Let’s face it, without getting political, our country is facing severe financial challenges. Seemingly everywhere we turn the news is grim.

Before making a personal career change to the world of tennis entrepreneurship, I served for many years as a career services professional. Yes, my job was to help people in all aspects of a career search. All modesty aside, I believe my clients and colleagues would describe me as being at the top of my profession. Most importantly I believe the adjectives “innovative” and “highly effective” would be commonly used to describe my interactions with my clients.

I mention this not to pat myself on the back, but in an effort to generate a bit of credibility for this post. During tough economic times people feel pressure that seemingly gets heavier and heavier. For those seeking employment, the weight of this pressure can have a devastating impact on the ability to make a positive impression with potential employers and impact their ability to perform everyday activities. It is almost as if the weight paralyzes job seekers thus preventing them from operating at 100% efficiency. This must be recognized and addressed.

During tough economic times, one thing that everyone must do is continue taking care of themselves. This means getting proper amounts of nutrition, sleep and physical exercise. Toward this end tennis can be a great asset in defeating the recession blues.

Tennis is an inexpensive sport. It involves interacting with at least one other person or many if you play in league tennis. All of the people you meet in tennis offer potential networking opportunities for those in a job search. But most importantly a tennis match can offer an opportunity for you to escape the headlines for a few hours and treat yourself to fun exercise.

Unlike golf, costs associated with tennis are modest. A can of tennis balls will cost approximately $3.00 and can last a couple of matches IF you invest in quality tennis balls such as Dunlop Grand Prix or Pro Penn. These balls are of higher quality than those found in $2.00 cans and over the long haul are a better value and investment because they will last at least as long if not longer than two of the $2.00 cans, but I digress.

The message is that it is absolutely fine to continue playing tennis in difficult economic times. In fact, it is healthy and will ultimately help you if you find yourself in the midst of a seeking employment. Priority #1 is to take care of yourself and keep a POSITIVE and UPBEAT frame of mind. Do not allow yourself to wallow in negative energy as it will impact all those with whom you interact as well as yourself.

So this call is for tennis players to take to the courts! Give yourself permission to have fun, to exercise and most importantly to let go and just play.

Call upon those childhood instincts and let all the worries go and just have fun. You deserve it.

While playing, take note of how you feel. After you leave the court carry that same good feeling and positive energy with you back to your home, family and friends. A fresh and lively attitude will do wonders for you and those who surround you during these tough times.

Now, my friends, go forth and use tennis as your springboard to soundly defeat those recession blues. It is okay. Give yourself permission to have fun on the courts. It is both healthy and helpful.