No Wins, Big Wins: My First PPA Challenger Tournament (Columbia, SC)

Hi! I’m Mackenzie Bourgeois, and I’m 15. Last week, I had the chance to compete in the PPA Challenger tournament in Columbia, South Carolina—and it was quite the adventure. The whole thing came together last minute. About a week before the tournament, my dad called and asked if I’d be his mixed doubles partner in the 4.0 category. I said yes, and since I was already heading there, I figured I might as well sign up for 3.5 singles, too. I didn’t leave with any wins, but I walked away with something way more valuable: growth.

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Preparation (or Lack Thereof!)

Since it was all so spontaneous, I didn’t have much time to prepare. Still, I managed to squeeze in some drills with my dad, work on lateral movement for singles with my mom, and get a few awesome hydration and nutrition tips from my life coach, Kevin Malone.

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Tournament Experience

Despite the results, the tournament was amazing. The players were kind, the organizers were awesome, and I had so much fun competing. Sure, I didn’t win any matches, but the takeaways were huge.

My last singles match was the most frustrating. My opponent made some pretty questionable line calls. When I asked about them, she shrugged and said, “It’s my call. Doesn’t matter what you saw.” That really got in my head. I was so frustrated I actually thought about making bad calls too—but my dad reminded me that I didn’t need to go there. That’s just not who I am. Playing with integrity matters way more to me than getting a win that way.

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Lessons Learned

This tournament taught me a lot, and here are a few things I’m taking with me:

• Relax! I was way too tense on the court, and it totally affected how I played. I need to find that sweet spot between focus and flow.
• Identify and improve your weak spots. Competing exposed some areas I need to work on. It was humbling, but super helpful for growth.
• Practice like you play. I realized that how you train in rec games shows up in tournaments. You can’t go half-speed and expect to flip a switch when it’s game time.

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What’s Next?

Yeah, I’m disappointed—but I’m not stuck there. I’m channeling that energy into getting better and prepping for the next one: the PPA Challenger in Punta Gorda!

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Advice for Future Competitors

Thinking about entering a tournament? Here’s my biggest tip: Don’t underestimate anyone. Every player there has worked hard, and you owe it to yourself—and them—to give it your all.

Even though I didn’t win, I gained experience, grew as a player, and found fresh motivation to keep pushing. And in the long run, that’s the real win.

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