You may have seen him by the tennis courts with his headphones on, listening to a classic rock song from Metallica, or at his favorite restaurant, CPK, ordering a barbecue chicken pizza after a grueling match. Senior boys tennis player Cade Stratton began playing tennis around the age of 11, and hasn’t stopped since.
“[Tennis is] nonstop,” Stratton said. “It’s a lot of commitments, a lot of practice, a lot of matches, but it’s super fun.”
This nonstop energy is exactly how Stratton sums up his overall high school experience on the Oak Park High School tennis team, and how his teammates would describe him too.
“[Cade is] enthusiastic,” senior captain Angus Rein said. “He’s definitely good at rounding the team up and getting them all together, and [improving] team camaraderie. He keeps the spirit and he’s a role model for the underclassmen.”
Undeniably, anyone that has ever met Stratton can confidently say that one of his most prominent character traits is his positivity and outgoing personality.
“I think he’s got a really great attitude, [and] he stays positive,” assistant tennis coach Philip An said. “Tennis is a mental game above all else, and it’s very important that you stay even-keeled when things don’t go right, and try to stay positive out there and he does a good job of that.”
Aside from tennis, something many people may not know about Stratton is that he is also very committed to another form of discipline: martial arts.
“I do martial arts at Johnny Gyro Karate, and I’ve been doing [martial arts] for 14 years,” Stratton said. “I’m a third-degree black belt.”
With the start of the tennis league season, Stratton reflects on what he hopes to accomplish during his last year on the tennis team.
“[My goal for my last year on the tennis team is] just to enjoy myself, have fun and be a mentor for the freshman,” Stratton said.
At the team’s second home match on Mar. 19 against Royal, Stratton played doubles with senior Matthew Roman, and secured a 6-0 win, despite not having played in three weeks due to an oblique injury. This dedication to the team did not go unnoticed.
“[Cade is] absolutely [a role model for the underclassmen], especially the teammate aspects of when he’s injured and can’t play, so he finds other ways to help out,” coach Philip An said. “That kind of proactive attitude is a really great leadership trait.
While the seniors on the team have enjoyed many memories of Cade since freshman year, one of their favorite moments is his infamous nickname, “White Chocolate 2.0,” which gets passed down continuously from senior to freshman throughout the tennis program.
“I actually don’t know when it originated, but we had a senior captain on our team freshman year whose nickname was ‘White Chocolate’, and he passed it down to Cade as ‘White Chocolate 2.0’,” Rein said.
As college decisions roll in, it can almost feel impossible to not feel the pressure of the unknown. Stratton, however, knows exactly where his future plans take him.
“I committed to Cal Poly San Luis Obispo for business administration,” Stratton said.
While he doesn’t plan to play tennis at a collegiate level, Stratton hopes to continue his love for tennis even after he graduates.
“[I would] maybe play club [tennis in college] but not collegiate,” Stratton said.
When looking back on the nostalgia and fun times of the high school experience, it is also crucial to look forward to the many successful years that are to come.
“The part I’m most excited about in the future is being able to make a difference in college and participate in things greater than myself,” Stratton said.
This article is part of a larger collection of stories covering the boys tennis seniors. Check out the other seniors in the sports section on our website.
