MOUNT VERNON – Mount Vernon varsity tennis player Quinn Hoffman unveiled his brand new stroke, and it was a hit. Hoffman tied for second place in his round-robin group in the fourth annual Frank Giampaolo Single Day Tournament on Saturday, at Memorial Park and at MVNU’s newly resurfaced Ramser Courts.
Hoffman, who will battle for the No. 1 singles spot on the high school's varsity team this season, won three of his five matches in the boys 16-and-under division.
Oscar Ramsden of Columbus and Brody Phillips of Ontario, who each won their 16U round robin group, faced off in the final with Ramsden defeating Phillips, 5-2, for the championship.
“We had nearly 50 players participating this year,” Mount Vernon coach and tournament organizer Steve Tier said. “That is about what we usually have. Last year, we had many more because of COVID, making us one of the few tournaments around.
"This year, we had participants from the Cincinnati, Columbus and Cleveland areas. What was unusual was that we had a player come from Lexington (Ky.). There are places that don’t have these Level 7 tournaments. Kids of that ability and are in middle school, J.V. or beginning varsity, don’t have that many opportunities in some places, to come play a tournament like this. Here, they get to play more than one match against a variety of people.”
Hoffman was pleased with his showing, along with the upgrade in his game, against such tough competition.
“I’ve been working on a new forehand and backhand motion,” Hoffman said. “It really turned out well. I have to rotate horizontally when the ball comes at me. I have to make my racquet point towards the opponent. I have to rotate through the ball to get more speed and top spin.”
Hoffman credits MVNU coach Alvin Cheng, who has been coaching him privately and also at a tennis clinic held at Memorial Park on Tuesdays and Thursdays, from 4 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.
The tennis clinic, which is free of charge, was started by Tier this year. It brings Mount Vernon High School and Middle School players together with local college coaches. The clinic is a hit for both coaches and players. It sharpens the players’ tennis skills on an ongoing basis. Along the way, the coaches try to instill a love for the game.
“I love tennis,” Hoffman said. “I would go out and play every day if I could.”
The Idea has been a hit with the players and the coaches, who see this as a great way to jump start the sport in Knox County,
“We are so far away from any tennis clubs, things like this have to happen to give kids in Knox County the opportunities to continue to learn and play,” Cheng said. “What better way than to have coaches from the two colleges coaching it?”
In the girls 14U division, Powell’s Sophia Mattis defeated Ella Smith of New Albany in their championship final on Saturday, 8-1.
Mount Vernon’s Cameron Carlson won two of her four matches and placed third in her round-robin group. Now 13, she is not as nervous as she was at last year’s tournament.
“It got better as I was playing,” Carlson said. “I felt like I was improving, as I got further along. I moved my feet a little bit more.”
She will start eighth grade at Mount Vernon Middle School in September and is also a regular at the clinic.
“I’ve been working on my overhead volleys,” she said. “I struggle with overhead, sometimes.”
Of course, Carlson is the daughter of Kenyon College coach Andrew Carlson, who has also donated his time to make this clinic work.
“I think it’s great that we’re getting so many kids participating out there,” Andrew Carlson said. “We’re getting 10-plus kids every Tuesday and Thursday. Sometimes we’ve had up to 18.”
Their efforts are making an impact.
“We are starting to gain tennis momentum in this town,” Cheng said. “I think true collaboration has to happen for tennis to keep growing in Knox County.”
