LC senior picked tennis over baseball and excelled
Like many tennis players, Chris Martin picked up the sport early. Despite the fact he liked the game from the very beginning, the Lewis and Clark High School senior nearly quit playing.
“Grandma started me at age 5,” said Martin. “Between sixth grade and eighth grade, I was on a traveling baseball team and that pretty much took over all other sports during the spring and summer. I kind of quit tennis during that time. When high school rolled around, my brother Mike decided to play tennis, so I was like all right, you know what, I can pick tennis back up. His senior year, I actually got to play doubles with him on varsity so that was good. I’m pretty athletic, so I can handle coming back to this sport, so I decided to stick with it and here we are.”
Martin was a key part of the Tigers state championship football team, playing linebacker and wide receiver. The success of the football team led to Martin getting a late start on the tennis court this season, though.
“He put in a long run with the football team this year,” said Tiger tennis coach Tobin Phelps. “He didn’t get started playing really until December. It really speaks to how natural he is at the game. He’s paid his dues, though, and put himself in a position for his success with his hard work.”
“We got snowed out almost every day before the season, so didn’t get to practice (outdoors) much,” said Martin. “I’m a member of a club, so I go inside, but it’s totally different playing indoors to outdoors.”
His versatility nearly led him to follow in his brothers, Mike and Steve’s, footsteps on the baseball diamond for LC.
“This is the first year that I didn’t coach football at LC,” said Phelps. “I had coached for 11 years, so I knew how good an athlete he was. We’re just fortunate that Chris is playing tennis because he’s an outstanding baseball player as well. He’s the youngest of three brothers to play. When he was a freshman, he decided to give tennis a try. He lettered as a freshman and has lettered all four years. He’s really made it work. It’s been good for us, and good for him.”
Martin was the Tigers’ No. 1 singles player this season, but it was in doubles that he excelled. Last season he and partner Nick Johnson finished fourth in the state.
“I went to state as a sophomore, too, so that was really a wake-up call that you have to play competitively every single point,” Martin said. “Last year I took that experience from my sophomore year to junior year and we got fourth. Our first match, we won the first set so easily, and then we ended up losing the match.”
“I would definitely say, for me anyway, that he’s the best doubles player in the region,” said Phelps. “I wouldn’t know about the state because I haven’t seen very much of the other side. He understands the doubles game, but over his career his growth has been huge. He’s so athletic that the game comes naturally to him. He makes some amazing shots and his level of consistency has improved.”
This season Martin had to acquire a new doubles partner as Johnson graduated. Enter Zach Williams and the two seem to click from the beginning as they finished second at the Inland Empire Tournament.
“He had never played doubles his whole life,” Martin said of Williams. “He’s really adjusted well to it. He’s a very strong player. It’s worked out great. He’s a good volleyer. It was different for me as I was real good buddies with Nick and knew where each other are on the court. Playing with a new player, you have to get used to him. It was a pretty big change getting a new doubles partner, so you have to get used to him and where he’s playing on the court. It was a change, but it worked out well. Practicing with Zach has helped a lot and he’s getting real good at doubles.”
Unfortunately for Martin, he and Williams were upset in the first round of the regional tournament and failed to advance to state after losing in the consolation bracket. It was a disappointing end for the Tiger senior’s tennis career, but Martin will now concentrate on his academics, as he will study sports management at the University of Oregon next fall.