Ethan Thomas '21 Recruiting Profile

I have always been a responsible kid even when I was young. Sure, I joke around all the time, but I have a very strong work ethic both on and off the courts.  I play hard but work harder as "they" say and that is definitely me.  My most obvious trait isn't my 6'6" height or my flexibility, it's my strong work ethic that I developed at a young age, thankfully.  I'm a student-athlete in the truest sense of the word.  Just look into my history, ever since I started school I've been at the top of my class, there were a few times in middle school that I wasn't but I can promise you I worked my butt off until I was back on top.  My dad was my first life coach and he didn't simply train me in one sport, but instead, he trained me to be prepared for the one sport I would finally decide to really focus on and that is tennis.  I've played a lot of other sports, lacrosse, football, basketball, and I was even a high dive springboard diver.  I was talented in those sports too but none of them kept me as excited to continue to grow as a player like tennis has. 

If you want to get to know me quickly here are a few things you should know: I'm a really easy-going friendly person. I enjoy making an impact on a team.  I have multiple hobbies that range from art to building things with my hands and I wouldn't be considered a normal student if I didn't enjoy anime and video games, but my academic passion is definitely mathematics.  

I have been playing tennis since I was about 10, but it wasn't until I got into high school that I began to really take my tennis seriously.  I started to learn the importance of winning tournaments and getting ranked as a player.  Just as I was finishing up my first tennis season as a high school player heading into the summer tournament season I started having trouble with my knee.  This injury followed me into my sophomore year where I missed lots of playing time due to an injury that kept getting misdiagnosed.  Heading into my Junior year a specialist finally discovered the source of my troubles with a knee that kept me off the courts as hard as I tried to be consistent.  Ultimately I had a complete patella stabilization surgery and now I have been back at meeting with my coach offseason to catch up on my game.  I am feeling 100% and hitting the courts as hard as I ever have...and then Covid hit and has kept me from playing tournaments all summer as originally planned to catch up and get a ranking that reflects the player I know I am.  I don't know what the workaround is to the mountains I've had to climb to get back on the courts and play at the college level, but I really want to get in front of some coaches so they can see I am a player with lots of potential and can be an asset to their team.