As a schoolboy growing up in England, tennis was more than just a sport — it was a classroom without walls, teaching lessons that would later prove invaluable in the workplace. From early winter mornings on frosty courts to long summer evenings practicing shots until my arms ached with both growing pains and tennis elbow, this game demanded discipline, patience and resilience.
Unlike many of my schoolmates, I would often practice longer, perfecting serves, volleys, and footwork — not because I had to, but because I wanted to push myself further. That determination mirrors the professional drive required to succeed in any career. As the saying goes, “The only time success comes before work is in the dictionary.”
Mum and Dad couldn’t afford much, and I was too young to even have a paper route to pay for equipment. My racquet was a hand-me-down, and my tennis shoes were the same ones I used for soccer. Yet I refused to let these material limitations become excuses. In the workplace, the lesson is the same: Leverage what you have, work hard, and avoid the arrogance of expecting your employer to give you a corner office and an expense account until you’ve earned both.
Equally formative was learning to maintain composure under pressure. Many boys I played against lost their temper when they lost points, arguing with the umpire or lashing out at the net or grass court. My grandfather, often watching from the sidelines, would silently mouth words only I could understand — instructions to stay calm and focus on the next play. Over time, this emotional discipline became a competitive edge as I listened attentively to my elder leader.
In professional life, staying calm under pressure, managing stress, and responding thoughtfully to leadership rather than reacting impulsively and disrespecting authority are invaluable skills.
Competition taught me I wouldn’t win every game. I vividly remember my junior and senior years, reaching the finals in the school championships — only to face the Rogers brothers in both matches. In my junior year, I played Steve Rogers, a senior, and lost. To add insult to injury, in my final year I reached the finals again, only to lose to his younger brother, Andrew. Those young dudes were like machines.
Each loss was humbling, yet these defeats taught the most. The first match against Steve taught me a critical lesson about understanding rules: I hadn’t yet learned the foot-fault rule and kept losing points because of it. Knowing the rules, I realized, isn’t just about avoiding mistakes; it ensures fairness, safety and consistency.
This lesson translates directly to the workplace. Every organization operates within a framework of rules, whether legal regulations, ethical guidelines, or internal policies.
Just as I struggled on the court when unaware of the foot-fault rule, professionals can face setbacks if they ignore or misunderstand the rules of their environment.
This past spring, I visited England and reached out to my old school and asked for a trip down memory lane. I strolled across those same tennis courts I’d spent so many of my wonder years playing upon. I nodded to those lush lawns and surrounding trees that seemed to whisper in the late afternoon wind. I silently said my own “thank you” for the lessons they had taught me — knowing that, although I would likely never return, and my grandfather had long left this mortal coil, those lessons were gratefully placed in my heart, mind and hands.
Losing to the Rogers brothers taught me humility — big time. Practicing longer than my peers instilled a work ethic no defeat could shake. Never having enough money for the best of everything emphasized gratitude and resourcefulness. Staying calm under pressure, while listening to my leader, revealed the value of emotional intelligence and reverence for those who’d done all of this, years before. And understanding — and respecting — the rules reinforced a foundation for ethical and effective stewardship.
I do often wonder, though, how those Rogers brothers are doing.
Paul Butler is a Santa Clarita resident and a client partner with Newleaf Training and Development of Valencia (newleaftd.com). For questions or comments, email Butler at [email protected].
