By Rick Hinton
The competition and camaraderie found while being a player on a high school tennis team is an experience that will certainly carry over into the future. Center Grove High School junior – Ashlee Fisk – would agree, having found her niche and moment to shine during her school days. She is one busy girl!
“I play tennis almost every day,” Fisk stated. In addition to being a member of the Center Grove girls tennis team she is the treasurer of the student council for her class, participates every other week in Bible Club and has taken her place in the Honor Society. Having a sibling – seventh-grade brother Evan – also active in sports (baseball and tennis) only helps to keep her motivated. “We do clinics together at different times,” said Fisk, a member of a family with deep ties to competition. “My mom played (tennis) in high school and then college. That’s how I got introduced to the sport.”
As with any sport, competition is a key motivator. “There’s a very competitive side to me,” Fisk admitted. “Yes … I really get into the match.” However, it wasn’t always tennis. Before she settled into tennis she was involved in cheer (school and competitive). Around the sixth grade she had lost her initial enthusiasm, but continued on, nonetheless. By the eighth grade she’d made her decision – focus her attention on tennis solely. “It’s what I’ve done ever since,” she offered. Mother Lisa Fisk – a special education teacher – said, “I think what we enjoy the most is she’s been playing tennis since she was 4 years old and it’s become a family sport. The travel we do together is a lot of fun time we get to spend together. We make it a family event.”
These family events, beyond the high school realm, are required because Fisk is also involved with the USTA (United States Tennis Association), the country’s largest recreational tennis league. The USTA is a membership with many tournaments based upon your school level. Fisk travels roughly every other weekend to tournaments, not only in Indiana but also in Michigan, Illinois and Ohio. She truly plays tennis year-round! While the school season is in the spring months, there are the summer months she plays (five to six days a week) and winter (12 hours a week for indoor court time); the fall months taper off somewhat.
In May of her sophomore year Fisk was the last player to finish in Center Grove’s 5-0 sectional championship win over Whiteland, beating Sarah Scott 6-2. Her best memories center around the tennis court. “Making it to the Final Four last year,” she recollected. “That experience of going all the way through, getting the hard work done and getting the medal at the end was so rewarding!”
Lisa Fisk summed it all up: “It’s been really neat to see her accomplishments and the hard work start to pay off.”
THE FISK FILES
NAME: Ashlee Fisk
SPORT: Tennis
POSITION: Singles
YEAR: Junior
HEIGHT: 5 feet 4 inches
AGE: 16
HOBBIES/INTERESTS: Arts and crafts. “I also like to bake.”
FAVORITE MOVIE: Cheaper by the Dozen 2. “I know every word to that movie!”
FAVORITE TV SHOW: The Bachelor and The Bachelorette. “I really like the drama.”
COLLEGE PLANS: None presently but will involve the healthcare field. And tennis!
PARENTS: Brian and Lisa Fisk
