Champions in the Making ((Hayden))

[Sita Mehadi H7]

Sita slung her sports bag over her shoulder proudly, kissing her dad on the cheek before he hurried off to get a seat in the crowds of parents. She had on her brand new trainers, as well as a little white dress. She'd been to this minor juniors' tournament in London before, and now she was coming back, and she was better. She hit the ball with more power, more accurately, she moved around the court faster. She'd been pleased when she managed to make it through to the second round against all these other good tennis players last year. Maybe this year she would get through to the third round. She'd entered in the doubles this year too, although time was running out for her to find a partner to play in it. She would find someone else who needed a partner though. Of course a lot of the other people here actually attended a coaching school which focused on tennis. Sita attended her ordinary school with Ingrid, although she was a member of a good tennis club. It was the coach of that tennis club that had got her here today, along with two other girls, one of whom was two years older than her, the other three years older.

Sita was in the slow moving queue for competitors signing into the main building before they went out onto the courts, glancing up at the clouds overhead and hoping they didn't hold rain when she noticed another girl who looked about her age walking towards the queue, rather swept up in the crowds of overeager families wanting to get in to watch their children play. The other girl wasn't in sports kit, but she looked as though she was looking for something, so probably for the way in. Sita dashed over to her and took hold of her arm, not going back the other way in quite so much haste as she had come although there was still a fair amount of speed about it. "Is this your first time here?" she asked brightly. "I got lost my first time too, luckily I know where things are now. We have to queue up here. Right." Sita smiled at the girl next to her as she drew breath and continued with what she had been saying. "Do you have a partner for the doubles? If you're not playing in them you can get in by playing with someone who's signed up for them. I'm signed up but I don't have a partner."

[haydenhinson]

Hayden was all too new at this. She had began playing tennis only about a year ago, and this was the first tournament that she had been to. Her family was up in the crowds somewhere, which left Hayden, wandering around, completely lost. She had no idea what do or even where she was going! "Well," she muttered under her breath. "This isn't very good..."

She was soon greeted by a rather cheery girl that had come over, grab her by the arm, and start talking about what do to, to help Hayden out, and walk her over to someplace. "Yeah." she replied. "This is my first time here. Actually, it's my first tournament as well. I just started playing tennis about a year ago, but I'm not really that good at it..." she trailed off, a bit dissapointed. "No," she replied once again. 'I'm not playing in the doubles, but I'll be more than happy to be your partner!"

((Sorry it's so short Sita, I did this in a rush because we are going somewhere in a few minutes, but I still wanted to reply, so you'll have something to reply to as well.))

[Sita Mehadi H7]

Sita smiled brightly, feeling slightly shocked as the girl said she had only been playing for a year. She must be good! Yes, this was a minor tournament, but it was still one worth going to. Some of her great heroes had played here before they went on to become really famous, and you had to be good to be able to get in. Well, you could sign up for it, she supposed, but that'd be pretty useless and a waste of effort if you were just going to be knocked out in the heats because you had absolutely no talent. And you did at least have to prove that you could play some tennis. She frowned as the girl said that she wasn't all that good at it, before replying happily, "Oh rubbish! You must be a real natural to be at a tournament already if you've only been playing for a year or so! I only came here last year, and I got through the heats and the first round but after that I got put up against a really good older girl. Because some loads older people play here too."

Sita's face brightened up more as the girl agreed to play with her in the doubles. "Oh great!" she said happily. "Well we'll have to stand in another long queue after this one then but if we're going to be partners I'd better introduce myself. I'm Sita Mehadi. Eleven years old so I'm going to secondary school next year. Are you? You look about my age but I'm such a bad judge of that sort of thing... Oh and once we've stood in the queues we'll have to go and find the changing rooms because you need to get into some sports kit so you can actually play." As they moved in through the door Sita gave her name to the man standing there checking people off a list with ticks, and waited for the other girl to come through. "It's nice in here isn't it?" she said. "Have you been here before? I don't live in London but some people have this as their local club... I envy them so much. But then again I know everyone back home so I wouldn't leave them. Wouldn't leave them to go to another tennis club anyway, though I have to leave them to go to school. D'you live in London? It's so big that I'm sure I'd get lost if I did. My cousins live here though so my dad knows his way around. I probably would get lost without him." Sita paused, looking at the other girl expectantly. All of her thoughts were coming out into words at once, so she just put a big apologetic smile on her face and kept her mouth shut from then on, save to say, "Look, we have to go over here to sign you up for the doubles with me." to guide the girl in the right direction.