Most athletes enter their second season of high school sports ready to thrive in a familiar environment with one year of competition already under their belt. That’s exactly what’s happening for Eddie White, a sophomore who is flourishing as both a top singles player and a captain for the Haddam-Killingworth boys’ tennis team this spring.

Eddie started playing tennis at age four. His dad had walked him out on to the court a year prior, and Eddie started playing the sport shortly thereafter. It was difficult for Eddie to fully invest himself in tennis after he decided to also play baseball in elementary school.

Eddie bounced between the two sports for a while, but ultimately decided to stick with the racquet over the bat as he entered middle school. Eddie’s immediate connection to tennis at a young age sparked a deep desire to continue playing the sport.

“My dad was always interested in putting me in tennis. He took me out on to the tennis court when I was three years old, and I just kind off started to love it myself after a little,” says Eddie. “As I got older, it began to become more and more fun.”

Before he started representing the Cougars on the court, Eddie had a lot to learn about tennis while playing the sport in middle school. Eddie knew that it would be difficult to improve at a rapid enough pace to get prepared for the high school level, and he sometimes grew frustrated when things weren’t going his way. However, Eddie’s mindset changed once he met H-K Head Coach Rod Pakus and the athletes on the boys’ tennis team.

“I just realized I only play worse when I get upset, so I just need to forget about it and have the memory of a goldfish almost and just not think about it,” Eddie says. “Even though I do get annoyed sometimes, I really try my best to do my best for teammates and be a good role model to other people who may be watching me. I take pride in my attitude on the court, which is a big difference from when I was younger, because I struggled with that.”

Heading into his sophomore season, Eddie was selected as one of H-K’s captains alongside senior Joey Mercier. Eddie felt honored to named a captain as a sophomore and is setting a good example for his teammates with the grit and determination that he displays on the court.

Eddie posted a regular-season record of 10-5 while seeing time at No. 1 and 2 singles and No. 1 doubles this year. While the wins haven’t come easy for the Cougars, they’ve battled hard in every match, and Eddie feels proud of how they performed throughout the season.

Head Coach Rod Pakus credits Eddie for playing a major role in the growth of his teammates, while providing exemplary leadership for everyone on the Cougars’ roster.

“Eddie has a real sense of maturity beyond his years and a good preparation. He has a good foundation in tennis, so it’s not as if one has to lead him,” says Pakus. “He’s more than willing to share his knowledge. He’s an assistant coach.”

Eddie’s connections with his teammates are helping him thrive in the captain’s role this season. Eddie’s relationship with Bryce Leiberman, another key member of H-K’s singles lineup, goes back further than their time with the program, and he was excited to finally get the chance to play with the freshman this year. Despite being underclassmen, the two of them are serving as pillars of support for their fellow Cougars.

“He is a great leader, too. He’s done such a great job of helping me make all of the other players better,” Eddie says of Leiberman. “They would probably say I do my very best to uplift them and, during practice, I always do my best to help them.”

Eddie’s teammates have made his transition into high school tennis that much easier. After playing the sport for most of his life, Eddie had no hesitations about joining the H-K boys’ tennis team, because he knew that the guidance of his teammates would help him become a better player.

“I was able to walk on and build a relationship with my teammates and do my best to make them their best self, while I do my best to make myself my best self,” says Eddie. “I really like all of the players. They’re all really kind to me, and they’ve helped me through times I haven’t been doing very well.”

While he was hoping to see H-K earn a few more victories, Eddie still has many positive takeaways from his second campaign with the program. After encouraging his teammates all season, Eddie feels motivated to keep growing as both a player and a leader. Eddie is ready to carry that attitude into the latter half of his career with the Cougars, while continuing to enjoy a sport the loves like no other.

“The feeling of getting better and seeing myself improve, it’s such a satisfying thing and it just makes me happy to be out there,” Eddie says. “It’s motivating when I win and motivating to lose in a way, as well, because you just want to work harder. Every time I lose, I try to work a little harder in the next match.”