One of the many benefits of doing the 100-Day Challenge, apart from the obvious, is the opportunity to try out new things and this week was no exception.We played tennis. Yes, that game that I have witnessed being played: chasing a fuzzy yellow ball, hitting it over a net while making a grunting noise that reminds me of a moose mating call. I'm not going to lie to you when I say I was as enthusiastic about playing tennis as to listing to LaVerne Furbert speaking in the senate .... again. Um, um thank goodness for car horns!The day began with a warm up at the Port Royal Esso gas station. Yes, I will say it for you, “well, that's unusual”. Well, yes it was. And it even gets even stranger. I did my warm ups standing next to a tiger. At least, some brave woman trying to keep up with us while wearing tiger suit. How do I know it was a woman? Well, she slapped me on the rear (God, I hope it was a woman).The reason for all this was because Esso was this week's sponsor, and their flirtatious tiger was the mascot.So after the warm up, it was run up a hill and kill Skinner time. Running up Port Royal hill is no small task. It starts out fine then very quickly moves into a sharp incline that just seems to keep going and going.Arriving at the tennis courts and gasping for breath, who was waiting for us but the tennis pros all wearing a very sadistic smile. One thing that I've learnt from past experience with this challenge is not to expect a run-of-the-mill tennis lesson. The fact that we had just run up dat girt hill, didn't seem to generate any sympathy with them whatsoever.We were told to stand in a corner of the tennis court. In the centre was a tennis racket piled with tennis balls. The idea was to run to the centre of the court, grab a ball, then run back to your spot and place your ball down. The first one that has three balls wins. Easy right? Err, wrong! What can also happen is that you can steal some else's balls to prevent them from getting their three. So just when you think you got your last ball, you turn around and realise that you've been playing with a bunch of thieves and you got a pile of nothing.Okay, that's over. Tennis anyone? Now I have never picked up a tennis racket in my life, and I know the eye-to-hand coordination thing is going to be an issue for me. So as a ball came my way, I return a volley of air, and the ball is bouncing behind me. Hmm, okay let's give it another go. Oh no, the second attempt was even worse. Third ball yes, I hit it! Narrowly missing that damn tiger that is now stalking me. Alright I finally hit a tennis ball! I was so pleased with myself. This was followed by a few more...I'm getting the hang of this now. Within a few minutes in my own, small mind I have mastered the forehand and backhand.Right, that's over. Time for another obstacle course and this again was well thought out. As well as managing to return ball being aimed at you, there is also more of that fancy footwork that has to be done. We had to run through cones sideways, doing a sort of crazy hopscotch, bunny hops over foot-high hurdles, skipping rope and manoeuvering through another one of the rope-like thingies on the ground.Now comes the event of the day, a proper tennis match. The idea is a round robin match and the team that has the most points wins. The main problem I seem to be having is gauging at how hard I need to hit the ball to keep in the court. The only good thing is that it seems that everyone else is having the same problem, but after a couple of badly calculated balls I get the hang of it. We win the first two games. It now comes down to the last game. To make it worse, it was the last match to be played and all are eyes are on our game. At least that tiger seemed to have disappeared now. First ball over the net and .... I missed it! I knew it this is where I let the whole team down, the score is 1-0 to the opponent. Okay, time to concentrate Skinner, you wuss. The second ball, my tennis partner does a lovely return where it failed to be stopped. Cool! 1-1. They serve. Oh no, it's coming straight right towards me! It's amazing when you panic how everything seems to go in slow motion. So I have time to think to myself: I must remember to get the racket behind that ball.And I do. I hit it right back in their court and it didn't ret returned. Yes! We're up one. We managed to get the next three straight points and win the game. Now it's time to tally up the points of all the matches, and would you believe it, Team Sea View won again!Now I'm not saying the organisers are cheap or anything, but there was a trophy to be presented and since I'm the team captain, I went to accept it on behalf of our winning team. So while I'm accepting the trophy I think to myself we should get a trophy cabinet to put our silverware in that we have accumulated so far.After the presentation, congratulations and photo calls I decided to take a closer look at the day's winnings. Before I get it up to eye level, a quick “I'll take that” is said and I'm relieved of our beloved trophy. Never to be seen again, sort of like that tiger. As for the tennis, yes, I will be taking lessons when the challenge is over. I can now see what all that fuss has been about.