With the powerful sun shining in his squinting eyes, senior Niklas Hagenbeck tries his best to focus on the ball. Sometimes it’s hard for him when he’s so far from his home, Germany, and when he is thinking about how different tennis is in Kansas.
As German foreign exchange student, Hagenbeck is a part of the No. 1 doubles team and is No. 2 singles, closely following junior Jeff Stevens. One major difference is the surface they play on. In Kansas the courts are concrete and in Germany they are clay.
“It feels strange playing on concrete, but I feel like I can move quicker,” Hagenbeck said. “It’s a big adjustment though.”
By the looks of it, Hagenbeck has been having success, winning his most recent singles match against Blue Valley.
“It was a tough match,” Hagenbeck said. “But I pulled through because I believe I had a stronger mental game than my opponent.”
Hagenbeck’s mental game has become apparent to other players too, displaying leadership and knowledge.
“Nik really is set apart from the team sometimes just because of his work ethics,” No. 1 singles player, junior Jeff Stevens said. “It probably has something to do with him being German.”
Hagenbeck uses his leadership skills on and off the court, becoming friends with all, encouraging all his teammates and assisting the more novice players with their technique.
Hagenbeck’s technique has scored him a 2nd place title at a quad tournament at Leavenworth, six wins in doubles, and only three losses to Missouri teams. He hopes to improve more on individual skills and ultimately place at State with his partner, Stevens.
Hagenbeck and Stevens along with the rest of the tennis team are looking for more support. The tennis team plays next on Thursday, April 12 when it take on the BVNW Huskies.