Brandon Thompson, the reigning state singles champion, won’t be playing tennis for his high school this spring.
And not for the usual reasons.
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Thompson isn’t giving up the game. He plans to play for Division III Trinity University in San Antonio next year.
“I kind of knew I was going to devote most of my time in college to tennis,” Thompson said. “So this is my last chance to try different sports.”
Thompson will run track this spring after playing basketball in winter and running cross country in fall. Playing tennis for Class C Waynflete the previous three springs, Thompson rarely dropped a game, much less a match, outside of the state singles tournament.
He found much better competition at United States Tennis Association (USTA) tournaments throughout the year, but said he still values the time spent with high school tennis.
“It was more about playing on a team,” he said. “I had a great experience.”
The dilemma facing exceptionally talented high school tennis players in Maine is not new. They know they won’t face much of a challenge in high school matches, particularly among girls, where the talent level drops off sharply. There’s a risk that their skills might suffer.
“I know that I’m not going to get as much out of it as I would like,” said Falmouth freshman Justin Brogan, ranked 19th in New England among boys aged 16 and under. “But it’s a sacrifice I’m willing to make and it’s really not a burden on me. I feel like it’s an honor to represent Falmouth.”
Kasia Jania, a junior at Scarborough High, is the top-ranked USTA player in New England among girls 18 and under. She played for the Red Storm as a freshman, losing only in the final of the state singles tournament to Christine Ordway, but opted to concentrate on improving her skills and USTA ranking as a sophomore and junior.
Camille Jania, now at Harvard, played for Scarborough High as a freshman and senior. Going back another decade, Brian Patterson similarly bracketed his schoolboy career at Falmouth High as a freshman and a senior, having spent his two middle years at tennis academies in the South.
This spring, Maria Varano will make her Kennebunk High tennis debut. She’s a junior, ranked second only to Kasia Jania among 18-and-under girls in Maine, and spent her first two high school years focusing on fitness, footwork and turning her serve into an effective weapon.
“This year seemed to fit perfectly into my schedule,” Varano said. “I had established my (USTA) ranking well enough that I could take some time off and focus on being part of a team. Tennis is mainly a sport you play for yourself, so when you’re part of a team, it’s completely different. It’s a lot of fun.”
New Kennebunk tennis coach Paul Gaylord, who has taught professionally since 1985, understands the dilemma facing elite high school players trying to get noticed by college recruiters. Rarely does a Maine high school team have more than one outstanding player, so practices can be less beneficial than training with a pro at a private club.
Practicing with lesser players means skills are “not always being developed,” Gaylord said, “and therefore, the (high school) season actually makes their level of play dip.”
Bob McCully, entering his 40th year as head coach at Falmouth, remembers Patterson wanting to play his senior year with friends before going off to Notre Dame on scholarship and, eventually, a year on the pro tour. McCully said Patterson bought into the team concept and was great at helping his teammates improve.
“Different personalities may have different levels of appreciation for the team aspect of the sport,” McCully said, “and what it means to represent their school and community.”
McCully coached Brogan in middle school basketball and said he’s impressed with the youngster’s attitude and maturity, and views him as a role model.
McCully also mentioned that he still keeps in touch with his old high school and college teammates. Those friendships, he said, are among his most treasured.
“I believe in the valuable lessons that sports provide,” he said, “and I think the experience of being on a team is the most valuable part of sports.”
Staff Writer Glenn Jordan can be contacted at 791-6425 or at:
gjordan@pressherald.com
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