Undergraduate / Common App essay, rough draft (needs work) tennis [7]

this essay needs to be 150 words but its 174. I am not too satisfied with it yet, i may try and rewrite it but please post feedback and possible changes, ty in advance.

Starting something new with people who are already very experienced can be difficult. When i joined the tennis team i was in this position; i had hardly played before and i was playing with some kids that were much higher above my level since they have been playing their whole lives. This was almost demeaning and frustrating because these players were very skilled and could do all these tricks while i could barley hit the ball where i wanted it to go. Very quickly i learned that this is no excuse for trying my best, so with all my effort i focused on improving every practice. The skilled players recognized this and gave me advice on how to play more strategically which showed during matches. I was placed into doubles with a partner and we lost our first four meets. By the end of the season we were 5-5. I have learned that people should put certain feelings behind them if they want to succeed, thankfully this will carry out into my everyday life.

-i feel the message i'm trying to show may not be as clear as i want it to be