Player Spotlights: Riley Byrne, Michael Conway, and Kalan Mackenzie 

Although tennis is often viewed as a solo sport, it’s a great way for kids to meet their peers and build new friendships.

In fact, three UTSA NorCal players recently proved that tennis is a recipe for success in making friends on and off the court.

Kalan Mackenzie (9 years old), Michael Conway (11 years old), and Riley Byrne (10 years old) have all known each other for several years and have a shared connection to tennis.

Kalan’s friendships with Michael and Riley started at tennis camps a few years back, where he met Michael at a summer day camp and then Riley at a summer boarding camp when they shared a room together.

Michael and Riley are also close friends, having known each other since they were young through their families and school.

Recently, all three boys played in the USTA Norcal Tournament at LafayetteTennis Club (Boy’s 10U Green Dot), and Kalan and Michael ended up going head-to-head in a match with Riley cheering them on as a spectator.

“My favorite thing about playing against a friend is that you are playing someone you know instead of playing a stranger that you might never see again,” Kalan said. “I like playing against friends because I know them and we can laugh more than you most likely would with someone you've never seen and feel more comfortable.”

And while Michael and Kalan both found it a little hard to play a friend because they each wanted to win but didn’t want their friend to lose, they also agreed that the fun experience they had outweighed any pressure of competing against a friend.

“It was more fun because we know each other,” Michael said. And, “It was also really great to have Riley there because it felt very supportive that one of my friends was there watching. And after the match, he told us both great job,” Michael said.

Not only was Riley there to cheer both Michael and Kalan on, but he was supportive for both friends no matter who won.

“I loved seeing how they were playing differently from each other and what different tactics they were using,” Riley said. “I thought that they played so well and worked hard. I was excited that the outcome was so close.”

When the match was over and the boys reported the score, Riley was there and gave them each a huge hug and said, “GREAT MATCH GUYS!'"

In the end, win or lose, this circle of friends has built a great friendship through their common interest in tennis.  After the tournament, they put aside the competition and all went to Riley’s house to play and have dinner.

And because making friends and seeing them at tournaments is all part of what makes tennis fun for each of them, all three boys would be interested in playing team tournaments in the future and plan on playing throughout the summer and hope to see each other at camps and more USTA NorCal events.