Sophomore Alex Matisse finished his tennis season with the Clarkston Boys Varsity Tennis team after going 1-1 at the state finals last week.
He was the only Wolf to individually qualify for the state championships in the last 20 years.
‘It was really exciting to qualify,? he said. ‘It feels great to represent Clarkston not just for Clarkston but to represent my team. It feels like an opportunity to represent my school.?
‘I was thrilled,? said Coach Chas Claus, adding he was on the team in 1994 the last time an individual qualified for state finals from Clarkston. ‘He had a great year. This year he brought a different approach. He was more fearless – he could step onto the court and play the match not looking at the player or past results.?
Matisse agreed his sophomore year has been going great.
‘I’ve buffed my curriculum. I am taking harder classes also having to maintain all of my tennis and a lot of special bonds with my teammates this year,? he said, adding he is taking Honors English Language Arts, Pre-Calculus and Trigonomety, Leadership, Honors History, Spanish 3 and Advanced Placement Biology.
Matisse joined the varsity team as a freshman and has visited the state finals for the last two years.
‘It feels pretty good,? he said. ‘Since I have been here I have only experienced the team when they are at their best. I can see the effect it has on my other teammates who have been there longer. Just going to states and see how they react and the people who don’t play tournaments on the team are just so happy to surround all these other tennis players who are in the same spots as they are.?
Matisse began playing tennis when he was four-years-old while his mom was going to Deer Lake Athletic Club to play tennis.
‘She would go every day, take me to day care and go play tennis,? he said. ‘One day her coach said ‘why don’t you have Alex play?? I played in one lesson and just really liked it.?
He played his first tournament when he was six and began playing with the United States Tennis Association a year later. He plays all year long in tournaments and added the summer tournaments get him ready for the high school fall season.
‘It gets my body and my mind ready because the high school season is harder,? he said. ‘You are consistently getting the best players. USTA prepares me to play all of them.?
He plans to continue playing in college.
‘I have told myself since I was in seventh grade I really want to play tennis in college even if it isn’t Division 1 just playing at college and representing another school and having fun doing it,” he said.
He explained he enjoys tennis because he gets to think through problems and evaluate what is going on on the court.
“I like the intellectual part and host its not just muscle memory and playing a sport,” he said about playing. “You get to help your ability to get over stress and diversity while playing.”
He is currently ranked No. 6 in Michigan and No. 26 in the Great Lakes region among sophomores.
He also plays baseball in the summer in a recreation league as a pitcher.
“It is a lot of mental toughness training,” he added.
“I am happy for him that the hard work he has been putting in on and off the court is paying off,” said mom, Marion. “Through tennis he has made great friends, and has been fortunate to be surrounded by coaches and trainers who inspire him to improve and grow as both a player and a person.”
His advice to aspiring athletes is to keep working hard.
“If something doesn’t go right with your sport feed off the positive energy you have in your sport,” Alex said. “Only play a sport if you like it. Don’t force yourself to like it – it has to come to you.”