Many successful athletes remember falling in love with their chosen sport at a young age—in some cases as soon as they were able to catch a football or swing a baseball bat.
Sometimes, though, the story behind an athlete’s love of the game is not so romantic. Sometimes, a kid just stumbles into a sport, and winds up gaining more from it than he could’ve imagined.
For Lompoc High School senior tennis standout Gabriel Alcantara, deciding to try out for the Lompoc tennis team as a freshman was basically an arbitrary decision. He had never played the sport before.
“I had nothing to do in the spring because I didn’t really want to do track, and I said, ‘Why not tennis?’” Alcantara remembered. “I felt good about it. I invited some of my friends. They came out, and all my friends right now are seniors. We just stuck around with it.”
It’s a good thing they stuck with it, because today, Alcantara and the Braves have their sights set on taking home a Los Padres League title. Lompoc is off to a great start so far in 2016 with a 5-0 in league record.
Alcantara is Lompoc’s No. 1 singles player this season in addition to continuing to dominate the doubles competition with his longtime doubles partner and fellow senior, Isaiah Pico.
“It’s been a pleasure playing with Isaiah,” Alcantara said. “He understands me the most. We motivate each other.”
This is the first season Alcantara has played singles, but unsurprisingly, the transition has turned out well for him and the team.
“Singles is really tiring, I run a lot for singles,” he noted. “It’s harder because you have to think where you’re going to put the ball. You have to understand the puzzle, it’s like a chess game.”
Alcantara’s passion for the team and for improving his game is quite apparent. Lompoc tennis coach Jim Steffey raved about his heart and work ethic.
“The fact he was willing to put in the extra work to get himself better is a coach’s dream,” Steffey said. “He has a desire to want to get better. He’s the first person out at practice, and last to leave.”
Alcantara moved to the U.S. from the Philippines when he was 13. He said playing tennis has been one of the most rewarding—and unexpected—experiences in his time living here.
“It feels really good to be there for the team,” he said. “I really love the sport.”
This article appears in Mar 24-31, 2016.
