One would think that after being named the Hernando County's Player of Year in boys' tennis for a second straight year would be motivation enough to return as an upperclassman.
But not everyone is Hernando High sophomore Christopher "Chris" Wayne Nyholm.
"Chris Nyholm is as talented a player as I have seen," explained Springstead High's first-year skipper Glenn Townsend. "If he improves his personal management skills, I see a bright future."
Nyholm: 101
Nyholm, 16, is the youngest of three children to Brooksville's Wayne and Helen Nyholm.
He was born in New England and proudly follows his Celtics, Red Sox and Patriots.
Self confidence has never been a problem, nor his ability to stand out on the local tennis scene.
Nyholm played two seasons of tennis at Parrott Middle School under veteran skipper Allen Platt before matriculating to Hernando High.
As an eighth-grader he helped the Leopards to Hernando County Middle School co-championship with Challenger K-8.
Both teams finished with identical 7-1 seasons having split the season series against each other.
Nyholm further distinguished himself by winning the No. 1 singles title in the season-ending County Championship Tournament.
After posting a 13-4 won-lost mark as a freshman in 2007 at the rugged No. 1 singles position, he was named by the Hernando Today staff and area coaches as the circuit's Player of the Year.
It also did not hurt his chances that Nyholm collected the county championship at No. 1 singles.
Displaying his versatility, Nyholm teamed up with Chris Walters for an outstanding No. 1 doubles campaign.
Having lost in the county championship to NCT, Nyholm/Walters qualified for states by pocketing the Class 2A, District 6 title at Zephyrhills.
At states, however, the Leopard duo was immediately snuffed out in the opening round by Doral Academy's Ricardo Chuecos/Carlos Luna, 6-0, 6-2.
In the off-season, the 5-foot-11, 178-pound Nyholm worked tirelessly on his game. He also practiced doubles with a new partner, Erik Lawson.
For some reason, the three-year letterman Walters did not return to the prep courts for his senior campaign.
But no problem ensued.
Nyholm and Lawson simply blossomed at No. 1 doubles, finishing with a county-high 11-3 mark.
In the process, the Purple and Gold duo captured the county championship at No. 1 doubles over NCT's P.J. Watterson/Simon Toftegaard (NCT), 3-6, 6-4, 7-5.
Unfortunately in the 2A-6 finals at Zephyr Park, Watterson/Toftegaard reversed roles by solving Nyholm/Lawson, 6-4, 6-4. That win permitted the Sharks to advance to states.
Nyholm, who captured the county singles crown twice at No. 1 singles, overcame his 2007 2A-6 semifinal-round loss by winning at No. 1 singles in Zephyrhills this year.
But at the Class 2A State Finals Tourney in Casselberry, the HHS contingency arrived 15 minutes late to Nyholm's opening-round match. As a result, he defaulted to Suwannee's John Boatright.
The sting of that day has yet to ease.
"I was asked to bring six kids," HHS' first-year Head Coach Don Bruzzi recalled. "But the guys were all scattered (the morning of states). We were rushing to get there. We arrived 15 minutes late. Chris' opponent had already left.
"This is nothing against Chris," shared Coach Bruzzi. "It's not his fault. It was absolutely my responsibility. If I could do it all over again, I wouldn't have taken all six boys. It hurt (Chris not competing at states). It was like the Olympics to get there. I'm still disappointed. Unfortunately, I can't take it back."
Nyholm Fuming
Who's to blame for what happened?
"Everyone knows it's coach's responsibility, I mean that's what a coach does (get his players to matches safely)," remarked Nyholm, who doubles as a fine student/athlete with above a 3.8 grade point average at HHS. "I have my own opinion, but I'm gonna keep it to myself."
How disappointing was it?
"Obviously states is a big deal," replied Nyholm. "I just can't let single moments define me. But sure, it (not playing) was a tough pill to swallow. But you know, I wouldn't have gotten that much better after two matches at states."
What's the future hold?
"I've been thinking about bettering my USTA (United States Tennis Association) ranking," described Nyholm. "School ball is for pride and fun. But after what happened (at states), there's not much fun left.
"USTA might be the step I'm heading to," said Nyholm. "It's not that school ball is below me, I just want to be the best tennis player I can be. Before I finally decide (to return or not), I'll talk with parents, too.
"It's just that if I commit to school ball then I go into 100 percent," insisted Nyholm, who enjoys playing all kinds of sports and spends his free time strumming an acoustic guitar. "I want to devote all my time to that."
If Nyholm returns to the HHS ranks, what are his goals?
"I want to make the team the best it can be," he replied. "My primary goal is to help the team win. If the team wins, I'll get my share. If after districts and regionals, I'm the last guy standing, for instance, then absolutely I want to go as far as I can."
By the Numbers: Chris Nyholm
- Compiled by TONY CASTRO
Singles
Year W L .PCT
2007 13 4 .765
2008 13 2 .867
TOTALS 26 6 .813
Doubles
2007 14 5 .737
2008 11 3 .786
TOTALS 25 8 .758
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