KELSEYVILLE, Calif. – Kelseyville High School’s 2014 tennis team captain and singles player Kyle Schmidt has been awarded an $8,000 college scholarship by the U.S. Tennis Association’s national charitable foundation.
The scholarship comes at a time when Schmidt is about to enter Santa Rosa Junior College, where he plans to become a candidate for the tennis team.
USTA Serves, based in White Plains, New York, granted a total of $330,000 to 49 high school students across the nation this spring.
The College Educational Scholarship, the specific award Schmidt received, goes to seniors who USTA Serves said have excelled academically, demonstrated community service and participated in an organized tennis program.
“For now, I’m just going to a junior college,” said Schmidt. “Then I will transfer somewhere in the close West Coast vicinity such as UCLA. USC is a possibility as well.”
Schmidt, who is 18 years old, hopes to major in cinematography and earn a degree in digital media.
Participation-wise, tennis is his only sport. He played for the Kelseyville High School varsity for four years, compiling an overall 21-11 career record.
This past season he led the Knights to a tie for first place in the North Central Section. His individual record this year was 5-3, but two of his losses were to a nationally ranked player.
“We did pretty well and tied for first with St. Helena,” Schmidt said. “If we’d have won our last game we would have been (undisputed) champions. We're still technically the champion.”
Through this summer, Schmidt is working at fairs throughout Northern California in cities such as Crescent City and Ferndale, and Oregon locales including Coos Bay.
Schmidt wants to continue playing competitive tennis throughout his interscholastic years.
His strong points are his forehand and an ability to smash a tennis ball at speeds of up to 70 to 80 miles per hour.
But he concedes his backhand needs work.
It was his grandmother who got him turned onto tennis.
“She was from England,” he said. “She always took me out when I was little. She was almost like a pro.”
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