By David Schout
ALEX van de Steenoven and Michael Best are tennis players on the rise.
The two year 11 students have been selected to represent Victoria in the School Sports Australia championships starting Saturday.
After completing several rounds of trials, both boys were ecstatic when they got the call-up. “I was over the moon. I played pretty well [throughout the trials], so I was proud of myself,” Best said.
Van de Steenoven, who plays for Eildon Park Tennis Club, was initially surprised. “I actually didn’t think I would make the team and I did not expect the call,” he said.
The two 16 year olds will travel in a team of eight to Toowoomba, Queensland and pit their skills against some of the best under-18 boys in Australia.
Both boys will also be playing in the secondary schools state finals for Rowville Secondary College, an achievement for a school not noted for tennis.
This has increased their already busy tennis schedule, making it tough to juggle VCE studies. “This term is getting extremely hard to revise for tests and assessments. It is much more full on,” van de Steenoven said.
Best, who plays senior tennis for Dingley, school tennis and football for Rowville Football club, has also found the transition to VCE challenging.
“It has been pretty difficult. Some nights I will have four hours of training, and still have to do two hours of study when I come home.”
Still, both plan to finish year 12 studies, and harbour plans to win tennis scholarships in the US college system.
“My main goal [after school finishes] is to go to America. My dream college would be Loyola Marymount University in LA,” Best said.
Van de Steenoven does not mind. “I’m not picky on which college I’d like to attend. I would love to just get into the system.”
