Hopkins tennis player Ryan Erickson took up the sport when he was 6—following in the footsteps of his mom, dad and older sister. The 18-year-old is now a force to be reckoned with in his own right. He's ranked No. 9 in the state and No. 1 in the that starts Tuesday.
“I went down to a park and played with my mom and dad and eventually I got lessons. I’ve loved it ever since,” Erickson said.
Erickson credits his skill to self-motivation and initiative—which, in a highly individual sport, are essential to success.
Find out what's happening in Hopkinswith free, real-time updates from Patch.
“Any drive I have to get better comes from inside of me and to be self-motivated really comes naturally to me,” he said.
Like his skills, Erickson’s approach to the game has changed over time. Originally an aggressive player, he now plays conservatively—patiently waiting for the right time to attack.
Find out what's happening in Hopkinswith free, real-time updates from Patch.
“I try to stay aggressive while I wait for the right shot to move up on. I stay back on the baseline. I’ve started trying to be as patient as I can,” he said.
His coach, Ken Novak, agrees: "He’s mentally very solid. His ground strokes are solid. He takes balls on the rise, which not a lot of high school players can do. He’s able to move the ball with great accuracy. He’s very aggressive, and he’s not afraid to make mistakes. He’s one where if he doesn’t do well he doesn’t let it affect him too long, which is probably why mentally he’s so tough."
Erickson, a senior, will take his talents to the University of Denver next year and try to walk on to the Division I program there.
For now, he'll take his No. 1 seed into a first round bye at the Section 6AA tournament at the Baseline Tennis Center at the University of Minnesota. His first match will be at 9:30 a.m. May 31st.
But if his past success is any indication, one can safely assume that his high school tennis journey won’t end there.
