Have you ever judged a tennis match before the first serve?

Why I’m in search of wheels!

The first time I played in a tennis league, I made a rookie mistake. I looked across the net and sized up my competition.

One woman had a knee brace. Another had an elbow brace. I glanced at my partner and thought, We’ve got this. We did not.

Those women didn’t overpower us. They didn’t chase down every ball.

They simply placed every shot exactly where we weren’t.

Drop shot.

Lob.

Angle.

Repeat.

By the end of the match, I had developed a healthy respect for knee braces. In fact, I became convinced the more orthopedic equipment someone wore, the better they played.

Fast forward a couple of decades.

Now I’m the one walking onto the court with a few more birthdays under my visor.

Fortunately, I don’t need the braces…yet.

But I can still see it sometimes.

The quick glance from across the net.

The subtle look that says, This should be an easy match.

Here’s the funny part.

I never became one of those women with laser-precise shots that never seemed to miss. Instead, I figured out something even more important.

I found Wheels.

Every doubles player needs a partner who can run down absolutely everything. Mine usually happens to be about thirty years younger than I am.

When a ball sails just out of my reach, I don’t panic.

I simply yell, “Wheels!“

They sprint.

I cheer.

We win a surprising number of points.

I’ve learned that getting older isn’t about pretending you can still cover every inch of the court by yourself.

It’s about knowing your strengths, appreciating someone else’s, and enjoying the game a whole lot more because of it.

Those women had precision.

I have Wheels.

Maybe that’s what getting older really looks like.

Not doing it the same way.

Just finding a way that works for you.

And if you’re lucky their nickname is Wheels.

Turns out the knee brace wasn’t the handicap. It was the warning label.