Tyler Schmidt staggered to the sidelines panting, his forehead glazed with sweat. The freshman was having a difficult time keeping up with his junior opponent from Farmington in his first singles match of varsity tennis. He had been swept 0-6, and was down one set. His opponent seemed invincible and his beginner’s nerves were getting the best of him.
Former coach Al Dunbar strolled over to the slowly recovering rookie. “Tyler,” he said. “What are you doing wrong?”
Still recapturing his composure, Schmidt said: “I don’t know.”
Dunbar’s answer consisted of only four words. “Just hit it in,” he said. For Schmidt, that was all the motivation he needed.
He checked back in to the match, and, for the first of many more matches to come, Schmidt became the king of the court in singles. The freshman stormed back, dominating the second set 6-0, and went on to claim a final set with a score of 6-3.
As a seasoned veteran on the team, Schmidt has gone with a signature look in an attempt to swing things in his favor. Spectators will see a six-foot senior standing his ground under the May sun, eyes sharp with focus, with a wristband that stays unwashed until an opponent claims victory from him.
Schmidt began playing competitive tennis at the age of 12 for the South Windsor Swim & Tennis Club in the Wes Clark Jr., Tennis League. Schmidt also plays for a USTA (United States Tennis Association) team in Ellington.
His development in tennis was influenced by his sister Lauren who was a successful player for SWHS. He admired and respected her winning efficiency. “I never missed any of her matches,” he said. “I knew right away I wanted to have a career as a high school student athlete like her.”
Schmidt says that playing tennis year round has been beneficial for him and his teammates. “Essentially, all of us who start on the tennis team play at Manchester Racquet Club in the winter. It is really great to see how everyone has improved.”
Success has come for Schmidt and teammates Justin Kohut and Ryan Corcoran.
Corcoran put Schmidt’s value to the team simply. “He’s the #3 singles player in the conference and an anchor to our team,” he said. “But he slides too much,” he added jokingly. “He’s going to blow out his knees by the time he’s 40.”
Kohut played beside Schmidt in the 2014 Earl Yost Tournament, a regional doubles contest. They faced the 2011 Class ‘M’ Champions of Avon in the first round. Instead of advancing to the second round, the elites of Hartford County were turned the other way. Kohut recalled the upset. “We were shocked that we pulled it off,” Kohut said. “We didn’t get frustrated at each other when we made mistakes, which kept us in control of the match. Pulling off the win against two doubles state finalists gave us a lot of confidence heading into this season.”
“Justin and I complement each other well as doubles partners because we fit each other’s needs,” said Schmidt. “I have the serve power and height, while he has the finesse and ability to apply spin. Hopefully, we get to have some fun in our final year and play together in States to make a run for the championship,” he said.
Whether it is playing the underdog, the comeback kid, or the dominating opponent, one of Schmidt’s constant priorities is knowing who he is facing. “Like any other sport, you have to know your opponent well and what his strengths and weaknesses are,” he said. “It’s easy to find out who you’re most likely to play in the next match. Researching who it is and finding common opponents in order to prepare and know what to expect going into each match is big for me.”
Schmidt admits that exploiting weakness in the opponent, while at the same time keeping focus, is easier said than done but is crucial nonetheless. It is satisfying when both factors are executed correctly. “One of the best parts of tennis is mentally breaking your opponent down over the course of the match,” he said. “Your opponent can’t think clearly once he’s frustrated.”
Schmidt believes in his teammates and thinks that this is their year in the CCC North. He is impressed with the incoming rookie freshmen Brandon Sze, Parker Pacekonis, and Femi Orisamolu.
“Tennis is an individual game in itself but, in high school, it’s more of a team game than almost any other sport,” he said. “There are intangibles that we have that other teams can’t touch, especially our chemistry and how well we support each other both on and off the court. It would be great to put the year 2015 on our banner in the gym this year.”
As he completes his final year with the team, and possibly his final year playing competitively, Schmidt’s goals are set to the highest bar. He wishes to match, or better, his previous record, make a run in States, and seal a spot on the All-Conference team. Regardless of the outcome, Schmidt will be leaving a life of tennis that is replete with comebacks, upsets, and domination, and he did it all with a group of teammates he is able to call family.
