Dismissing the Experience Trend

Matt Meyer’s journey to becoming a multi-sport athlete

It is a warm day in August 2015. The fresh paint on the tennis court and the feeling of a new beginning. The players are conditioned and ready to go after a long summer of training and hard work. Matt Meyer is ready for his first match as a high school tennis player.

There is a common theme throughout sports that experience puts you above everyone else. Meyer knew freshman year when he walked into the locker room for the first time with his racquet, tennis shoes, and wide eyes that he would have to refute this theme. From his first time on the court to his last, he did just that.

Meyer had one year of tennis under his belt entering freshman year of high school. He did not have the experience of the other players nor the skillset. All he had was potential. He worked hard day in and day out and picked up on things quickly. He began to develop the skillset he needed and worked his way up to varsity by junior year.

“I wanted to learn as much as I could from both the coaches and the upperclassmen”, Meyer said. “Then, I wanted to get as good as I could as fast as possible.”

Meyer had to work his way up due to his lack of experience and had the ultimate goal of playing varsity. He knew that if he was going to make his goal a reality, he would have to rely on all of his resources.

“As a freshman, Matt wasn’t as experienced as the other guys”, men’s tennis head coach Kirk Webber said. “He went from the bottom of the ladder to varsity doubles at the end of his career because of his hard work”.

There is no doubt Meyer made the most of his opportunity and his results show that. And now that his tennis career has come to an end, Meyer has taken on the challenge of men’s volleyball recently, making him a dual sport athlete.

“I was looking for something to do to stay in shape”, Meyer said. “Since I have little experience in men’s volleyball, I can approach it the same way I approached tennis freshman year”.

Meyer has conquered inexperience before and will look to do the same once again in men’s volleyball before he heads to Indiana University in the fall. Story by Sam Smith.