Tennis, everyone? Why the game is booming at high schools across the Peoria area

PEORIA — Jade Fulk switched from one athletic court to another in her junior year at Limestone.

The varsity basketball player picked up a tennis racket for the first time last year, and now, down the stretch in her senior season, she has only one regret.

"I'm kicking myself that I didn't try this in my freshman year," she said last week at the Mid-Illini Conference girls tennis tournament. "I wish I had played tennis all along. I just love it."

And she's not alone, as girls tennis rosters have swelled at Limestone, Richwoods, Notre Dame, Dunlap and other programs around central Illinois.

A tennis growth spurt

Dunlap has a tennis lineup larger than some schools' football rosters. The Eagles had 70 boys out for tennis in the spring season. This fall, there were more than 45 girls out for the racket sport.

"And more on the way in the pipeline," tennis coach Pat Gornik said. "It's continuing to grow."

So much so that, for the first time ever, Gornik had to make cuts to his girls roster this season, and will likely have to do the same for the boys in the spring.

Off to state:Here are the 20 Peoria-area players headed to the IHSA girls tennis state finals

The Eagles' girls tennis program has 37 girls at all levels, from which 12 are drawn for the varsity.

In the past, Gornik had so many players he split his varsity squad and scheduled multiple opponents on the same day, sending one group against one foe and the other group against another opponent. But practices and developing players has become unwieldy with such big roster numbers.

"We have four coaches and nine courts to try to work with everyone," Gornik said. "I never thought we'd have to make cuts, but we're there now. Other teams are going to probably have to do likewise."

Richwoods boys and girls tennis coach Terry Cole has 36 girls in his program, of which 30 have competed in varsity matches this season.

"Sometimes our top players don't get as many matches as other teams, but we spread the competition around," Cole said. "We had a day where we had an eight-person lineup playing in Troy against Triad and O'Fallon, and 22 different players playing at two different locations in Peoria.

"Our junior varsity practices are true beginners, with 13 kids coached by me and assistant Jillian Kempan."

And a big surprise in the numbers game is Limestone, where coach Jen Kelly has presided over a tennis boom.

"We had 10 or 11 girls, just enough to have a team, when I started six years ago," Kelly said last week, while watching her players compete in the Mid-Illini championships at Pekin. "We had 19 last year, and this year we added 17 girls who never played tennis before. Ever.

"I wish I knew why it was happening because it's exciting. I think it's a lot of reasons."

Behind the prep tennis boom?

Richwoods' Cole says he's had just three players enter the program with strong tennis backgrounds.

"About 80% of our kids come in without any skills or equipment," Cole said.

So Richwoods tennis struck a deal with equipment provider Diadem, which saw the influx of inexperienced players on the roster and wanted to assist.

"They provide beginning players with quality equipment to help them grow faster as players," Cole said. "It works. This year we had a senior who worked about 10 hours a week over the summer, never had paid lessons as a junior player and finished second in the No. 4 singles slot in the Big 12 Conference.

"It's about offering kids a pathway to grow and compete."

COVID impacted the Richwoods tennis program, too. With sports shuffled and rescheduled by the IHSA in response to the pandemic, four volleyball and basketball players came over to try Richwoods tennis and made the team.

"My guess is, with us and over at Limestone, the rising numbers have something to do with the freedom tennis provides, too," Cole said. "Even in a controlled, hard practice there is a feeling of independence and a strong social bond that kids make with each other."

Cole said programs like Dunlap and Notre Dame are the gold standard, but "we're rising. Tennis is a life-long sport where you can go hit with your friends, socialize. And I can say in Limestone's case, the coaches run a program that appeals to kids. They are really growing.

More:Here are Peoria area's high school girls tennis players to know ahead of the 2022 season

"All these places, the programs they have are a reflection of the kids in them. At Richwoods, they are respectful and kind. Are among the top GPAs in the school. Kids want to be part of it."

These programs are a reflection of coaches who are passionate about tennis, too. It's no accident that Pat Lowder's Notre Dame tennis program shines. Or Cole's effort at Richwoods, Gornik's powerhouse program at Dunlap, quality programs like Metamora, under Brad Boeker, Morton with Molly Thompson, and others who are building.

"We started from scratch," Limestone's Kelly said. "We make the program fun, concentrate on team-building. We have a camp experience. We have a parents vs. kids challenge where they get to play each other, all designed to help them get to know the game and let them know we're there."

Gornick's Dunlap program works out at Clubs at River City, and has a summer camp — hosted by the players — that welcomes anyone who wants to pick up a racket and try the game, regardless of age or skill level.

He says it has helped introduce the game, and the program, to kids who then later opt to play in high school.

It works, too. The Eagles were Mid-Illini Conference champions Saturday, nearly sweeping the singles and doubles events.

Leah Meghrian and Sophie Muir teamed up to win the No. 2 doubles title. Emily Klemens and Alassea Michel dropped a three-set battle to Metamora tandem Carly Edwards and Brianna Bessert in No. 1 doubles. Shikha Agarwal won the No. 1 singles draw. Maya Baman won the No. 2 single bracket.

Washington, Metamora, Pekin all had players move deep into the brackets.

Notre Dame, under Lowder, and Richwoods, under Cole, will soon join the party as area teams move into IHSA state finals on Oct. 20-22 in suburban Chicago.

'Try something new'

Jade Fulk played varsity basketball at Limestone.

"I felt like I wanted to try something new," said Fulk, who finished fifth in No. 2 doubles with partner Katelyn Smith at the M-I Conference championships Saturday. "For the first few weeks, I learned the basics, and I really loved the game.

"It's such a great team camaraderie with these girls. It's been a great experience for me."

Dave Eminian is the Journal Star sports columnist, and covers Bradley men's basketball, the Rivermen and Chiefs. He writes the Cleve In The Eve sports column for pjstar.com. He can be reached at 686-3206 or deminian@pjstar.com. Follow him on Twitter @icetimecleve.

This article originally appeared on Journal Star: High school tennis boom: Why the game is growing at Peoria schools