BOYS ‘TENNIS PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Mill Creek’ s Andre Izadi Sport

I think he just really worked hard to make sure he went the best he could do as an older year, Schroer said of Izad. I think sometimes those older kids kind of cruise. Andre didn’t want to do that. He wanted to make sure he ranked on top of his game in the best possible way.

There’s one part of Schroers ’assessment that Izadi disagrees with because he acknowledged a small amount of complacency that can sometimes hit high school students.

He added, however, that the loss of an early season in a third-series roadbreaker for Bufords Dean Kingsley proved to be an effective cure for that disease.

I lost early in the season in Buford to Dean Kingsley, Izadi recalled his 2-6, 6-2, 7-6 (10-4) loss back on February 4th. He’s a great player and I’ve known him for a long time, but it’s not a match I should lose. At that point, I felt its seniorite. I’m not going to lie. But I knew that was not how my parents wanted to end my year. I didn’t want to be remembered as the guy who bubbled.

That loss only eased the fire and motivation, and I went back and started hard training so I could end the season vigorously and make my team proud.

Even driven by that determination, Izadi needed a little extra to overcome another hurdle he had to deal with throughout his tennis career.

Izadi stands just 5-foot-7 and weighs just 160 pounds, and Izadi often has to cross the field with talented opponents like Matthew Sloan from North Gwinnett.

And demanded more than just physical adjustments to find a way to win the 2019 Daily Mailbox in their territory in the 6-AAAAAAA regular season match on March 4th in the North.

It was perhaps Izad’s signing victory in the 17-3 campaign in 2021, which also included victories from high-quality opponents such as Brookwoods Tawfeeq Mohamed, Peachtree Ridges Sean Aquio and Braxton Wright of Forsyth County Lambert.

I only have 5- (foot-) 7 and 160 (pounds), and (Sloan) must be about 6-3, said Izadi, who also led Sloan during his match in the finals of the Region 8-AAAAAAA tournament in the North, achieved the team title before the end of the match . I’ve always been the smallest guy, so usually when I see someone bigger on the field, it doesn’t shake me. It’s been since I started (playing). I’m used to it.

I am proud to be a strong mental player. I won’t let it get in my head. I like my focus. I keep fighting, no matter what, especially in these two matches against Matthew Sloan. He has a faster front of hand than I did, but I was able to keep myself that day because I had a stronger mental game.

Schroer isn’t a little surprised that Izadi has been able to stay focused over the years and not scare bigger, stronger opponents.

It’s a quality he’s seen through his number one player throughout his career at Mill Creek.

The word that comes to mind is rough, Schroer said. He is such a rough little player. He just has a fight and the one who doesn’t stop the mentality. He’s probably one of the roughest little players I’ve ever had on the program. It shows up when he’s out on the field.

I think he’s just a very, very smart kid. He is able to figure out fairly quickly in the match the things he needs to do to make the necessary adjustments to succeed against his opponent.

Izadis ’intelligence has also moved into the classroom, and something he plans to take with him when he attends Georgia Tech from the fall to study chemical engineering.

He hopes to continue his race by walking with the yellow jackets, but while only time will tell if the effort will succeed, it’s because Izadi didn’t give it maximum effort.

Right now, I’m not going to play tennis (at university), but that’s definitely the next goal, Izadi said. I haven’t contacted the Georgia Techs coach at all (yet). I don’t even know if they will accept walk-ons, but I’m going to contact that coach and see if that’s a possibility.

I was offered some (division) II and D-III scholarships from different schools around the country, but I rejected them because I chose a better education. I have always been the first in school. It has always been important to my family and myself. They instilled this value in me. I strive to be the best everywhere. I’m not the biggest guy, but I’m pretty strong and pretty athletic, and I can handle it. I’ve been exercising hard and working out at the gym, and I feel like I can go to the next level.