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Aurora High School junior Kamryn Milano is representing the Greenmen in the girls’ tennis Districts tournament. This three-time varsity girl’s tennis player is ready to give it her all.
This achievement did not come without hard work making it possible. Milano has been on the AHS tennis team since her freshman year, but her tennis journey began long before her high school career. The 16-year-old has spent three-fourths of her life playing tennis, starting at only four years old. She got into the sport through her sisters: “I started playing because my sisters and a couple of my neighbors took lessons up at our neighborhood courts.” At ten years old, she started playing year-round and eventually started playing competitively in middle school. As a high school student, she plays tennis more days a week than not.
The tennis season, despite only seeming like a few weeks, has about 25-30 matches per season. These long matches span anywhere from 1-3 hours, and are usually held at far away schools. This leads to challenges when it comes to balancing school with tennis. Milano plays 5-6 days a week during the tennis season, amassing 15-20 hours a week. Tennis becomes even more time-consuming for her as she moves on into the post-season. The post-season includes sectionals, districts, and states. These tournaments often occur during school hours “You have to miss school for the tournaments. I miss a lot of school and it's challenging to catch up,” Milano shared. Balancing tennis and school may be difficult, but Milano pulls it off and always comes through for her team.
Despite the challenges, school sports are very rewarding. As a sophomore, she got the opportunity to play alongside her sister. They played doubles together and made it to States. Going to States with her sister is what she shares to be her favorite memory on the team: “We got to play in the tournament, but we also got to watch a lot of great tennis.” She’s no stranger to Districts, as she has been to it twice before. Her previous experience at Districts included spending time with her sister and reconnecting with the friends she’s met through the sport. It was at this tournament that she and her sister qualified together for States. She reflects, “It was a long match and it started to rain but we were able to win the last few points to secure our spot in the state tournament.”
The district tournament took place on October 9th. Milano played well and had an overall great experience. She had the opportunity to see friends and is grateful for the experience. “I was happy to qualify for districts 3 years in a row in doubles and singles”. Milano only has one season left with her team, but her tennis career will not be over after high school. She will keep playing in a non-school-related setting, “I'll likely continue to play tournaments with my friends for fun”. She also plans on playing club tennis in college. The future seems bright for Milano as she finishes her junior year and heads into senior year.
By: Luciana Avila
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