REDWATER, Texas - It was a clear, sunny day, and one visiting couple got outside and enjoyed it.
Emma Land and her boyfriend, De'Shun Bayne, took advantage of a beautiful day and played tennis together at Redwater High School's Dragon Court on Thursday.
Land and Bayne live together with their 2-month-old son in Fort Worth, Texas. Land is a 2014 graduate of Redwater High School and plays tennis left-handed.
"My mom, who lives in Maud, is watching our baby, so we finally had the chance to play tennis," Land said. "We tried roller skating for fun, but I fell and I found out that I was pregnant. We switched from roller skating to tennis. Tennis is much safer."
Bayne attended the University of Texas, is right-handed and taught himself to play for fun. Land and Bayne were both bartenders, but Land stopped working while she was pregnant and Bayne was laid off.
"We are here for a week," Land said. "My mom loves the baby, and she wanted to see him. She could not come there, so we came here. De'Shun and I have been playing tennis together since last July. I enjoy that there is a science to tennis. I have to try to hit the ball on the right part of the racket, hit at the right angle and swing my arms the right way."
Land is still working on how to put topspin and backspin on the ball along with serving. She has learned from watching videos on YouTube with Bayne.
"I am trying to get more crafty with my play," Land said. "Tennis is challenging. I like that it doesn't require too much strength. I liked volleyball when I was young, but I had trouble serving because I was small. With tennis, it doesn't require a big frame in order to put some power into it. I enjoy the exercise and the fun."
Land and Bayne play doubles against other couples from time to time. They have gone to Arlington Heights High School to play as well as Monticello Park, when high school is in session. Land and Bayne have seen their tennis skills improve over time.
"My favorite part about tennis is the mental aspect," Bayne said. "I didn't grow up playing tennis, but my mom got me interested in watching tennis when I was in middle school. I was watching a tennis tournament at college, and I observed the tennis players in order to learn.
"I love being outside. I don't like to sweat. I have taught Emma some things about tennis. We use to play once or twice a week, and this is the first day that we have played since our baby was born. We are a little rusty. The overall purpose of playing is to be healthy so if a ball is far away, I still run even if I can't get to it to get that extra pump."
Bayne's favorite professional player is Rafael Nadal. Bayne said Nadal is an emotional player, similar to himself. Sofia Kenin, female singles winner of the 2020 Australian open, is one of Bayne's favorite professional female players. He also likes Coco Gauff.
Professional, amateur or casual player, tennis offers and means a lot of different things to different people.