Athlete of the Week-James Frady

James Frady

James Frady, a senior on the White County Warrior tennis team, said he never picked up a tennis racket until three years ago but has since fallen in love with the sport he hopes will follow him for the rest of his life.

“I love being able to play with anybody. It’s one of those sports you can play with your younger cousin or your grandma,” Frady said. “Tennis is something you can enjoy with anybody that wants to play with you.”

Frady went on to say that being a part of the Warrior tennis program has helped him become a better person, not just a better athlete.

“I feel like being put in those high-pressure situations with matches have helped me come out of my shell a lot,” he said. “I’ve grown a lot since my sophomore year, and I like to put that towards tennis and the people on the team and the coaching staff.”

The Warrior coaching staff admires Frady as much as he admires them.

“James Frady is a coach’s dream. He has overcome adversity and shown full commitment to the Warrior tennis program. He has persevered for years through the lower ranks of junior varsity to be a senior leader on our varsity squad,” Coach Topher Wiles said. “He exemplifies the Warrior spirit. He loves his teammates, works hard in practice, and pursues excellence in tennis. We are proud of senior James Frady.”

Frady has plans beyond tennis after he graduates. He will head off to basic training this summer and then return to Sparta before the holidays. He plans to head to college next spring where he will major in nuclear engineering. While all of that sounds very serious, Frady hopes to find time for some matches on the court where he can keep things fun and lighthearted as well.

“I love playing tennis. I don’t know if I’m going to play competitively, but I know I’m going to play for a long time, maybe join a club in college,” he said and then encouraged everyone to give the sport a try.

“You don’t have to be good at tennis to enjoy it. You can be bad and have fun at the same time,” he laughed. “Seriously, it doesn’t matter how good you are. It just matters what you make of it.”