A quiet concentration radiates off the court as she sets up for the serve, calm breathing and a sharp gaze on her opponent. Her family and coaches watching in the stands as she competes for the match point. She readies herself, serves quickly and then quickly focuses on the return shot. Sophomore Julia Anderson has been playing tennis since the beginning of Covid, picking it up as a way to pass time during lockdown.

 Anderson’s experience with being on a high school sports team looks a little different than other students and teammates due to the fact that she is homeschooled, but that doesn’t change her discipline. “Being homeschooled has allowed me to have the flexible to play tennis whenever I want,” Anderson said. With this flexibility, Anderson is able to play during the day when it is easier to get court time or play indoors when weather is a factor.

During the off season, Anderson continues to improve her skills by practicing for an hour and a half at least 3 times a week, so she will be in top form for her season. During season, Anderson plays almost every day, some days practicing for 3 hours. If she can’t get on the HSE courts, she sometimes practices on the HIJH courts or goes to Community Sports and Wellness in Pendleton to practice indoors.

Although Anderson loves the flexibility and freedom of homeschooling, it sometimes has its disadvantages. “I’d say the hardest thing was going into school my freshman year pretty much not knowing anybody,” Anderson admitted. Thankfully, that quickly changed, and Anderson has become friends with many of her teammates. “This year has been awesome,” Anderson said.

In the future, Anderson hopes to continue playing tennis in college although she has not really determined where she would like to go or what she wants to study. She is thinking about something in the medical field. But right now, Anderson is focusing on playing and enjoying tennis. “I know I want to play tennis in college, but I don’t know where yet,” Anderson said “But that is a big goal that my coaches are constantly training me for.”