Once Patricio Calderon narrowed the field, it opened up chances to advance his tennis career.
Like many athletic-minded teens, the Sacred Heart Catholic High School student was active in several sports. That was until about three years ago, when he chose tennis over an array of sports that included soccer, hockey and lacrosse in which he had varying skill levels.
“I decided if I was going to be good at one, I had to focus on one sport,” said Calderon, who accepted a financial package to attend Queens University of Charlotte, N.C. where he will join the Royals men’s NCAA Division II tennis team in August.
“I looked at each and asked myself which one I feel more passionate about,“ said the 17-year-old Newmarket resident, who plays at the Newmarket Tennis Club. “It is mental and all comes down to you. I just felt tennis was better for me based on my activities and way of thinking.
“Some of the older kids at the club were off on scholarships. I thought, ‘Wow, if I get good, I can help my parents out.’ When I decided which sport, one of my goals was to get a scholarship.”
The 17-year-old Newmarket resident has won three boys Major league titles, the highest competitive junior league in Ontario, including the past two seasons. He also works as an instructor at the club.
At the high school level, he was the top player at Sacred Heart for the past two years and was a two-time OFSAA festival qualifier, reaching the semifinal round this year.
NTC head coach Brian Draxl thinks Calderon will benefit in the experience to play top-notch tennis regularly.
“He’s in very good shape. He’s very quick and very consistent,” said Draxl. “I think with the seasoning and all the matches he will play down there he’ll reach his potential. It’s about learning to get the competitive edge and how tough it is there.”
After visiting a number of schools in the spring, the follow-up calls started coming in.
After considering the offers, Calderon opted for the Royals’ program which competes in the Conference Carolinas.
“I see myself as a very competitive player and very motivated on the court,” said Calderon, who started playing tennis at age 11 at the Newmarket Tennis Club. “For collegiate tennis and from a team aspect, I think coaches are looking for players with lots of energy and competitiveness who are determined on the court.
“It’s a very tough conference. There’s four or five nationally ranked teams in that conference.”
He agrees with Draxl’s assessment that court-time against high calibre talent is crucial.
“I think so,” he said. “There’s so many international players. Every match is going to be against someone different.
“When you play against players from different parts of the world, you will face different styles of play. Based on playing a wide range of international players each week, you have to make adjustments during matches.”