When Bryan and I were still dating he invited me to the ATP tennis games in Mason, Ohio. This was in the day when drug reps were still allowed to spend money and Bryan had VIP tickets to the games along with dinner. I had always liked tennis and wanted to play, but there never seemed to be time. At the dinner there was a raffle for prizes. I entered my name and went about socializing. To my surprise they said a Dr. Prince won the raffle. Well, I was no where near a doctor, but I was happy to pretend. My prize was a tennis racquet, and had 2 to choose from. As a novice I had no clue which was the better racquet; my prestigious colleagues assisted me in my choice. They directed me to the Wilson racquet and that was it.

A couple months later Bryan and I were married and moved to Indiana. I was a newlywed doctor's wife and had no one; I pulled out the Wilson and joined a tennis club. I took beginner classes and quickly fell in love with the game. I played 4- times a week and joined my first USTA team a month later. Soon after, I was pregnant with Clay and did not let that stop me. I think I played better for about 4 months before gravity took over.

When Grace was 7 and Clay was 1 we moved to Lexington, Kentucky. One of my new neighbors said she had a friend that played tennis. Her friend, Michelle welcomed me into her tennis world and I soon became a member of the Lexington Tennis Club. My first year there my team went to Louisville for district playoffs. We lost in the final match.

Another 2 years passed and we moved again, this time to Cincinnati. I immediately went to Harpers and checked out what they had to offer. My father was on the Mason City Council and invited me to the “city” box for ATP. Back in my homeland I met a woman named Teresa who told me about a club named 5-seasons. She encouraged me to check it out before committing to Harpers.

I loved the club from the first visit. It was classy, elegant and well groomed. Velvet curtains hung around the viewing areas of the tennis courts and a new work-out room was underway. Matt, the top pro at 5-seasons hit some tennis balls with me and placed me on a team. Fabulous!! I was back in the game.

After playing with a team of women for 2 years, a new team emerged and I jumped ship.

I would like to fill you in on these wonderful woman.

Kim: She is one of our team captains and as a body to die for. She is long and lean; quite the fashion trend setter. She is a fabulous tennis player and today I had her as my partner! YEA!

Mindy: Mindy is our other team captains. She it the kind of girl you always want as a friend. Steady, true and dependable. Mindy is pregnant with her second little one and still plays like a rock star.

Shelia: Another body to die for. Shelia is a beautiful person. Her son’s are avid tennis players and their mother is not far behind.

Carol: Carol is our dear tennis companion who shows up to every practice and plays hard. She came to our match tonight cheering us on all the way. She is lovely and we love that she is part of our team.

Lisa: I met Lisa over the summer when we played each other in a singles match. I liked her immediately and talked her into joining our team. She resembles a super model, but I still love her.

Vicky: Vicky and I were both on another team together. I have always LOVED her. She is a classy chick and an excellent tennis bud. Dependable, beautiful and down right fun.

Ginny: Our southern belle. Ginny is new to Cincy and an incredible tennis player. We are blessed to have her on our team. She is funny, darling, and looks great in the tennis dress. You go girl!!

Julie: I had to save Julie for last. I have never in my entire life been more amazed with a human. Julie has breast cancer. She goes for frequent chemo treatments and plays tennis the next day. Guessing, I would say she weighs in at about 88lbs. She is tough, loving and the most encouraging person on our team. I love her and feel that I receive much more from her than what I give. She is an inspiration to all.

So.... Why am I talking about all of these people? Today was the Cincinnati Indoor Tennis Championships. My team was in the finals and we were ready to kick it in. As the under-dogs in the league we decided that a positive attitude and hard work would be our best defense.

To make it short... A team consisting of a pregnant mom, a breast cancer patient (SURVIVOR) and a group of mom’s kicked it into high gear, beat the odds and won the championship. This may seen like small potatoes, but to us it was HUGE. This was our first year playing together with new coaches and we rallied, worked and brought the house down.

Ladies... I am so proud and blessed to be part of this team. In a world that tells our children that everyone is equal and competition is bad, I am proud to reap the benefits of victory. Competition is good for the soul. Its helped me defeat the past and helped people like Julie defeat disease. I am ready for next season.

To our coaches: Julie, Matt, Tim and Josh. Wow!!

Julie: You are so encouraging and quite the example of a mom and tennis player. We love you and are so thankful for your help.

Matt: Well, you have always been the man. Thanks for supporting us and we love that you joined us for a celebration beverage.

Tim: I love that you don’t take our womanly crap. You are a true coach. If we suck you tell us..... we love that!!!

Josh: Thanks for taking a risk and moving to Cincinnati. We love you and appreciate all you have taught us.

In conclusion, tennis has been a huge blessing in my life. I have a crazy schedule and the time I take to hit the ball and slam one down on my friends has kept me balanced. In a world that never stops, its wonderful to have a place to take out frustrations while developing life long friendships. Congrats team. We are champions!!!!