From serving aces on the court to acing his exams, Granite Hills High School senior Anthony Contreras shows true dedication and discipline to not only his sport but to his academics as well.
Contreras exemplifies what every student should be like. The balance between sports and school isn’t something everyone can balance well. His drive for success isn’t limited to one or the other – he proves that both can be accomplished.
BACKGROUND
Question: When did you first start playing tennis, and what got you into the sport?
Answer: “It was my sophomore year and I was in chemistry when a former player Carlos Rojas tried to recruit me for tennis because I had just left basketball. So that day I decided to go out and try tennis and I saw friends from band so it made me want to stay when I noticed I was surrounded by people I knew, so I just kept going on with it.”
Q: What do you enjoy the most about playing tennis?
A: “It’s honestly my therapy. It is something I go out to when I’m stressed or when I am dealing with something. Just cause it allows me to refresh my head and lets me get into the right mind space.”
TRAINING & WORK ETHIC
Q: What does a typical practice or training session look like for you?
A: “Usually in the beginning I warm up, which involves something simple like mini tennis or playing in the service box. From there, get back to the baseline and start hitting some more powerful shots so I can warm up my arms for the games we do at the end of our sessions. After the warm-up, I go into some drills, whether that involves forehands, backhands, volleys, or overheads. To end the session, if coach wants us to, we either do singles which would follow me and Ivan or me and Jose. If it were doubles it would be me and Ivan against Jose and Juan.”
Q: How do you balance schoolwork and tennis?
A: “It’s a lot of time management. There are days where I even use tennis as a way to procrastinate but I balance it really well because our practices are from 4-6 pm and I have 6-10 pm to keep up with my homework. It does take a lot of commitment and dedication because sometimes I stay later at practice, so even with school work it takes a lot of commitment. As I try to maintain straight As which I have been doing all four years.”
Q: What’s the hardest part about training at a high level?
A: “The pressure. For sure last year, there were a lot of moments where I was pressured. I wouldn’t say by my coaches but really more by myself, because I wanted to be the best. Especially going against Orosi’s number one. I really wanted to beat him because it would feel like a really big accomplishment to me. This year I am going against Orosi number one and I am going to try to really focus on my own game rather than put pressure on myself to beat him.”
Q: Do you have any pre-match routines or superstitions?
A: “Yeah, so before games I get a towel just because I am naturally a really sweaty person, and so far I have broken about 3-4 rackets due to my sweaty hands so I always keep a towel on me now.”
Q: Who has been the biggest influence on your tennis career?
A: “Well, to be specific my brother. Just because he was Granite’s number one and I strive to be like him and have his work ethic. He told me a story one time, that when he first joined tennis he was at the very bottom of the ladder, it was a huge ladder so his coach wanted to see how far he could actually get up just because he saw some natural talent in him. My brother was able to be number two, he was able to get number one but his coach prioritized seniors to be number one. Aside from my brother, I would say my team has a big influence on me because those are all my guys and I try to be the best for them so I can be a role model and I want them to look up to me and try to be as great as I am.”
ACHIEVEMENTS AND CHALLENGES
Q: What has been your biggest accomplishment in tennis so far?
A: “Winning the league title. It for sure is a big one because Granite Hills tennis hasn’t won a league title in over nine years. So being able to accomplish this with our seniors. It was very refreshing seeing our hard work shine through this title.”
Q: Can you share a moment when you faced a tough opponent and how you handled it?
A: “So actually, I did go against Orosi’s number one at our ESL Tournament. Honestly, I thought I was going to be nervous but I wasn’t because I knew I was able to go against him. What really got me to believe in myself was not only my coaches, my teammates, but other people from different schools, such as Strathmore’s number one. I remember he told me that I was able to do this and that I was able to compete. Even Orosi’s coach had told me that that match was going to be one of the greatest. That’s what really made me compete hard and do my best out there.”
TEAM & SCHOOL SPIRIT
Q: How does it feel to represent your school as the top player?
A: “At first, I didn’t really see it as that, but now it is almost like a shock. Just because when others think of Granite’s tennis they think ‘Who is number 1?’ So just me being number 1 is crazy because other schools see me as a threat. They are now worried if their number 1 was going to beat me. They are worried if they are going to get that match. So me being number one and representing Granite is really cool and a huge shock.”
Q: What advice would you give to younger players trying to improve?
A: “Well referencing back to my past, I would cry after my matches because I would lose. I understand the pain and guilt after losing but if you keep on working hard and doing your best and playing as if there is no tomorrow, you will see the improvement in your matches and gameplay.”
FUTURE GOALS
Q: What are your goals for the rest of the season?
A: “Put in all my efforts outside of school and try my best during practice. A quote that I had for sure was ‘Practice like you play, play like you practice.’ I always try to have that in the back of my head where I play as hard in games as I do in practice. So I need to put in that hard work and try to beat Orosi this year again.”
Q: Do you plan to play tennis in college or beyond?
A: “I was actually planning to play college tennis but after looking at stats from the colleges in the SoCal area, you have to be a UTR rating over 9.00 or 10.00 and right now I’m landing at a 3.00. So if I wanted to play college tennis I would have to play at Porterville College because they are the only school accepting low UTR scores.”
Q: Where do you see yourself in five years, both in tennis and life?
A: “In tennis, I do see it as my hobby here and there, but I don’t see myself playing as often as I did in high school because I know I won’t have the time. I plan on pursuing nursing in college and I want to get my master’s in nursing. From there, I want to become a nurse practitioner and dermatologist.”
