Worthington — “He earned his spot, just as everyone else on the team earns his spot.”
For Thomas Worthington boys tennis coach Les Somogyi, there are no shortcuts with Jack Wooster’s name, even if the Cardinals’ top singles player is only a freshman.
For Wooster, being the top singles player is just one part of the learning curve during his freshman season. Adjusting to playing outdoors is another.
“Some of my first experiences playing outdoor matches are this season,” Wooster said. “There are so many more factors that could go wrong or right. I’ve really played indoor all of my life.”
The adjustment has shown at times. Wooster is 3-6 this season in top singles for the Cardinals, but the early results reflect a learning curve as much as anything, one he’s continuing to work through.
An offseason knee and ankle injury added another layer to Wooster’s adjustment. Part of that process has been building his serve back to where it was before the injury.
For Wooster, the focus now is on sharpening his volleys and building overall consistency.
“I was missing volleys more than any other shot today,” he said. “Sometimes I’ll have good volleys, but it isn’t consistent enough to be confident in them.”
Despite the growing pains, Wooster has already shown glimpses of what he can become.
Against Marysville, he delivered one of them: grinding out a 7-5, 7-6 win over Soorya Loganand to clinch the match and snap the Cardinals two-match losing streak.
The record is what it is, Somogyi said, but Wooster’s coachability and steady progress are why he continues to hold the top spot.
“Being coachable is his number one quality, and the number one tennis quality,” Somogyi says. “My job is to bring out what they can do to win. If I tell Jack to do something to help him win, he listens. I see him as a future leader.”
Tennis runs in the family for Wooster, a third-generation player following in the footsteps of his grandfather and father. His father, Matt Wooster, played three years of singles at Ohio State after a year at Western Michigan.
His family is there for it all, even the family dog. With his dad and grandfather in his corner, Wooster has begun to settle into his role, learning to balance expectations with growth.
“My dad and grandfather helped me the most when I was transitioning, and my dad helped me understand what it was like playing first singles,” Wooster said. “He has helped me adapt better to opponents than I would have without him.”
Wooster’s goal this season is to move past sectionals and into districts, with his sights set on eventually reaching the state tournament.
Somogyi’s belief goes even further. He said he’d “put his career on” that Wooster will eventually reach the state tournament.
“I predict that by his junior year, he will be a state qualifier,” Somogyi said. “Beyond that, I don’t know. But he will be a top 16 player in the state, there’s no question about it. I’m so confident, I would put my career on it, and you can quote me on that.”
Footnote: All statistics in this article are courtesy of Ohio Tennis Zone – ohiotenniszone.com
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