In baseball, they call it the amazing feeling one gets when the wood bat connects with the ball. Golf can produce that same magic when a full swing drives the golf ball down the middle of the fairway. And tennis players experience it every time they hit that perfect shot – especially an ace.
For Aarith Veerabhadran, that feeling of impact on the tennis ball would impact the rest of his young life – and probably beyond. “I first got into tennis through a couple of weeklong camps in 5th grade, and I remember enjoying the feeling of racket on ball, and how satisfied I got whenever I made a shot.”
As Pioneer’s No. 2 singles player, Veerabhadran still enjoys the feeling of racket on ball and improving every time he steps on the tennis court. And it’s that drive to improve that really drives him today.
“I take lessons and belong to both Liberty Athletic Club and Racquet Club of Ann Arbor and I really like it,” he says. “Lessons make me feel like I am constantly improving, and the club gives the sport a nice sense of community in the off-season, even if I’m not doing too many matches.”
Now a senior, Veerabhadran is focused on finishing his tennis career on a high note and playing a big part in his team’s success at the state finals. “I feel like I’ve improved overall as a player,” he says. “All of my strokes and movements feel much smoother and more powerful than last year.”
Last year, Veerabhadran played four singles. “While I am still playing singles, the jump from 4 to 2 is pretty extreme, and I’m still trying to improve,” he says. “I liked 4 singles. It’s considered one of the more ‘boring’ flights in high school tennis — you get a lot of people there who are really consistent but can’t hit the ball too hard.”
Last year’s highlights included ending with the best record on the team and winning his flight at Regionals.
His desire to learn and improve helped him deal with the challenges and pressure of playing in a State Finals.
“State Finals is a big test of community, there’s often only 1 or 2 flights on at any moment so we really have to support them with all we’ve got,” he says. “We had a few flights make it to the quarterfinals (myself included), with our 3 doubles (my brother’s flight) upsetting the 4 seeds to make the semifinals. It can be hard to play so many high stakes matches in a day, but after two of these finals I’ve gotten better at it and hope that I can do something at states this year.”
The D-1 State Finals are Oct. 17-19 at Byron Center and Grand Rapids South Christian with the D-1 Regionals begining Wednesday (Oct. 9).
The Pioneers finished ninth at last year’s State Finals. At four singles, Veerabhadran had a bye and then won 6-1, 6-1 over Troy Athens before falling 6-2, 6-4 to Bloomfield Hills.
Tennis also comes with the mental side of the court that players face during a match. Veerabhadran serves up a unique way of dealing with it. “It all comes down to fake confidence,” he says. “If you can convince yourself that you should be winning a match, you don’t ever count yourself out.”
The goal is usually the same for Pioneer, one of the most successful tennis programs in the state. “Winning states is always something we want to do, but I think regionals is a huge goal that is within our grasp this year and would help us get some massive momentum for states,” Veerabhadran said.
And this team is built for success.
“We have strong team spirit, everyone is always cheering for their teammates whenever they can,” Veerabhadran says. “Everyone is always striving to improve, to the point that sometimes we are overcritical of our losses, but I think for the most part we have a healthy approach to losses.”
Aarith, 17, is the son of Upali Nanda and Veera Baladandayuthapani. He serves up a 4.0 GPA in the classroom and is a member of the Pioneer orchestras, Pioneer GIDAS, Pioneer HOSA and Pioneer Encore. He enjoys music, research and neuroscience.
“I do really want to play tennis in college, but it’s so competitive that I’d just have to see where I make the cut,” he says. “No matter what, though, I know I’ll be playing.”
And improving every time he steps on the court.
Photos by Terry Jacoby
