Pilar Santos '20 Recruiting Profile

I've always been involved in sports. I did the breaststroke on a competitive swim team for a number of years. I had played tennis for fun but it wasn’t until they closed the pool that I decided to take up tennis competitively at the age of 13. I advanced through my tennis classes pretty quickly and it was then that I started to have the desire to win and excel at my sport. I already had a good practice ethic by being involved on a very competitive swim team and practicing everyday 5-6 times a week, but when I played tennis, I felt a joy that I had never felt when I was swimming. This passion and love for tennis allowed me to excel very quickly and I am still continuing to grow in the sport. I now play as many Junior and Adult USTA tournaments as I can fit in with my studies.

  Throughout my tennis career I have had a lot of wins and one pretty big setback. My freshman I played number 2 and 3 singles, went undefeated for the season and had a good showing at State Championships. My sophomore year I had a new private coach and was learning techniques to be a stronger more technical player. I had a great high school season until I lost to a lesser player at Divisionals. It was a devastating turn of events that I wasn't expecting. This taught me a lot about the sport and competing. Since that time, I have been working on everything about the game in clinics and private lessons. I know I got a late start with this sport, but know I am growing and developing into a better player every day. Not only do I plan to go to State this year, but to play strong and smart and win State this year.