The Apocalypse

Last year I worked an under 16 top 150 tennis tournament. While working I had the pleasure of dealing with a bloody nose. I didn't do much work that week, mainly because tennis isn't an injury intensive sport. I get called to a tennis court. I go in and see a kid bleeding profusely from his nose. He is fighting with the ref. I stop, take in the fight to see what I've gotten myself into, and try to calm the kid down. He is freaking out, yelling, pacing, the works. I ask him how he got a bloody nose, the ref interjects "He threw his racket on the ground, it bounced back up and hit him in the face."

Yes I start laughing. Who wouldn't? That is damn funny. He starts yelling at the ref saying no he didn't throw his racket, the ball hit him in the face, blah blah blah. Well, here's how the ref's story went...

He didn't like the call the ref made, he started arguing with the ref, got pissed, and threw his racket. Well, the racket bounced back up and hit him in the nose.

I'm trying to calm this kid down just enough to stick some gauze up his nose to stop the bleeding. He is FREAKING OUT! I tell him to calm down it's not the end of the world. He lost 1 point in a 3-4 match. He'll be OK, he's still up 1 point. He turns to me, and yells "It's not the end of the world?! It's not?! You have no idea!!! My parents are going to kill me. They won't let me play in the tourney in Vegas next week if I have another outburst!" I start laughing again. Yes, this has happened more than once and his parents will not let him travel if it continues. So funny.

I tell him again, "It's not the end of the world"

"IT IS THE END OF THE WORLD!!!"

At that point, I was so irritated with this drama king kid that I slap the gauze on the bench tell him he's right and I'm going back to my tent to wait for the Apocalypse. I walk off the court.