Workout – BigTrades Tennis

Divine Intervention (The Confirmation) Oct 28

admin — Fri, 04 Mar 2022 18:13:52 +0000

Divine Intervention (The Acceptance) Oct 27

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Divine Intervention (The Invitation) Oct 26

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Slowing Down Enough to recognize Gods Signals

admin — Tue, 15 Feb 2022 01:32:10 +0000

2015 July 13, Just days after watching Serena Williams win Wimbledon and capture her 21st Gran Slam Tennis Championship.

Early in the morning, while driving to work at National Defense University (NDU) at Fort McNair Army Post, Washington DC. I was moved by a phone conversation I was having with my daughter’s mother. I was trying to convince her to join us on the tennis court and witness how good Laylah was striking the tennis ball. I noticed for weeks she wasn’t trying to do anything as a family (Something was truly wrong).

2015 Washington DC Citi OPEN

Driving into the early morning Washington DC commute you know to never let any huge vehicles (like dump trucks, school buses, etc.) in front of your car because you will never get to work on time. I would always drive my 745 BMW in the fast lane to work, and so I was driving fast of course, however I slowed my car down because I was extremely happy and took note of the BIG City bus that had just crossed into my lane. I was happy because Laylah Mother said she would join us on the tennis court.

Boom right in front of me was a city bus advertising the 2015 Washington Citi Open was Andy Murry and Victoria Azarenka on the back of the bus.

Wow, now I’m thinking none of this is a coincidence. First, the spirt that I was in watching Wimbledon and then the moment I hang up the phone, the City Bus changes lanes directly in front of me. God is sending me a message thru Tennis and now its starting to get my attention. I whip out my cell phone and take a picture of the bus because now Im starting to understand more of this feeling.

Taking note of the date and time of the Citi Open Tennis event in Washington DC. I would make plans to attend this event and take me and my daughter to our First Tennis event.

2015 Washington DC Citi Open Our First Professional Tennis Tournament

admin — Tue, 15 Feb 2022 01:17:20 +0000

I took Laylah to our first ever professional Tennis match. We rode the subway to Wisconsin Ave and caught the commuter bus to the event, I could see the amusement on her face. As soon a we arrived to our set, I remember having a conversation with an older white gentleman sitting close to me. He seemed eager to conversate with someone he didn’t know as if he could smell our newness in the air, being totally out of our normal element. He stated that his son loved tennis and would love to be a professional tennis player. I asked him what’s the problem with his son being a professional tennis player and he said that he’s not in that 1 percent. Meaning that he has the will to play but not the gift. That was strange because I bought one of those 1 percenter with me, my daughter Laylah Webb.

I would carry that conversation with me for years to come, considering I took my athletic ability for granted because most of my family played multiple sports and sports came naturally like breathing air. In the Black Community it wasn’t about you having the ability to be great, it was about someone developing you and building your confidence to match your talent.

Our first match watching was Belinda Bencic (Switzerland) vs. Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (Russia). It was a great colorful experience.

While walking around at Citi open, we entered a contest, hitting the tennis ball into some small holes for a prize. Laylah won and I lost, she won some sort of prize. I received an email stating that we had also won a free family tennis lesson at the YMCA tennis center in Arlington Virginia. This was very strange to me because I won something, and by the time I checked my email the offer had not expired yet. WoW!

We would take those free family lessons at the YMCA. While we were practicing the Director noticed how good Laylah was performing on her court, she was the only kid still hitting on her court by herself.

The tennis Director was the Late Mel Labet ex. Hampton University Tennis and Football, HBCU coach. Mr. Labet was amazed on Laylah athletic ability and invited her to attend his tennis camp the following week for free, “that right I said free” In our five years Laylah has competed in many sports (soccer, baseball, Ice skating, gymnastics and swimming) and nobody has given us anything for free. In one week we had already received free lessons and a free tennis camp.

Mr. Labet urged me to continue working with Laylah and advised me to keep her involved in as many sports as possible while continuing to play tennis. He noticed her natural talent and enjoyed seeing her speed on the court at the early age of five. We would attend the program for the Holiday school break and summer camp. Mr. Labet was truly a bessing to us.