McDowell tennis player Christian Neubert uses prosthetic hand, works his way into lineup
Starting high school can be a challenge for any student.
For Christian Neubert, one of the challenges was more physical than emotional.
The McDowell freshman was born without a left hand, and Neubert long ago learned to live with that disability. Overcoming and adapting to it is something he said he almost relishes at this point.
Neubert, though, is like most teenagers in another regard.
He doesn't always immediately heed – or want to heed – advice from his parents, Amy and Dan Neubert.
Before last November, Christian Neubert hadn't worn the prosthetic left hand he eventually used for serving as a member of the Trojans' boys tennis team.
Instead, Neubert would tuck his racket's face underneath his left armpit. He'd toss the ball excessively high with his right hand, grab the racket handle with that same hand, and then hit the ball with the hope it somehow landed in the proper serving box.
“We signed up Christian for lessons at Westwood (Racquet Club),” Amy Neubert said. “It was always awkward to see him tuck his racket that way when he served. We'd ask if he thought about getting a prosthetic. He'd say no, and I'd say, 'OK, just let me know.' We'd ask again about a prosthetic. He'd say no, and I'd say, 'OK, just let me know.'
“Finally, (instructor) Rick Sertz asked him during a lesson one day if he ever thought about getting a prosthetic. Christian comes home and says, 'Hey, Mom! Coach said I could probably improve my game if I got a prosthetic!' We called the Shriners (Hospital for Children in Erie) and sure enough, they fixed him up for what he wears now for matches.”
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Christian Neubert said the prosthetic he chose was actually designed for pitching a baseball.
“But I decided to try it out anyway,” he said. “We tweaked it a little bit here and there, but here we are. There's still a ton of work to be done, but it's only up for me.”
Late starter, fast learner
The lack of a left hand didn't deter Neubert from trying other sports as he grew. Soccer and swimming were among his other athletic pursuits.
However, it was tennis that finally gained Neubert's full attention as a seventh-grader.
“There was a middle school program run by (McDowell assistant coach Andrew) Heinlein,” he said. “I told some of my friends, 'Let's go do this! It could be fun!' Then, when I realized how fun it was, I decided to keep going. I got some lessons and played a lot more.”
Neubert was still listed at or near the bottom of McDowell's 12-player roster when the regular season started on March 25. However, thanks in part to the prosthetic – and successful challenge matches during practices – he steadily played his way up coach Richard Beck's depth chart as the season progressed.
By May, Neubert had improved enough to warrant a starting spot in doubles during the Trojans' postseason appearances. He played with fellow freshman Jace McAdams in the District 10 Class 3A doubles tournament.
The duo also started in No. 2 doubles when the Trojans beat Erie High 5-0 in the district's large-school team final on May 13. They defeated the Royals' John Sinnott and Joe Salamon 6-2, 6-1.
Neubert and McAdams also beat DuBois' John Miller and Aum Patel 6-3, 6-4 in the ensuing PIAA 3A subregion final that followed. Their initial varsity seasons ended when Shady Side Academy beat McDowell 4-1 during the first round of state play last Tuesday.
McAdams said he didn't know Neubert well off the court before this spring.
On the court, their shared game also took time to develop. Taking Neubert's prosthetic into account also was a factor.
“Christian is impressive because he's only been playing for a few years,” McAdams said. “We played a couple (practice) matches that didn't go too well, but then we started getting a little mojo. The one concession (we had) is that I tried to stay on same side of court so he could hit his forehand as much as possible. He's still trying to develop a one-handed backhand.
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“But other than that, it's been pretty normal.”
Beck said he had never coached a McDowell tennis player with a physical disability like Neubert's before this spring. The 2021-22 academic year marked Beck's 54th season in charge of the Trojans' male players and his 38th with their female players.
However, Beck sought to treat Neubert no differently from any other player he's worked with while at McDowell.
“He's a great kid and he's very coachable,” Beck said. “He's got a great attitude, he wants to learn and he wants to become better. Whether he's got a handicap or not, those attributes are why it's nice to have him on the team.”
As for Sertz, he announced during the district's team tournament that he'll resign as Fairview's boys tennis coach upon the conclusion the PIAA singles and doubles tournament over Memorial Day weekend at Hershey Racquet Club. He's coached the Tigers since 1999 and was with them for their appearance in this weekend's PIAA Class 2A team tournament, which also was at Hershey.
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Sertz said he hadn't seen Neubert in action much this spring because of his Fairview coaching duties. But even he admitted to being surprised at the progress his former student made with the 2022 Trojans.
“McDowell has so many good athletes that I didn't know if Christian would get a chance to play. I mean really play,” Sertz said. “He'd be a good jayvee kid in my mind. But lo and behold, he worked his way into second doubles.
“So, yeah, it's an amazing thing.”
More to come
Expect to see Neubert out and about on Erie County courts this summer. He said he played three times per week in order to improve, so he doesn't plan to slack.
“Honestly, it feels great to have all this (work) pay off and get something out of what I've put into this sport,” Neubert said.
And, advice or no advice, Amy Neubert will back him all the way.
“Every day, he amazes me,” she said. “Every day, he shows us all what we can do. You can't count him out of anything. I've learned that.”
Contact Mike Copper at mcopper@timesnews.com. Follow him on Twitter @ETNcopper.
This article originally appeared on Erie Times-News: Prosthetic allows McDowell freshman Neubert to work into tennis lineup
