Noah McDonald’s decision: play Charlotte Country Day tennis or pursue college dreams

He’s one of the state’s top tennis players, but you won’t find Noah McDonald’s name in the high school results this spring.

McDonald is missing his junior season at Charlotte Country Day after facing the difficult decision that many top-tier high school athletes deal with – balancing health concerns, commitment to the team, and the future.

“It was a super-hard decision,” McDonald said one recent afternoon, sitting at a table near the school’s tennis courts and watching the Buccaneers practice.

“Not being out there for that first match was really tough,” said McDonald, part of a state championship doubles team a year ago. “Those guys are my friends. I root for them. This was a hard decision.”

Many top-level basketball players have left their high schools for national-level elite teams in recent seasons. Ardrey Kell girls’ soccer standout Taylor Suarez missed several weeks of her high school season a year ago to compete with a national team.

Higher level athletes often find themselves with too many options. That was the case for Noah McDonald.

A tough decision

McDonald, 17, is a five-star college prospect, according to several recruiting analysts. He’s been ranked as high as No. 1 in his age group in North Carolina and in the top 20 nationally.

He has a powerful serve and strong stroke and last July reached the quarterfinals in his age group at the National Clay Court Championships in Delray Beach, Florida.

He was looking forward to the fall season and then revving it up again this spring with his school team and at regional tournaments.

But a stiff and swollen knee sent him to the doctor after the Florida event, and he was diagnosed with patellar tendinitis.

The injury caused McDonald to take a second look at his training routine and tournament schedule.

“I had to learn how to take care of myself better, doing the therapy, stretching, and working on leg muscles,” he said.

The knee is fine now, but McDonald said he wants to keep it that way.

So when it came time for the spring season at Charlotte Country Day, McDonald gave it long thought.

“I’ve really enjoyed playing under (coach) Calvin Davis here,” he said. “And I really like playing with the team.”

But McDonald said team policy is that players must participate in all practices and matches.

“I totally understand that,” he said. “If you’re on a team, that’s the way it should be.”

“But I also wanted to play in several tournaments this spring,” he added. “Given what happened with the knee last year, I didn’t want to overdo it this early.”

McDonald’s mother, Kim Anderson-McDonald, said she and her husband, Eric, talked to their son about the decision.

“I was disappointed that he didn’t play (with the school team),” she said. “But I understand where he’s coming from.”

Instead, McDonald has attended some of the Buccaneers’ matches and prepared for a schedule of regional amateur tournaments. He is aiming for a big finish at this year’s National Clay Court Championships.

“When Noah sets his sights on something, he really goes after it,” his mother said.

The dining room wall

It’s been that way since Noah was 5 years old. His father encouraged him to try different sports.

Noah played soccer and basketball. He swam competitively. He even tried ice hockey.

But tennis was the thing for him.

“I liked watching it on TV,” he said. “And I would hit balls for hours and hours in the dining room.”

“Ah, yes,” Kim Anderson-McDonald said with a laugh. “The dining room.”

Eric McDonald stretched blue painters’ tape across the bottom of the wall in the formal dining room, about 36 inches above the baseboard.

“Noah would practice his volleys in that room – hitting ball after ball against that wall,” Kim said. “The wall took a beating.”

Noah took lessons at Blakeney Racquet Club, then studied under coaches Nino Suca and Chris Hoshour at Olde Providence Racquet Club.

He played his first major tournament at age 11, on a shorter court.

“I kept hitting out of bounds,” he said. “So my coaches moved me to a full court, and I won a championship. I was so strong that I needed to be on a full court.”

A family affair

Then came the travel.

“We’re not wealthy people,” Kim Anderson-McDonald said. “It took a lot for us to get Noah to all these tournaments. There was – and continues to be – a lot of travel. But he loves the sports, and we support him.”

Noah McDonald said he is aware that there are not many black players on the junior tennis circuit. But he said it is not an issue for him, that he has plenty of friends.

His mother said, “My husband and I grew up in a very different time. Noah has bonded with friends, and race hasn’t been an issue.

“But Noah knows that in a draw of 64 players at a national tournament, he might be one of maybe two black kids.”

Noah said he knows there is work to do – making sure there are no repeats of the knee issue, along with improving his second serve and doing a better job of finishing volleys at the net.

“He has a tremendous work ethic,” his mother said.

If everything goes right, he could be on the court with his school again next spring.

“I’ve got to work myself back to that point,” he said. “That’s my goal right now.”

Steve Lyttle on Twitter: @slyttle