Tennis Spotlight: Sam Sturgis

The tennis season comes to an end with the school year. One star of the team was senior Sam Sturgis. A fan of the sport as kid, she began playing in high school and has played for all four years. The first games of the season began in mid-April and sectionals take place next week.

Sturgis said the highlight of tennis for her is the individual aspect. “It is an individual sports but in the end the team comes together. I love that everyone has an equal contribution to the overall team score.” Sturgis plays doubles and enjoys the bond created between her and her partner.  “It’s great to have some[one] there to keep you positive and ready to play.”

The team has been playing several games weekly for a month now and have been practicing even longer. “This year’s season has gone really well, the team is doing amazing.” The team has gotten close over the season. “It is like one big family, everyone laughs and always has a good time.” When asked about the biggest challenges of the season, Sturgis cited that it’s her first season in the number one doubles position and the harder competition, but she “enjoy[s] the challenge and playing people better than [her].” The challenge helps her improve for the next match.

Her favorite game was against DeKalb. Her and her partner, Lexi Ludwig were having fun and got to try new things. “We ended up winning the match and we had a great time while doing it.” One thing she would like to change about the season would be her loss against Angola. While the team won overall, Sturgis lost her match. Sturgis hopes to face them again and has the goal of winning her match. Her favorite memory from this season was that her “friends and family would come and cheer [her] on.”

Sturgis is a senior and will be graduating with the class of 2016. When asked how tennis changed her, Sturgis said, “It taught me to always stay positive even when it is difficult to. Always focus on the next point, don’t get caught up on the last one. If you mess up, move on and do better next time.”

Sturgis plans to attend Purdue University to majoring in engineering. While she doesn’t plan to play for Purdue, she plans to keep playing for the fun of it.