Less is more for Clarke when it comes to tennis

For Kayla Clarke, it has been a case of addition by subtraction.

A two-sport star – gymnastics and tennis – at Rogers High, Clarke has throttled back her training in both sports. That has led to increased results.

“I found it interesting,” said Rogers tennis coach Barb Farnsworth, “it used to be that’s all she did, she rarely had time to do kid stuff at all. All she did was take gymnastics lessons … and take tennis lessons. Now that she’s not so immersed in all that, she’s getting to be a better tennis player. And she finished better in gymnastics than she ever had.”

Clarke, a junior who won the vault at the 4A regional, finished 12th in the individual event at the state meet, leading to next year’s goal of “making the finals.”

“I missed it by one spot this year,” she said. “Next year I want to make it.”

Though gymnastics is her favorite sport – the profession of which during a telephone interview brought light-hearted comments from Farnsworth in the background – Clarke does have one thing she really loves about tennis.

“Tennis is easier because it is only you against that person,” Clarke said. “At a gymnastics meet, it’s you against everybody. It’s not like you can just go against one person. You have to be judged and everything.”

This season Clarke is undefeated at No. 1 singles in five matches, which Farnsworth credits to improved mental toughness.

“Last year, when she played someone pretty good she would play that much better,” Farnsworth said. “If she was playing someone less experienced, she would just crumble. She’s not doing that now and that’s kind of nice.”

If there are no breakdowns, Clarke hopes to make the tennis regionals this year, with the goal of reaching state her senior season.

That’s a long way from her freshman year, when she played doubles with older sister Megan, a senior at the time.

“That was fun, except when she would yell at me,” Clarke said, echoing comments made by younger sisters for a millennium.

Tennis is fun enough, and the competition for gymnastics spots at four-year schools tough enough, that Clarke wants to continue playing the racket sport after high school, possibly at a community college.