In only his sophomore season, Collinsville High School’s Austin Baker is turning heads as a doubles player for the Cardinals.
Baker started playing the game in the seventh grade and is not a member of the varsity team. Baker said the support the team gets from the Cardinal faithful is encouraging. The support is something Baker said he loves the most about being on the team.
“The support and encouragement from Coach Linblad and my teammates, as well as being able to compete against different schools and in several tournaments/duals,” Baker said. “It’s very important. Their support is very encouraging to me and helps keep my confidence up.”
Coming into the new season, Baker worked hard on certain aspects of his game to help his team be more successful on the court this season.
“Cross court shots are my strongest skill and I’ve improved the most on serving,” Baker said. “We’re all friends and get along but we’re also competitive with one another and push each other to do better.”
Before a match Baker said he believes in getting plenty of sleep.
“I try to get a lot of sleep before competition and keep a positive attitude. I also listen to music before tournaments,” said Baker.
Baker hopes to finish his pilot’s license and attend college for aerospace engineering.
Baker added that he is inspired by his father and is grateful for his support.
