College – Issue 30

MAJOR PRIZE WINNERS Sportsmen of the Year

Connor Heap

Connor Heap

world. However he understands that the average age of the top tennis players is 28, and knows he has to be patient. He sees it as a job, says his mother Michele McMaster. “His strengths are his persistence and his self-belief,’’ she says. “He never gives up even when he drops a set. He just seems to go to another gear – in fact he seems to get better under pressure. He also plays a clever game, playing to his opponent’s weaknesses which he seems to suss out early in the game. He focuses fully and says he is not aware of anything other than what is happening inside the four lines of the court. While he was in Year 12, Connor had stress fractures in his back and

was unable to play tennis for nearly a year. He also sustained a shoulder injury at the same time. ‘”It was not an easy time for him as tennis was so much a part of his life, yet he was able to bounce back and after a year, he was right back at the top of his game.’’ Connor is really keen to get to Berkeley as he will be in a situation where he will have tennis coaching on tap seven days a week, she says. “Berkeley was keen to have him because, in comparison with other US or international players, he has had little coaching and training. In the US, they have so much coaching there is often little more coaches can do to lift a player’s game. Connor has also made it clear he wants to be a

Connor began playing tennis seriously when he was six, and now practises on the court for 12 to 14 hours a week, as well as a further six or seven hours a week off court. During the tennis season, he flies to regional fixtures throughout the country where he plays mostly against professional players, many of whom are current or former Davis Cup team members. “Some of the practice was early in the morning, but luckily was largely after school,’’ says Connor. “It got tough when the tennis season was in full swing and I was juggling that with study and exams. I was usually away three days a week so it took its toll trying to keep up.’’ When Connor went to overseas tournaments, he was often the only player of his age who was a full-time school student – most other competitors have been in academies or their schooling is by correspondence. Connor’s long-term aim is to be one of the top 50 tennis players in the

“His strengths are his persistence and his self-belief. He never gives up even when he drops a set, he just seems to go to another gear - in fact he seems to get better under pressure...’’ Michele McMaster

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Christ’s College Canterbury

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