Matt Kim ’18 is the Boys’ Varsity Cross-Country captain, number TK on Boys’ Varsity Tennis, and going to Amherst College next year. In his final term at Choate, Kim has been downright dominant on the tennis courts and he is a big reason that Boys’ Varsity Tennis has a 5-3 record at this point in the season. He was kind enough to sit down with reporter Greer Goergen ’21, and talk about how he got started in tennis, his goals for the future, and his favorite things about the tennis team at Choate.
Greer Goergen: How long have you been playing tennis?
Matt Kim: I started in the fifth grade, so about nine years I’d say.
GG: What inspired you to start playing tennis?
MK: I don’t think anything inspired me. I was just trying out different sports when I was younger, and then I tried tennis with one of my close friends from home, and I ended up really liking it. I thought it was a fun sport, so I decided to keep playing it.
GG: Do you play other sports?
MK: At Choate, I run cross country in the fall, but I play other sports with my friends, like soccer and basketball.
GG: Do you have any personal goals for this tennis season?
MK: Right now, I would say first off make it to New Englands, and then after we do that, which I’m pretty sure we are going to do, place top three or maybe two in New England’s.
GG: What is your favorite thing about playing tennis and playing on the Choate team?
MK: My favorite thing about playing tennis would probably be the independence. It’s a very independent sport. It’s tough at times, and you have to focus mentally and physically, and you’re all by yourself, which is also the fun part of it. My favorite about tennis at Choate is being part of the team because you have other people there to support you. Especially after I finish my match, one of my favorite parts of the overall match is going to support my other teammates who are playing and cheer for them when they’re on the court because I think that’s an important part of being a part of any team.
GG: What lessons have you learned from playing tennis?
MK: To always be confident and believe in yourself because when you doubt yourself, you start missing shots and not playing as you should. You just always need to believe in yourself and never second guessing your decisions.
GG: What are your future goals for tennis?
I’m already into college, but I hope to play in college. I want to walk onto the tennis team at Amherst. I’m also just going to continue to play for the rest of my life because I think it is a really great sport.
GG: Do you think tennis has changed you at all?
MK: Yeah, I think it’s taught me a lot of lessons that I can take into other parts of my life. It has really taught me a lot about independence and focus. Also, off the court, you have to take care of your body and make sure you’re not doing things that will harm you on the court. Preparation is just as important as the actual playing.
GG: What is the most difficult thing for you about tennis? Why?
MK: There are a lot of things, but I would probably say staying consistent. All players have off days and on days and what’s difficult for me is putting that into perspective. If I have a bad day one day, I have to be like “Ok this happened, and it sucked, all players go through slumps and you just have to work hard and bounce back.”
