Junior Nolan Wong has been playing tennis and soccer for the majority of his life, starting at the ages of two and three, respectively. He appreciates both of these sports because he enjoys “having fun and being able to play,” he said.

In previous years, Wong has participated in club soccer since he was six, but this year offers a change with him quitting club to free up his schedule.

Wong found club soccer to be interesting, but he prefers high school sports because he is able to see his friends on the team outside of practices.

Despite playing midfield for his club team, Wong now plays winger for La Salle. With a typical soccer game lasting 90 minutes, Wong tends to play the duration of the game. 

For tennis, he is able to play year-round due to indoor and outdoor courts, with practice typically being “three to five times a week depending on the weather,” Wong said, with each game of tennis typically lasting one and a half to two hours.

When it comes to singles and doubles, Wong prefers singles.

“I get more dopamine in doubles,” he said; however, “I like [playing] singles better because I get to celebrate really loudly with the horn.” 

For his first year of high school, Wong participated in tennis and soccer for Adrienne C. Nelson High School. During his time there, he played on the junior varsity soccer team and varsity for tennis, even as a freshman.

“When I was a freshman, I definitely felt the pressure,” he said.

But as his experience increased through working with different kinds of players and play styles, that mounting pressure decreased, Wong noted, which he said made it easier for him to connect with his teammates.

Outside of soccer and tennis, Wong enjoys playing pickup basketball with his dad as well as playing piano and guitar. 

“Piano has just been part of my life since I was five,” Wong said.

Wong is involved in several extracurriculars, including the Asian American Pacific Islander Club, Key Club, National Honor Society, Jiujitsu Club, and submission grappling — a fast-paced combat sport.

Despite the range of his extracurriculars, Wong said that he’s able to manage all of them well without an effect on his school performance.

“I’m able to manage,” he said. “It’s not too much different, I guess, from outside of season because my parents are pretty flexible, so I get a lot of time outside of class with my teachers.”

Wong’s inspiration to start playing tennis was his dad, who grew up playing the sport for a majority of his life. Additionally, his grandpa played a lot of soccer, influencing Wong to play as well. 

He considers his role model for soccer to be Cristiano Ronaldo and Roger Federer for tennis.

Looking ahead at future goals for these sports, Wong wants to at least to get to the state semifinals next year for both. For tennis, he’s “hoping to take at least first or second place” in the doubles bracket and make it to state, he said.

When it comes to college, Wong said he likely won’t pursue tennis due to alumni from the team who recommend joining club instead.

Wong’s advice to newcomers in soccer and tennis is to learn how to simply dribble and pass. Working on the basics, like form, better technique, power, and awareness of the game, are easy ways to improve in tennis specifically, he explained.