While Connor Wilcox was kind of born into tennis, he quickly discovered a passion and drive for the game that was uniquely his own. The standout Skyline No. 1 singles player is enjoying a strong start to his junior year with high expectations fueled by his desire to get better every time he steps on the court. “I was kind of born into tennis,” he says. “My mom played college tennis at Villanova, and my dad always loved it, and I have always loved the sport.
“I like tennis because I love to compete and especially in tennis, anyone can be competitive with anyone. I also love it because in the sport of tennis, perfection is nonexistent, there is always room for improvement and room to learn. No matter how good you are or where you started you can always learn, and I love learning.”
The Eagles have landed in the state finals the past three years and are two-time defending Regional champions. They finished 12th last year at the D-1 State Finals with 8 points, one point behind Huron and two points behind Pioneer.
Wilcox, only a sophomore at the time, lost a tough opening match to Catholic Central senior Justin Tran 6-4, 6-3 in the State Finals a year ago. It’s all part of the learning experience for Wilcox.
“I really like playing at the highest level in high school tennis,” he says. “I had some ups and downs last year but overall it was a great learning experience. I’ve made many new friends on other teams, and although I want to win every match I can play, I look forward to meeting up with those friends on match day.”
Wilcox says he’s a different player 12 months later. He’s improved his physical ability on the court, and his mental game on and off the court. “I also have improved my leadership skills, learning from the upperclassmen my past two years in high school,” he says. “Because I am an upperclassman now, I get a chance to put these skills to practice.”
And speaking of practice…
“I take lessons at a local academy and I love it,” he says of working on his game. “The experience I’ve had the past six or seven years at this academy is like none other. Each player as well as each one of the coaches is looking out for each other and pushing each other to constantly be a better player.”
One of the challenges of being a great tennis player is the mental side. Serena Williams once said, “A champion is defined not by their wins but by how they can recover when they fall.”
“When a match isn’t usually going my way, I try to switch things up,” he says. “Maybe go to the bathroom in between sets, change my racket, or sometimes a shirt. I do my best to reset my mind and only focus on the point in front of me.”
The Eagles hope to return to the State Finals for a fourth year in a row.
“The main goal for this year for me is to win states,” Wilcox says. “One of our team goals is to continue our winning streak at regionals for the third time, and making states in the process. One of our team strengths is our ability to bounce back after a match or day that didn’t go our way, and the fight we have to take down any team.”
Skyline Coach Zosia Casterline says as good as Connor is at tennis, he is by far a better teammate and invaluable member of the Skyline team.
“He leads by example, shares his knowledge of the game with teammates, and always supports his teammates during their matches,” Casterline said. “He embodies everything we are trying to build with the Skyline tennis program. He balances his competitiveness with the ability to joke and be a friend to teammates. He has also continued to build on his tennis game year after year and has grown into being a workhorse for the team. Now as an upperclassman, he continues to be a great example for our relatively young team and set a precedent that will last for years to come.”
Connor, 16, is the son of Colleen and Colin Wilcox. He has a 3.8 GPA and is a member of the World Cuisine Club and Deca at Skyline.
He plans on playing tennis in college – just like his mom. He has time to figure out where and time to get better every day and help lead the Eagles back to the state finals.
