an entire episode on that, because Jen answered honestly and correctly and got rated a 3.0, which is nuts. But I’ve heard someone else that was like oh yeah, I was supposed to play 4.0, and I self-rated as a 4.5 because they had played some college tennis, whether it’s D3, d2, you know something, so it’s interesting. More we need to fix with USTA. You know rating stuff.Carolyn: 5:44
Yeah. I mean because most people would be like 3.0, okay, let’s interesting, we need to more. More we need to fix with USTA, you know rating stuff. Yeah, I mean because most people would be like three, oh, ok let’s go I mean everybody would want you on their team. I mean, everybody wanted you on their team at every level.Gin: 5:53
So you know, not really.Carolyn: 5:55
It didn’t mean anything. No, not really.Gin: 5:57
Because and I mean it’s like Aaron said, this is a whole episode in and of itself. I have lots of strong opinions on this whole. You know appeals and self rates, because I was that person and you know I don’t know what. What does three mean? I don’t know what does three. I don’t know. And, and you are very like you just said, everybody wants you on their team but they don’t know me, they don’t know. You know they don’t, they don’t want. No one was. I mean I had to sort of ask, really ask around. And I know y’all have an episode because I’m a huge fan of the podcast about tryouts and I completely had a tryout. I did not know it at the time but now I’m, you know, I’m certain, I know, I mean I absolutely Did you make that team?Erin: 6:38
I did, that was my first team. Carolyn had a tryout, but she didn’t make her team. Oh, carolyn, at 2-5,. Jen, it was a 2-5 team.Carolyn: 6:44
I got cut from Anyway. I’m not bitter.Erin: 6:48
We still talk about it every episode, though I’ve heard y’all talk about it, yeah, which is funny, because now Carolyn’s a 4-0 and people that cut her from the team never made it past.Carolyn: 6:59
Probably three, five or three, oh, probably well I don’t know it’s, it’s hard, but it’s so interesting that that’s the way it happened and that you were three, oh, and now you’re five, oh, I mean it just blows my mind so.Erin: 7:11
So take us through that journey. So three, five self rate right um to five. Oh so I know each year during ratings you got bumped, since I’ve known you, so go through that yeah, so I played.Carolyn: 7:21
Yeah, give us tips. I want to know how to be a five. Oh yeah, I mean you don’t you so go through that. Yeah, so I played. Yeah, and give us tips. I want to know how to be a 5-0.Erin: 7:26
You don’t want to know how to be a 5-0.Gin: 7:27
You don’t, yeah, I mean maybe we’ll get to that, but I’ve cried a lot about it, but I started. So I started playing UST tennis in spring of 22 and it was a self-rated 3-5 and played that season and, you know, had good success but definitely lost some matches and you know was figuring out how to do all this. I mean, I remember actually standing at the club was my very, very first match was against your y’all’s friend at your club.Erin: 7:49
That was your first match. I watched you play.Gin: 7:51
Yeah, that was my very first yes.Erin: 7:53
Do you remember that Mike and I sat up there you were playing singles and Emily was playing singles against Jen, and I think Mike and Emily was playing singles against Jen and I think Mike, your Mike and I watched and both Mike and I were like, oh, she’s not a three five, Just watching her play. And our friend Emily is a very good singles player.Gin: 8:12
And I remember I was shaking, standing back there to serve first. So I mean, you know I was terrified and it could not have been a lovelier first match. She is just the loveliest person. And so, anyway, I went through that season and, like I said, had success. But didn’t, you know, I lost some matches and every match felt nervous. You know I didn’t think to myself oh, I’m a 5-0. This is ridiculous. You know, every time I thought, you know I’m, who knows what’s going to happen. And then I did that summer, played, you know, was looking for some more singles that’s the team we referred to at the beginning and so got that experience. But again I was, I told Aaron, you know I was very like, but I’m a three five like you. You may not want me, I completely get this. So you know, I definitely did not feel like I was in the wrong place. But then I bumped, you know that, november, december, and again played.Erin: 9:00
So then she was computer rated for it. So then I was like yep, correct.Gin: 9:03
So computer rated four, oh, um, played that year 23 as a computer rated four, oh, and you know, I think by that time I had started to get my tennis legs under me and gain confidence. And you know, and I I will say, you know, first tip as far as how did you do this? I mean, I worked hard, you know I, I did clinics, I hit, you know, played a lot. I actually also really worked on my own personal fitness and nutrition and lost a lot of weight, partially through tennis, and you know, so that’s that was helpful. And so played that next year at 4-0 and was fortunate enough to go to States again, um, we won the state um summer singles state championship again. And actually and this has also been featured on your podcast, as I went to nationals, I was on that team that y’all have featured, um, that went to 4-0 team that went to nationals. So that was great, my 4-0 year. And then it happened again, you know, I bumped that November, december to 4-5. And she was really upset.Gin: 9:59
I was very upset because at that point in time my friends were 4-0s. You know, I had really developed great friendship. This lady sitting next to me included.Carolyn: 10:07
Which is Erin, which is Erin um, and Aaron, which is Aaron’s right beside her.Gin: 10:11
Um, carolyn and I would be, I’m sure, we just haven’t had as much opportunity. Um, but, uh, yeah, I. So I bumped that year and sort of the same story. I mean just play it again and and, and, for whatever reason, you know, I don’t know. You know, I don’t really know why I keep bumping. I think I’m a competitor. Um, I am very scrappy, like I think there’s. I think I’m a competitor. I am very scrappy, Like I think there’s some people who, especially if you were not a junior athlete or have come to sports as an adult, you know you’re going to hit three balls and then you’re kind of like, well, I didn’t win that point, I will hit you know, 300 balls in a point, and that’s no big deal, and I was a soccer player in college.Erin: 10:48
And that’s not exaggerating, right? When she says 300, it’s not like when I say a thousand, and that really means five for me. When she says 300, she means 300 balls. Wow, like she’ll hit that many.Carolyn: 10:58
Right, so it’s the consistency. So, yeah, you can do it.Gin: 11:01
I think that for sure for me. You know, I’m not a power player, I’m not hitting winners and hitting people off the court. And you know, in fact I’ve had people tell me like you’re not at all what I thought you were going to be. You know, I saw your rating and I saw your record and like you don’t really hit the ball and I’m like, yeah, you know, and so it’s, I’m athletic.Erin: 11:24
I’m fast and I get to balls and get them back. I mean, she gets stuff that they’re just ungettable for most people, you know. They’re just ungettable for most people, you know.Carolyn: 11:29
But can get it and then return it inside the court. Because I could understand consistency at like, oh, 3-0, that person’s consistent, so she gets bumped to 3-5. Maybe even consistent getting bumped to 3-5 to 4-0. But then at that point I mean people are hitting the ball hard, they are. I mean I can’t imagine at 4-5, like, getting to the shots that people can hit at that level and then getting them back and getting them back inside the court. I mean that’s ridiculous to be able to do that. Like I understand like 3.0 being consistent, but 4.5, you know, because we’ve had people that are consistent that get bumped up to 4.0. But that’s kind of where they stop, yeah, like they can’t get to that 4.5, 5.0 level.Erin: 12:18
So that’s just amazing. Yeah, and to Jen’s credit, she won’t say it, but she does get the ball back deep and with something on it or she does something smart Like it’s. It’s not. I think it’s more than consistent.Carolyn: 12:23
Yeah.Erin: 12:24
I don’t want to just say consistent it’s. It’s consistent with you know something, that that takes the next shot away from the next person. But yeah, don’t sell yourself short.Carolyn: 12:34
I mean, yeah, I think she’s ridiculously good, yeah, because I can be consistent, but I can’t be consistent against a 4-5 player.Erin: 12:43
Well, she keeps saying back in the court I mean I can probably get to a ball too, but it may not you know I’m going to throw it up in the air and see where it lands.Carolyn: 12:51
We have another episode with Jen where she tells us what she did when she found out she got bumped to 5-0. And also the craziest situation that ever happened to her on the court and she is someone that has won almost all her singles matches the past three years, so there’s been a lot of crazy situations. We hope you check out our website, which is SecondServePodcastcom. Thanks so much for listening and hope to see you on the court soon.