Hitting the courts
For Lakeside High School tennis player Kevin Tellez, his home-court advantage starts, literally, in his own back yard.
Tellez, second in the Class 2A district tournament the past two years, has his eyes on a bigger prize this season, and he’s been putting in the work to get there.
Tellez qualified for the state tournament last year, when the Great Northern League sent two competitors, but this season the GNL gets only one berth, and Tellez knows he’ll probably have to go through Medical Lake’s Zak Nelson, the state runner-up in 2004, to get back to Yakima.
Last spring, Tellez lost in the first round to the eventual state champion, Travis Johnson of Foster, who also returns this season.
“I’ve put in much more time than ever before this past year,” said Tellez, who is coached at Lakeside – and on their backyard court – by his father, Mark. “I’ve done a couple things differently, though. I’m spending a lot more time on drills to work on specific skills, and I’ve been doing lots of fitness stuff.
“My dad has me running outside of practice and got me on the weights. I’ve gained some weight this year, so I’m up to 5 foot 11 and around 160 pounds. I feel much stronger, so my shots don’t take as much effort, and I’m more accurate and consistent.”
His father has already noticed a difference this season, when Kevin has won nine matches without dropping a set. Included in his 2005 victory total were four wins on his way to the Bally’s Junior Tournament championship in Federal Way before the school season started.
“I think that Kevin has improved immensely,” said Mark Tellez. “He had his shots down last year, but he’s more accurate and consistent already this season.”
Sound familiar?
Tellez spends three to four hours a day during the summer hitting with players from a number of different schools. Hitting for fun, he believes, makes everyone better.
He’s also devoted to a regimen that includes solo sessions against a machine or hitting off the wall, and he worked at North Park Racquet Club until shortly before the current season started.
“My serve is the strongest part of my game,” he said, “and my forehand can be dominating when I’m hitting it well. My backhand and my volleys need some work.”
Lakeside tennis has been a Tellez family affair since Mark took the boys’ head job in 2002. That first season, his squad of eight included his oldest son, Brian, as the Eagles’ No. 1 singles player, and this year’s team includes not only Kevin but his sophomore brother, Nick.
Coach Tellez’s goal this year is a league championship, which will require knocking off defending state 2A champion Medical Lake. The Eagles have most of last year’s team back, including No. 1 doubles partners Joe Theisen and Victor Hitchens.
Kevin also remembers those early days, when he topped out at 4 foot 11 and under 100 pounds.
“We didn’t have many people then,” he said, “but I recruited a few guys, who recruited a few more, and we ended up with a lot of players who love the game. We have guys over at the house all the time during the summer.”
He credits his dad and his older brother for much of his improvement.
“I wasn’t very good as a freshman, but watching my brother was fun, and he was always building me up.”
That’s a role he plays now with the younger Lakeside players, helping them to develop their games, going through drills with them. Tennis is at its core an individual sport, but both Tellezes promote a team-first attitude where everyone helps each other.
Kevin is planning to attend Spokane Falls Community College for two years, hoping to further develop his game with the eventual goal of playing in a four-year program.
In the meantime, though, he’s focused on April 25, when the Eagles face Medical Lake for the first of two times this season. He’s hoping for his first win against Nelson.
“For me, it’s a mental game when I play Zak. I get psyched out whenever I play him. I need to stay cool and keep my chin up.”