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06/22/2017 12:00 AMTennis runs in the family for Kevin Baldwin. Kevin’s grandfather Michael and his dad David have been members of the Old Saybrook Racquet Club for many years, and that’s where Kevin first played before joining the Valley Regional boys’ tennis team. In his junior season this spring, Kevin held down the No. 4 singles spot for the Warriors and finished with a 10-5 record that included a victory in the 3-5 singles bracket at the Shoreline Conference Championship.
Even though his family has a history on the tennis court, Kevin had never thought of playing competitively prior to his freshman year at Valley. Kevin was looking for a spring sport, he knew a handful of players who were going out for the team, and so he decided to join them. One of the reasons why tennis appealed to Kevin was because of the matches that he played with his grandfather. Those experiences showed Kevin that tennis is a sport he can play for the rest of his life, even if it is just for fun.
“I’ll still go out and play with my grandpa and play a few points and work on ground shots,” says Kevin, a Deep River resident who also plays soccer for the Warriors. “He’s got some good wisdom. It’s been great to play with him over the years. I’ve learned a lot from him.”
Kevin will need to tap into some of that wisdom next season, when he will make a big jump by moving from the No. 4 singles position to the No. 2 spot for the Warriors. Although the bump up will be a challenge, Kevin relishes the chance to play against stiffer competition.
“I’m excited to be playing at such a high level,” Kevin says. “They’re all very talented tennis players at the No 2. I’m excited about the challenge, and I know it will make me a better player.”
Bunny Logan, who’s been Kevin’s head coach the past few seasons, feels confident that he can handle moving up a couple of spots. That’s because Logan has seen firsthand how diligently Kevin works on improving his game.
“Kevin will be good next year playing the number No. 2. He’s a hard-working kid,” says Logan. “I think he’ll do pretty well no matter what position he plays.”
There were many times this season where Kevin proved how hard work pays off, but the best example of that came during a match against Morgan. The Huskies were better this season than they had been in years past, according to Logan, and they caught the Warriors off-guard in teams’ matchup. While it became apparent that Valley was not going to be victorious that day, Kevin continued to fight tooth and nail in a three-set marathon match that he won by the final of 6-3, 6-7, 7-5.
“Kevin won his first set, but then lost the second set in the tiebreaker. Then Kevin won in the third set that ended up going 7-5,” Logan says. “It was very long, and everyone else on the team was done. He played for well over two hours, and he was determined to win.”
The Warriors grew accustomed to seeing Kevin deliver those type of gritty performances, and that’s one of the reasons why he was voted into a captain’s position for next season. Kevin says that this focus will be to keep his teammates positive, so that they don’t lose trust in themselves.
“Tennis is a big mental sport. Hopefully, as a captain I can help the team with that,” he says. “A big thing is making sure the players believe in themselves and keep confident on the court, so they can play at the highest level.”
Kevin will need to keep up his own confidence level when facing some of the more skilled players in the Shoreline Conference next year. Kevin says that his matchups at practice against Valley’s No. 1 singles player Jeff Riggio elevate his game.
“Playing alongside someone like Jeff, he’s very passionate about tennis and he knows a lot about it,” Kevin says. “It’s nice to learn from him. It’s great to play against him, even though he beats me.”
Kevin has also twice received the Sportsmanship Award as a member of the Warriors. Logan praises Kevin for his exemplary conduct during both practices and matches.
“He’s serious at practice, but if he doesn’t get the practice person he wants to play with, he’ll play with anyone,” says Logan. “He was serious, and that’s why he got so much better. When he got bumped up to a higher competitive spot, he would just go and do his best. He’s a pleasure to be around.”
Kevin is thankful to have worked with Logan. Kevin feels that Logan has been integral to his success and he marvels at her ability to coach kids who are unfamiliar with tennis and are getting their first experience on the court with the Warriors.
“She’s really great for people picking up a racquet for the first time as a freshman,” says Kevin. “She works with them to teach them the fundamentals and then integrate them into the team, so they can play at a high level.”
Logan recently announced her retirement, and so Kevin knows that it will be more important than ever for Valley’s athletes to stay close with a new person at the helm next spring. Kevin says he will do whatever he can to ensure that everyone on the squad sticks together.
“We need to keep up the pasta parties and types of things that bring the team closer together and boost morale,” says Kevin. “We’re not a large team, but I like to think we’re are a tight-knit group. If we can make sure we keep that up, that would be a good for the team.”