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05/03/2018 12:00 AMSam Inchalik grew up in a tennis family, and so he brought quite a pedigree to the boys’ tennis team at Guilford High School. In his final season with the Indians, Sam is making his family proud, as well as his teammates and coach, with his performance on the court.
Sam was raised in a family of tennis aficionados and then started playing the sport when he was encouraged to join the Indians by some of his friends on the squad. Sam worked his way up the ranks, and now he’s teaming up fellow senior captain Michael Hooker as Guilford’s No. 1 doubles duo this year. The tandem has a record of 5-0 for the Indians, who are 10-0 on the campaign.
“My freshman year, I had influences from around the team that helped bring me into the sport, and all of us on the team this year love the sport a lot,” says Sam, who’s in his second season as a captain. “Michael and I click very well, and our friendship carries over to the court, which allows us to play well together.”
When it comes to playing doubles, Sam enjoys being in the center of the action by swarming the net. He also likes how being a doubles player gives him a chance to experience the camaraderie of the sport firsthand.
“When I play doubles, I really love playing around the net,” Sam says. “I also love that you play with a teammate. Playing with someone in tennis makes it truly feel like a team sport.”
Having a year as a captain under his belt, Sam came into this season ready to make sure his teammates were prepared and focused every day. Sam loves leading the team and providing his fellow Indians with a blueprint for success both on and off the court.
“Going into this year, I already had confidence, and it helped us start things on a positive note,” says Sam. “It’s great knowing you have teammates that care about you, and then you can be someone the guys can look up to and be a role model for.”
Sam brings a positive attitude to the Indians and considers it a dream come true to compete alongside his friends for his hometown high school. Sam adds that a pivotal point of his tennis career came in his sophomore season, when he shook off some of the anxiety that he experienced as a freshman.
“I’m just a happy person overall, and I’m playing tennis with my best friends. What’s not to like about that?” Sam says. “I felt a big jump from freshman to sophomore year. I got over my freshman nerves and felt more of a purpose on the team as a sophomore.”
Guilford Head Coach Rob Messer says that Sam not only embodies all the intangibles a coach wants to see in a tennis player, but also gives the Indians a big motivational boost in his capacity as a captain.
“Sam’s competitive spirit is infectious and is something that I see spreading throughout the team. He has a will to win and a drive that is tough to teach,” Messer says. “In his leadership role, Sam has the ability to really spark the team from outside the fence during big matches. In high-school tennis, it’s important to know that your team is there supporting you and fighting with you.”
The Indians are seeking their first state crown in four years and the program’s first berth in the SCC Tournament final this spring. Sam believes that both of those goals are attainable, and he also wants to finish his high-school career by collecting some personal hardware.
“For myself, I would love to win a state title in doubles this year. It might be a long shot, but it could happen,” says Sam. “As a team, we want to win SCCs and then either win or at least finish runner-up at states.”