Konstantin Vengerowsky/Clarendon Citizen
State tennis champ gears up for senior year
Three-years ago Lindsey Lyles, 17, became the first player from Manning High School to win a state championship in tennis. She became the number one-seeded player at the school in seventh-grade. Right from the start Lyles had what it took to be a champ, according to William B. Harvin, who she first picked up the racket with at age 10. Harvin, who has been playing and coaching tennis for 50 years, said that he saw something special in her right from the start.
“I can’t take any credit for her success. She only had a few lessons with me,” Harvin said. “But what I do remember is she had the right attitude and hit the ball hard. She was very aggressive and dedicated on the court.”
She credits her brother Nate, who is now a collegiate-level tennis player, as her inspiration for picking up the sport.
“If he hadn’t gotten started playing, I wouldn’t have either,” she said. “I’ve always wanted to beat him, he really pushed me to do my best.”
There are many reasons why Lyles became so successful so quick. Her love for the game, her natural talent and her have-to-win attitude are just some of the main reasons.
“I can’t stand to lose, I’d do anything except cheat or be mean to win,” she said. “But tennis has never been a job for me, I do it because I enjoy it.”
After learning the basics, Lyles started practicing regularly with coaches at the Palmetto Tennis Center in Sumter. She has been under the leadership of three different coaches at the center, including Sam Kiser, John Boetsch and Brian Parkkonen.
At age 12, Lyles became the number one seed at Manning High. Because it is considered a non-contact sport, students can start playing tennis at the high school level in grade seven, according to Head Coach Kay Young.
Even though she was much younger than her teammates, Lyles said that she never had any problems with any of the other girls. She said that Coach Young has always been there for her.
“She’s such an inspirational person. She kept me level-headed and down to earth when I first started playing for the team,” Lyles said.
Lyles improved quickly and started competing actively, averaging about 10-15 state tournaments per year, while still playing for MHS during the regular season.
In ninth-grade she had a goal of going pro.
“Physically I gave out and mentally I needed a break,” she said.
Lyles said that the most difficult thing about the sport is not just staying in shape but keeping your mind in the game.
“Tennis is about 80 percent mental. You have to forget about everything before you get on the court, which is hard to do at times,” she said.
This past season she decided to take a year off from tournament play, and that she said, has done her well. She has started training again at the Palmetto Tennis Center this summer and is anticipating MHS team practices, which will start August 2.
“I’m just trying to get back into shape right now,” she said.
Lyles said that she is an early riser and stays pretty busy with school and extracurricular activities such as Yearbook, Student Council, Beta Club, FCA and FFA.
She wants to attend either USC Columbia or the College of Charleston, and major in biology with a goal of eventually doing something in the medical field.
Whether or not she decides to continue to play after graduation, Lyles has already put her name in the record books at MHS.
“She’s worked hard and really done something that no one’s ever done here before. That will open a lot of doors for her in the future,” Young said.
