Former ECC Champ Albrikes Competes at S.C. Tennis Academy
Mystic, CT – Will Albrikes, former two-time Eastern Connecticut Conference (ECC) singles champion, is currently honing his skills at the prestigious Smith Stearns Tennis Academy in Hilton Head, South Carolina. The decision to move from Fitch High School to the tennis academy full-time was made late in the process, just three days before it was due.
Striving for Collegiate Tennis
Albrikes, who is concluding his junior year, expressed that his move from Mystic, CT to Hilton Head, SC, a distance of over 900 miles, was a challenging decision to make. “It was hard. I knew I would miss my parents, my friends, the local support, and of course, Fitch,” he says. However, he believes it was a necessary step for his future ambitions. “I think I had to go if I wanted to play college tennis,” he adds.
Being part of the tennis academy requires rigorous work. Albrikes spends four hours daily playing tennis – two hours before school and two hours after. The training has certainly brought about observable improvements in his game. His universal tennis rating jumped from 7 to 8.82 this season, and Albrikes aims to hit 9.0 before the end of the season. His strokes were sturdy when he first joined the academy, but he realized he needed repetition to improve his fitness.
A Unique Learning Environment
Smith Stearns Tennis Academy is spearheaded by former world No. 1 singles player Stan Smith, who claimed victories at Wimbledon and the U.S. Open, and academy director B.J. Stearns. Albrikes finds the supportive environment at the academy to be the “perfect situation.”
In addition to training under esteemed tennis professionals, the academy’s amenities and its strategic location within Sea Pines Resort provide the students with an extraordinary training experience. “There’s a lot of clay down south,” Albrikes remarks about Sea Pines’ total of 21 clay courts and additional four hardcourts that the academy can access.
Despite facing new challenges and being away from home, Albrikes is grateful for his newfound opportunities and surroundings that continue to shape his tennis career.
Wrapping Up
Though he misses home, Albrikes talks to his mom and dad, Elizabeth and Jerry, daily. His father Jerry has had a successful career in tennis, and is a member of the USTA New England Hall of Fame. Albrikes admits that it was a risk leaving his dad as his coach, but believes that he made the right choice for his career progression. He emphasizes, “It was between staying with him or getting reps all day.”
