L2 Sportsmanship: Nicholas Chen

UTSA NorCal offers a big congratulations to Nicholas Chen on receiving the Outstanding Sportsmanship Award at the USTA National Level 2 tournament in Chattanooga, TN in early July.

“I've never won a sportsmanship award at a national tournament before, so it means a lot to win the award and have others notice my efforts to be respectful and calm on the court,” Nicholas said. “I believe that it is important to be courteous and humble both on and off the court, and it's a great honor to be recognized.”

Nicholas added that for him, sportsmanship means treating everyone with respect and honesty.  “It's acknowledging the good shots the opponent hits and being humble if you win or lose. I've always remembered the quote: ‘It's not whether you win or lose; it's how you play the game.’ This carries on for everything you do in life,” he said.

Nicholas, who has been playing tennis for 11 years, was not only recognized for his sportsmanship, but he also had a great tournament run, placing 2nd in both singles and doubles Boys’ 18s.

In addition to the competition and strategy components of tennis, Nicholas enjoys the friendships he has made and the drive to push each other to get better while remaining friends both on and off the court. 

“The tournament was a fun experience. I got the opportunity to play at a new site, see friends from around the country, and I also performed very well,” he said.

In the meantime, Nicholas is looking forward to continuing his great momentum and competing  in Kalamazoo for the National Hardcourts tournament this summer, as well as play in more national and local tournaments.