keller hickok '13 Recruiting Profile

I am passionate about tennis and have been working very hard the last 2 years to excel in the sport, which I know makes me appear "new" to the sport.  I am committed to the pursuit of tennis on the collegiate level.   I  know what kind of dedication it takes to excel in an individual sport such as tennis.   Since about 5th grade,  I put most of my athletic efforts into alpine ski racing.   I qualified for the junior olympics two times and finished top 10 in the the Rocky Mountain/Central Region in slalom.  I have traveled to competitive races all over the country and succeeded in those races. Our team has participated at the State High School meet several times and I am ski team captain this year.  . I have played summer club level tennis for a number of years, but a little over two years ago decided to apply the discipline and hard work I have given to skiing to the game of tennis. In the relatively short period of time in which I have been playing tennis at a higher level, I have made great strides. I am on a fast track to higher accomplishments in the sport, and wish to maximize my potential on a college team. I do not have the national or local ranking that I would have in tennis had I been playing for 5 - 10 years as some others have (because I haven't yet played enough USTA tournaments), but I am confident that with the desire I have and knowledge of what it takes to excel in an individual type of sport, that I will achieve the high goals I have set for myself. I have participated in a number of USTA tournaments and have had some good success to date, and I believe that my height, forehand and serve in particular will provide me with a competitive advantage over the long run.

I have been fortunate enough over the past 2 years to have been provided with the opportunity to participate in what I believe to be the top rated tennis program in the Minneapolis area (Lifetime - St. Louis Park "High Performance" tennis) but also (since December, 2011) to be able to work regularly with a private coach, Byron Kidd, who has dramatically helped improve my game since that time. The High Performance program is limited to qualified individuals that play above a certain level and are on track for collegiate play.  I will continue to work extremely hard from now until I start college in the fall, and expect to make great strides in that time frame as well.

I hope to be able to participate on a very meaningful level on a competitive college level tennis team, and I am confident I will be a good addition and contributor to the success of that team.  I will do everything I can to help that team succeed.