Jacob Riis '23 Recruiting Profile

Dear coaches,

Thank you to all of you, who reached out over the last year. I apologize for not being able to reply personally to each and everyone of you, but I truly appreciate your interest in me as a student athlete. I have decided to take a gap year to improve both as a tennis player and as a student. I will attend a school in Denmark where I’ll be able to do both. I plan to return next spring and attend college next fall (2024) and if any of you are still interested at that point, please feel free to reach out.  I’ll keep my profile up to date. 

Thanks again,

Jacob

My personal statement: 

Hard work can take you far fast! 
The summer before my high school freshman year, my family and I moved to Martha’s Vineyard. That’s when I discovered tennis. Before then I had played both badminton and soccer at a fairly high level, but tennis is a big sport on our little island so I decided to try it for a week. I quickly realized how much I enjoyed the sport, but also knew that I had very little chance of even making a top seven (starting) position on the very strong high school tennis team. As it turned out, Covid canceled the season in my freshman year and I decided to hit the courts every day to see if I could get good enough for the team. By my sophomore year, I was third singles, we were sectionals runners up, and I made all stars in the Cape and Island League. By my junior year, I became first singles, led the team to final four D3 Massachusetts, and made the all star again. For me, it all comes down to the effort you put in. I may not be the best tennis player on your radar, but I promise I will work harder than anyone else to improve every day.