Plymouth North Athlete of the Week: Adrianna Garrett

Adrianna Garrett loves tennis. Her intensity, focus and mental toughness  have helped her to become a leader of the Plymouth North girls' tennis program.

Last year Garrett and her teammates clinched Plymouth North's first ever ACL title in girls' tennis. Garrett is hoping 2011 will prove to be just as exciting as last  season.

Garrett may spend her time away from the court scooping ice cream and watching movies--however she'll be the first to admit that it's hard to think anything but tennis at this time of the year.

With the spring season in full swing, lets take a moment to get to know Plymouth North's Adrianna Garrett, and honor her as a Patch Athlete of the Week.

1)  Why tennis? What drew you to the sport?

Originally my main sport was soccer and I picked up tennis my freshman year after minimal lessons as a youngster. However, during my sophomore year, I began to love the sport more and more and I entered my junior year with private lessons and a hunger for success. The main aspect of tennis that drew me in was the intensity and power.  I'm a natural competitor and tennis comes from a certain mentality.  After working on my strokes and bringing my game together, I was able to produce a solid game.  So much of tennis comes from the mind and it takes a lot of control.

2)  What motivates you in athletics?

As stated, I'm a competitor. I've been an athlete for about 13 years now and what drives me in athletics is competition. The feeling of a hard struggle, high energy, and pressure situations drives me to succeed and be victorious in the end.  During some rough periods in my life, athletics have been one of the only constants that has pulled me through and kept my energy and spirits high. Putting all my efforts in winning is what drives me in athletics.

3)  What are some of your athletic goals?

For this year, my goal is to achieve a winning record at first singles. It will be a struggle for me to step up from second doubles, and for our tennis team to once again be named Atlantic Coast League Champions. In the future I hope to play tennis in college. Once entering college, I will need athletics to help with the transition. If I do play, I hope to be a successful player in college as I have been in high school.

4)  What do you enjoy to do outside of athletics?

Outside of athletics, I enjoy spending time with friends, working downtown at an ice cream shop, and watching the latest movies. However, most of my time is spent athletically, whether it be playing, coaching, or refereeing.

5)   What is your favorite athletic memory?

My favorite athletic memory would have to be last year's tennis season.  On the verge of clinching the first league title in history for girls’ tennis, the title came down on the shoulders of my best friend and I. With the match tied 2-2, it was make it or break it and of course, we were against our rival Marshfield. The intensity of the match and the pressure put on our shoulders were very high. The match was a back and forth fight. It came down to a tiebreaker to decide the second set.  After winning the first set, all we needed to do was win seven points and the title was ours. As I watched the Marshfield girl hit a forehand deep into the net, I ran and jumped into my best friend's arms. We embraced, realizing we had just made history. That moment is my favorite athletic memory of all time.

6)  Any plans for after high school?

After high school, I will attend Suffolk University in Boston at the Sawyer Business School. Whether I will play Division 3 tennis is still up in the air but my hopes are high for the opportunity to continue playing the game.

7)   Anyone you would like to thank for your success?

I would have to thank my parents for always supporting me, paying for all my teams and coaches, and always being my two biggest fans. If it wasn't for them, I would not be involved in sports in the first place, let alone how much I've succeeded.  My success is credited to them.