James Seeraj '22 Recruiting Profile

Hello, my name is James Seeraj and I am from Pickering, Ontario. I had a late start to tennis, beginning just short of turning 11. Neither one of my parents played tennis, however, I instantly fell in love with the sport mainly because it is something that I felt an indescribable passion for shortly after picking up a racquet for the first time, as well as because it is a sport that I am in complete control of meaning that it is only myself that gets to decide how successful I become.

My goal in tennis is to play at the highest level possible I can. For this reason, I am aiming to obtain a chance at playing for a division 1, 2, or 3 school, but my main goal is to have an opportunity to pursue a program at which my coach can see my true and full potential. Academics are also extremely important to me, so I am looking for a program that balances tennis with a high-level academic program as well. I treat my academics at the same level as tennis, because I know that in order to be successful, you must have a complete balance of both. I always try my best and give my full effort no matter what the circumstances are, and I am an extremely dedicated and hard worker with a fighting spirit.

Coming back to the fact that I had a late start to tennis starting close to the age of 11, I am visibly a player that progresses and learns very fast, and that is one of my biggest traits that stands out from everyone else. I didn’t know much about tennis having started after doing a week-long recreational camp, but I was quickly recognized to be one of the most coachable and talented students my coach took on, and that was shown when I started to quickly progress past a lot of the highest-ranked competitive players in Canada. I didn’t start playing tournaments until almost 13, but nevertheless, my tournament skills and ability to deal with pressure led me to move up the rankings at a huge incline, while also drastically increasing my Universal Tennis Ranking at the same time. I also have experience competing in ITF's in Mexico and have stayed there for a month along with my three other teammates and coach, so I have great team experience while playing far away from my home in Ontario.

After realizing that I wanted to become the best tennis player I could around grade 7, I decided that I wanted to enhance my chances of reaching my full potential. I entered a High-Performance Athlete program at a high school by the name of Richmond Green Secondary School. What this program enabled me to do was still succeed in my academics while also being able to leave 1 to 2 periods earlier than the rest of the kids. I left earlier so that I could get access to open courts and a gym at my club to complete a rigorous training schedule every single day. I am always thinking of ways to improve and challenge myself as a student and an athlete, and I am always working on ways to build myself into being a better person.

I also volunteer with special needs and disabled persons, as I love to help and work with people that are in need, and I really enjoy putting time and effort into someone else's life when they require assistance and need someone to help.

Why do I love tennis so much? I love tennis so much because of the competition. I feel like this sport brings out my true character, which has really developed me as a person and competitor. From this, I realized how much I would love to play tennis in university or college. I want to show the academic and athletic potential I possess and can provide for my team and education, and I hope to find a university or college that can allow me to put my strengths and positive attitude to better my team play, as well as allowing me to further my education and studies. With my outstanding work ethic, constant desire for perfection, and dream of bettering my team with my positive and upbringing attitude, I would without a doubt make a perfect fit for any university or college program. Thank you for taking your time to read about me!