After losing his dad and his love for tennis, Lakeview's Renker is back in the game

In singles tennis, you are out on the court alone. No teammates. Winning or losing a point depends on you.

Lakeview senior Xander Renker understands this. Now, more than ever.

In past years, Renker would play his matches alone, like all of his opponents. But in the tough moments, he could always look over to the sidelines and see his dad, who had coached him his entire life, and he wouldn't feel alone as he looked for support or a tip to get him through a match.

Out of habit, he still looks to the sidelines for his dad. But he's no longer there.

Xander's father, Corey Renker, died unexpectedly last April at the age of 48. A former tennis pro at Minges Creek Athletic Club, Corey was the reason Xander finds himself on a tennis court most days – as the two bonded over the sport.

He still finds it hard to talk about how things are different now.

"I don't like to think about it too much. I'm not completely over it and I wonder if I ever will be," Xander said. "I am still working through some stuff. But I'm hanging in there.

"The hardest part of it all is not being able to talk to him about tennis, like what is going on. Talk to him about games, talk about matches. I can't talk to him after to get his opinion on what's going on out there."

MORE: Young Spartans take another All-City boys tennis title

Xander won the All-City title at No. 1 singles earlier this fall and has helped Lakeview reach a No. 10 ranking in Division 2 in the state.

But for much of the summer, Xander didn't know if he was even going to play this season without his dad there to support him.

"I kind of lost my love for tennis," Xander said. "We had bonded over tennis. He was my coach and my dad, so I wasn't sure if I was going to continue playing after he died. Because of what we had together, there were just too many memories.

"But now I'm trying to find that love again."

He has worked through the process with his teammates as he added, 'I'm out here for them. They are why I'm playing this year.'

"I had heard through the grapevine that he might not play tennis this year," Lakeview coach Jeff VanDis said. "So I had him come over, so we could have a long talk about it. He told me he wasn't enjoying tennis anymore. It wasn't fun for him anymore. He said he might play football instead, just to do something different.

"I told him to take some time, take some time away. I told him, I was going to support him no matter what he did. I said, we would love for you to play tennis, but not to feel any pressure to do so. I just wanted the kid to be happy. I didn't know if he was going to come back, but the first day of practice he was there."

VanDis is on the sidelines for all of his players to chat with in between points, or whenever they need. But he knows he can't take the place of Xander's dad in that role.

"Losing your father, I can't imagine what he has gone through," VanDis said. "His dad was a tremendous guy. I knew him as a tremendous coach at Minges Creek all of those years.

"His dad taught him the game. He had a love for the game through his dad. So now, he is going through some moments now where he has had some success or has had some struggles, and you know he would like to look over and see his dad sitting there next to the court, and he's not there. That's really tough."

Yet Xander still feels his dad's presence on the court. That has been somewhat of a comfort as he works his way back into the game he grew up with.

"Playing is when it is the toughest, that's when I think about him most," Xander said. "But I kind of talk to him about points when I'm out there. I look over and see my mom and where he used to sit next to her, and I know he is there somewhere. I just can't see him."

Xander, now playing No. 2 singles for Lakeview, is a team captain and finished as league champion in his flight at the Southwestern Michigan Athletic Conference Tournament. He will help lead the Spartans into the regionals this week as the squad hopes to qualify for the MHSAA State Finals.

Before the tragedy in his life, he had visions of maybe playing tennis at the college level, but he has put that aside for now. He said he might get back into playing baseball this spring, as he did when he was younger. For now, he is just focusing on his final matches of his senior season and then he will see what happens next.

"This season, I just wanted to get back out there and show everyone I am good. Show that I am OK emotionally," Xander said. "He taught me this game and being back out there and doing well is a credit to him and what he taught me.

"Me playing this year is a representation of what he crafted. So I want to represent the skill of what he taught. And I am playing this season as a tribute to him."

Bill Broderick can be reached at bbroderi@battlecreekenquirer.com. Follow him on Twitter: @billbroderick.

This article originally appeared on Battle Creek Enquirer: Losing his dad, his love for tennis, Spartans' Renker back on the court