Photo courtesy of Nate Swanson
Jacob Eldridge is a class of ’26 computer science major and has played tennis for Covenant College the past four years. Eldridge graduates this May, and he plans on taking Covenant’s Master’s Program in Teaching. I took some time this week to ask him about his time on the team.
When did you start playing tennis? What interested you in the sport?
(What was your highschool experience playing like, etc.)
“I started playing tennis when I was around 8 or 9 and continued
playing until middle school. I took a break for a while but picked it
back up again to play on my high school team. I remember enjoying
being a part of a team far more than I did club tennis, which is what
led me to pursue playing here at Covenant.”
What’s one insane match played in or watched that you’ll remember
forever, and why?
“I remember playing a kid in our conference who smashed his racquet
after I won, and I don't think I'm going to forget that anytime soon.”
What’s a part of college tennis people don’t see or appreciate enough?
“The people. I think the biggest part of what makes a college team work
is if teammates are thinking of tennis as an individual sport, or if
they really lean into being part of a team. At Covenant, we are united
by more than just our love for tennis. We are united in Christ, and
every single one of us on the team believe that we are called to serve
one another as Christ first served us. And it really helps when we
have coaches like [John] Hirte and Renato [Mizutani] who live that out everyday.”
What’s the toughest mental challenge you’ve had to overcome on the court?
“Injuries. I've had quite a few injuries over my tennis career, and its
tough getting back into things when you're playing worried you might
make things worse.”
What is the team’s pre-match routine and has it changed over the years?
“House music. This year we started playing house music before and after
every match, and I think it gets most of us dialed in while throwing
our opponents off a little.”
What are team tradition(s) or inside joke(s) that defines the team
this year or years past?
“We started putting a hand up in someone's face after they got flamed by
someone, but it turned into just doing it whenever we saw anyone at
anytime.”
What do you plan to do once you’ve graduated, and what’s something
you’ve learned from tennis that you’ll carry into life after college?
“I plan on teaching computer science at Silverdale Baptist Academy next
August. And from tennis I've learned how to lean into the pressure.
When I've faced different stressful situations off the court, I can
remember back to all the times I was able to perform even when things
got tough, and that helps me get back into that same mindset I've had
to put on so many times on court. In addition, I've also learned that
God is faithful to us even when the results don't go the way we want,
and that He'll give us the strength we need when we really need it
the most.”
Photo courtesy of Nate Swanson.