Senior Hailey Miller has a very busy schedule; because of this, she has made it a priority to stay on top of her homework and be organized.
Her schedule consists of playing tennis almost every day of the week, hanging out with friends, and doing her schoolwork, among many other things.
“I’m playing [tennis] four to five times a week, which is taking a toll on my body,” Hailey said. “Almost every day after school, I’m doing that. [I’m] getting ready for the season this spring, which I’m really looking forward to.”
Since the tennis season is coming up, Hailey plays at MVP most days of the week. She began playing tennis during her freshman year of high school; prior to that, she played soccer. Hailey quit soccer due to burnout because she had been playing since first grade. She began playing tennis while she was still playing soccer, but once she realized that soccer was causing her more harm than good, she decided to make the switch.
“I chose tennis because of how great my experience on JV was,” Hailey said. “At the time of JV season, I was still playing club soccer. After doing both I realized that soccer wasn’t for me anymore, and I was burnt out. So, that summer, I chose to focus on tennis because I wanted to do something that I was more passionate about. I also liked having a sport to work at and improve upon.”
Something Hailey loves about tennis is that it gives her something to work toward. The more she practices, the better she gets, and the time and effort she puts into tennis allows her to master the skills she needs to have in order to become a better player.
Hailey’s peers also help to motivate her to improve at tennis. She was on varsity her sophomore year, so she looked up to many of the upperclassmen on the team. Hailey would see what skills they were using and then apply them to her own matches.
“I don’t watch much tennis at the professional and college level, but I am very motivated by my peers and the upperclassmen,” Hailey said. “As a freshman and sophomore, I found myself comparing to the older players on the team and how I could become as good as them. I still look up to some of my opponents and their work ethics as well as their strategies in matches.”
When Hailey first began playing tennis, she looked up to the other players on her team. They helped motivate her to improve her skills. Hailey is now able to get that motivation from herself to become the best player she can be. As one of the captains of the tennis team, Hailey is now able to be a role model for the others on the team.
“There’s a lot of organizing things, like the uniform and communicating with the coach about the team this coming year,” Hailey said. “I was also a captain last year, so I got to see what it was all about. [You] definitely have to be a leader and role model for the team.”
Being a captain of the tennis team comes with a lot of responsibility and commitment; she does not have much time to waste because of her busy schedule. The advice she would give to others on how to balance a sport, social life, and school is to not get behind on things and to get a decent amount of sleep.
“I try to come home and do my homework right after school,” Hailey said. “I come home, do my homework, take a nap, and then, I try to get to bed pretty early. I would say just to get to bed early and stay on top of things, and don’t let it pile up.”
Hailey embodies hard work by how she manages her numerous after-school activities. Through managing her time and working diligently at tennis, Hailey has seen the benefits of hard work firsthand.
“Hard work pays off,” Hailey said. “When you put in the work, you’ll get the results that you want.”
