Some athletes like their sports, others love it. Some do their sport, others live it. Sam Leeman is a part of those who live and breathe their sport.
Leeman is a freshman on the girl’s varsity tennis team, but she’s no ordinary freshman, having shot up the ranks this season, becoming the girl’s second seed player.
Tennis is in Leeman’s bloodline.
“A lot of people in my family play tennis, like my mom and grandpa, so I started playing for fun when I was younger with them. Eventually, I started to really enjoy it and wanted to play it more seriously,” she said.
However, she recognizes that her mom has been her biggest motivation while pursuing the sport.
“She played tennis growing up and was also on the team, so I try to take after her,” she said. “Hearing about her being a great player and her being on the team motivated me to work harder so I could do the same.”
Leeman’s motivation is readily apparent to her teammates.
“Her biggest strengths are her positive attitude and determination. On the court she is a fierce competitor. Sam never fails to give it all her effort and bring her very best,” junior teammate Anika Reddy stated.
Senior captain Ella Mangene agrees with Reddy.
“She is really good at controlling the match and doing what needs done — winning,” Mangene said.
Leeman focuses on certain aspects of the game to prepare herself for each match.
“I try to focus most on what I can do to win each point,” she explained, “like what shots I’m going to try to hit, where on court do I want to hit them, do I want to more or play it a little safer, and so on.”
Leeman recognizes the importance of staying in the game mentally and strategically.
“It’s very important for me to think about constructing points and what I can do to beat my opponent because going out there and just hitting the ball isn’t enough for the majority of matches. Just focusing on staying present in the match is also important,” she added.
Sophomore captain Mia Kaufman, who is the number one seed on the varsity team, enjoys having Leeman as her doubles partner. The two will compete in the WPIAL doubles tournament.
“I love having Sam as my partner because she is always positive. Whenever we are down in the score, she does a great job of keeping both of our spirits up and never gives up,” Kaufman said.
This mentality makes Leeman a fierce competitor during matches.
“Samantha is a respectful, kind, and honorable player. She carries herself with confidence on the court and executes points gracefully. Playing her was one of my favorite matches of the season, and she is going to make a name for herself in the section!” said a North Hills varsity player who asked to remain anonymous.
Not only is she a force to be reckoned with, but Leeman is also a good teammate.
“Sam has such an uplifting and fun personality. She makes the bus rides so fun with her ability to make people smile and laugh,” Reddy stated.
Mangene agreed, stating that “she is a joy to be around.”
Leeman is only a freshman, and yet she has already changed the dynamic of the team. With her talent and personality, her teammates recognize that she is going to continue to grow over the years.
“She adds depth to our team and makes it much stronger. Number two player is a 50/50 toss up depending on the strength of the other team, and a line we hope to win. However, Sam changed this percent tremendously and has an amazing track record of wins,” Mangene said.
Reddy has no doubt that Leeman will continue to improve over the next three years.
“She’s only a freshman and already holds the number two spot on varsity and is on her way to compete at WPIAL doubles,” Reddy said.
Following her high school career, Leeman looks forward to playing in college.
“I would really like to go to Notre Dame,” she said. “It’s a great school and they have a very good tennis team, but that also means it’s going to be very tough to get into. But I don’t really know where I’ll end up. I just know I want to play.”
Leeman is extremely grateful for the experiences her team continues to give her, and she knows there are more to come. With WPIALs creeping up, she is ready to give it her all to do what is necessary — win.
