Although relatively new to tennis, freshman Olivia Klein said she is already working to excel.

Klein plays tennis and volleyball, but views tennis as her main sport despite having played volleyball for two years, and tennis for only one.

Klein plays both sports for La Salle as a member of the girls JV2 volleyball team and the girls varsity tennis teams. Additionally, she plays for the club tennis team, Portland Athletic Club, as well as the club volleyball team, St. Mary’s, dedicating her time and energy to both competitive sports outside of school. 

She enjoys both school and club sports because of their different benefits, as club organizations provide the opportunity to meet new people, while at school, Klein explained, she can form long-lasting friendships.

“Club’s fun because you get to meet new people from other schools and just from different parts of Portland,” she said. For her, the chance to build friendships and connect with others are some of the most important aspects of playing sports.

She values the sense of community that comes with playing sports, especially through shared experiences like playing doubles tennis with junior Rissa Stone.

“My favorite thing about tennis is probably the people on my team,” she said. “You get to know people at your own school and create friendships.”

Her older sister is her greatest source of inspiration, as she first inspired Klein to try tennis, and supported her along the journey.

“She’s just always been a good role model. She has [a] good clothes style, she listens to good music, [and] I like the things she does,” Klein said. “She inspires me to do other things, like try new sports, for example.”

Her sister isn’t her only supporter, however. Klein said that her whole family encourages her and makes an effort to attend her games. She added that it helps keep her motivated and in a positive mood to play.

Klein’s advice to other athletes is to “look at the bright side,” she said. “It’s really important to keep yourself in a good mood.” 

Klein attributes her success to her positive mindset, especially since, according to her, doubles is more team-oriented and the energy is crucial.

“It really is just about mindset,” she said. 

One of her favorite things to do with her team is listen to music and discuss the game plan on the bus. It helps her focus and is overall a fun experience that builds community.

Although Klein appreciates all of her coaches, she especially admires German teacher and varsity girls tennis head coach David Lane because of how he communicates with the players, joking around, and contributing to the team’s positive culture.

“He always knows how to get you out of a bad mood,” she said. “If you’re in a bad mood, he’ll always try to tell a joke or something and just try to brighten your energy.”

With practice six times a week, balancing school and sports can be tough, yet Klein has learned to manage it. 

Klein said that not many of her classes have too rigorous of a workload and does her best to balance sports and school. “I’ll just try to get all my homework done so I don’t have to deal with that outside of school,” she said.

Klein is unsure of what she wants to pursue in the future, but is interested in the medical field. She has not put much thought into continuing to play sports in college, but said that there is always a possibility.

While she is not sure what the future holds, Klein strives to be a more consistent tennis player and to always be dependable for her teammates.