No, I really do like sports.

Since I was about five years old, my parents have forced me into every activity that they could think of. Apparently, I was a girl scout...for about a day. They got my involved in piano lessons and soccer, but the one that stuck with me was tennis. I have been playing tennis on and off for the past fifteen years of my life. Too bad I didn't play consistently, then maybe I wouldn't have money problems? Anyways, I did not like tennis at all when I was younger. My parents made me practice all the time and were really harsh coaches, which I think was the root of the problem. My parents kept making me feel like tennis was an obligation. I had to be outside practicing and working out, and that I had to play like a pro. Well, much to my parents' disappointment, I only made it a year and a half in college level tennis. I was ranked first during high school, but that didn't mean anything when I advanced to this level of competition. Regardless of how negatively I felt about tennis, I continued playing it. Soon, I began to enjoy the sport and now play recreationally. I need to play tennis or else I feel that something is not right with me.

These actions can be explained through the theory of cognitive dissonance. Cognitive dissonance can be defined as an imbalance between our beliefs and our behaviors, and when this dissonance is created, we are driven to reduce it by changing our beliefs (Festinger, 1957). My initial attitude towards tennis was dislike and unenthusiastic participation, but my behavior was consistent(ish) play. However, because the attitude I had was in disagreement with my behavior, I began to change my attitude. I told myself that tennis was worth it because I was a) getting a great work out in b) working on my mental toughness c) learning skills that can be applied to everyday life and d) gaining more confidence. By looking at the positives that tennis can bring, my attitude changed to love and enjoyment of the sport rather than ew, I really have to run and swing a racket?

Thanks cognitive dissonance for helping me see the benefits of tennis. Unfortunately, I am in my off season. Summer should bring it back... I hope.

Festinger, L. (1957). A theory of cognitive dissonance. Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press.