Remember when you were a kid and you had tons of friends?
It was perfectly normal to sit next to someone at lunch in elementary school, learn that you both liked something arbitrary like string cheese, and become best friends.
The problem with being an adult is that it would be really awkward to approach someone at the grocery store who is also buying bananas and ask, “Do you like bananas? So do I! Want to be best friends?” Feel free to give it a go, but I think you’ll be disappointed with the results.
So how do we make friends as adults?
As we get older, it’s common to see our circle of friends getting smaller. As people start careers, move, get married, and have families, relationships change and everyone has less time for hanging out with their friends. While this is a normal part of adulthood, it’s still one we have to address because a life with no friends just isn’t healthy.
In fact, researchers at Brigham Young University have found that having too few friends is more harmful to your health than lack of exercise and obesity. The study showed that those who had healthy fulfilling friendships had more outlets for stress release, which led to better overall health.
Crazy right?
Great. I’ve convinced you to find more friends. But how?
Let’s face it; it’s hard to create deep and meaningful friendships as adults. There is however one clear way to meet new people and make new friends as an adult:
You can make friends through participating in regular group activities.
To form friendships you need consistency, which was easy as a kid. We went to school every day, participated in after school activities, and played on sports teams that had a regular schedule. As an adult these activities don’t come pre-scheduled for you; you have to make them happen on your own.
To make friends you need to join groups that meet on a regular basis. When you join a group activity as an adult (like a tennis league), it’s easier to connect because you already share a common interest. Even better, participation in the activity creates natural reasons for interaction and eliminates the awkward small talk and uncomfortable silences. As your rapport grows with your new tennis friends, you can initiate something small like a happy hour or a friendly doubles match where your relationship can grow beyond the boundaries of the circle you initially joined.
Tennis is one of the easiest ways to meet new people, expand your social circle, and make meaningful friendships.
Ok, so maybe you’re sold but don’t know the first thing about how to find a quality tennis instructor in your area.
I created PlayYourCourt six years ago to solve this problem for you.
How did I do it? I setup a rating system just like Amazon or Yelp and if my students had a mediocre experience they wrote about it for all to see.
Fast forward six years, PlayYourCourt is open nationwide and I’ve done all the heavy lifting of vetting out the best pros in the country for you through our rating system. Of the nearly one thousand tennis pros I’ve hired in the last six years I’ve weeded out over 700 duds.
Today I only offer you pros that consistently deliver an amazing experience every time they walk on the court. Patient, encouraging, fun, knowledgeable instructors that will kickstart your tennis game and advise you on local groups, leagues and social activity that you can plug into.
Don’t take my word for it, give us a try.
Because I am so confident you will love your experience with us, I am going to let you try your first lesson with any instructor for only $39.
Or give us a call at 301-575-6112.