This fall my twin sister, Jenny, and I joined an ALTA (Atlanta Lawn Tennis Association) league in our community. Having played tennis on and off since we were about 8 years old, we decided to dust off the rackets and give it a go.

Practices for the team started back in August, and by September we were underway in weekly tournaments. ALTA is a doubles only league, so naturally Jenny and I were paired up and hit the ground running.

Jodi (standing, third from right) and Jenny (standing, second from right)

Our first match was quite an experience. We hadn’t played competitively since high school, and as doubles partners, we had only played a few times. But there we were, a bit nervous, yet ready for the challenge.

After battling it out, we won our first match 7-6, 6-4. We were over the moon! As the weeks passed, our families started getting excited since Jenny and I were going undefeated! No one missed a match as we ploughed through the season line-ups.

We did, however, later learn that an erroneous technicality by our coach on the initial roster line-up the first week of matches caused our first win to be reversed. But it didn’t matter to us, in our hearts and minds we had beaten those ladies fair and square.

Moving through the season, Jenny and I remained undefeated at Line-1 for our team. And throughout the season, our team slugged it out to win the division title and to go on to the City Finals held this past Sunday!

Our group of ladies, ranging from 21 to 47 years old, played like champions! And because of the hard work and dedication, our team took the City Finals Championship for our division!

I am so proud of our team!

Most of us have now moved into the winter season for the USTA (United States Tennis Association) league here in Atlanta. Jenny and I are doubles partners, the aptly named JJ Duo, and won our first match in this league this past Saturday!

Hopefully, we can keep the spirit alive and go undefeated in this winter league, too! Our rackets are crossed!

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Danny Lipford

Founder

Danny Lipford is a home improvement expert and television personality who started his remodeling business, Lipford Construction, at the age of 21 in Mobile, Alabama. He gained national recognition as the host of the nationally syndicated television show, Today's Homeowner with Danny Lipford, which started as a small cable show in Mobile. Danny's expertise in home improvement has also led him to be a contributor to popular magazines and websites and the go-to source for advice on everything related to the home. He has made over 200 national television appearances and served as the home improvement expert for CBS's The Early Show and The Weather Channel for over a decade. Danny is also the founder of 3 Echoes Content Studio, TodaysHomeowner.com, and Checking In With Chelsea, a décor and lifestyle blog.

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