By Publications Class
Outgoing Lusher senior, Gavriella Smith, has been playing tennis since she was 3. She practices about 6 days a week and has won 5 state women singles titles and 6 women singles regional titles. She is a well-known athletic success story in the Lusher community, featured in news clips and articles. We talked to Smith about her high school career and what the future has in store for her after graduation.
“I’m going to play tennis for the University of Pennsylvania next year,” Smith said. ““If it wasn’t for Lusher and the teachers here, I probably wouldn’t have had the same amount of success so far in my tennis career. They worked with me so much about missing school to travel for tournaments and supported me from the elementary school all the way to high school.”
“Playing competitive tennis at such a young age,” Smith continued, “allowed me to mature a lot quicker, which helped in the long run with my tennis game and life.”
With all that practice and traveling for competition, Smith feels tennis has affected her schoolwork both negatively and positively. “I did miss a bunch of school days in high school, so I always had to catch up somehow or attend extra office hours to get my materials. But missing so much school due tennis definitely helped my communication skills with teachers, which allowed me to stay on top of most everything.”
Going forward to play tennis at the University of Pennsylvania, Smith says the most challenging part is the mental aspect of the game. “It’s very easy to get comfortable or start to fade. What makes the difference is the ability to push yourself to the next level.”
So, how does she plan to stay humble and on top?
“I think of it as that there is always someone better than you, and instead of gaining an ego from your wins, it’s important to work towards the level above you,” Smith said. “Also, I believe that your attitude in a competitive sports game shows your character, and it’s important for me to leave behind a good reputation and example.”
