Missouri Valley / St. Louis

Shouldis Shines in Leagues

Jamie Hansen | September 21, 2020


Sam Shouldis simply loves the team aspect of tennis. 

 

Full stop. 

 

Shouldis loves getting people from all walks of life out to enjoy the game – from beginners to the top echelon of league players. His dedication to making that happen in the St. Louis area is why he has been selected as a USTA Missouri Valley Gold Star Award for 2020. 

 

There is not a USTA league or World Team Tennis (WTT) opportunity Shouldis hasn’t touched. He does all the things – seriously. His tennis dance card is full. He plays on a USTA 18+ Men 4.5 team; throughout the year, he plays and captains USTA 55+ Men 8.0 team; USTA Tri-Level Men 3.5/4.0/4.5 team; USTA 18+ Mixed 7.0, 8.0, and 9.0 teams; USTA 40+ Mixed 7.0, 8.0, and 9.0 teams and USTA Tri-Level Mixed 7.0/8.0/9.0 teams.  Additionally, he is the site coordinator for WTT leagues at St Clair Tennis Club.

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In 2020, Shouldis almost single-handedly spearheaded an effort to add a Tri-level league to the summer slate. 

 

It is his love for tennis and his love for the social aspect of sport that keeps him coming back.

 

“My favorite thing is probably playing with friends,” Shouldis said. “It is not as enjoyable just playing singles or individually at tournaments. Most people might not look at tennis as a team sport, but I do. It is not even about us and them. I enjoy the sportsmanship and mutual respect of the game from opponents, as well as teammates. Saying, ‘good shot’ or ‘nice try’ to all players on the court is an enjoyable part of the game.”

 

Tennis has always been social for Shouldis. He got his start in the game playing on a neighborhood court with his brother and two sisters. The trio grabbed old wooden racquets and simply hit the ball. That is the beauty of the game for many – just having fun with people.

 

“We didn’t even know much of the rules, other than hitting the tennis balls over the net without going out of bounds. My siblings and I enjoyed doing things together, so tennis was an activity that we could accomplish together,” Shouldis said.

 

Making connections with people has been a central theme for Shouldis throughout his tennis life.  He especially enjoys playing WTT. He – along with many others – find that WTT is a bit more relaxed and a bit more social, though all tennis is fun.

 

One of his best tennis memories was heading to Texas and taking part in a camp at the John Newcombe Tennis Ranch. Other wonderful memories include his time travelling to USTA section and National tournaments with teammates.

These experiences make working on all the above-mentioned leagues worthwhile. 

 

“Being at the tennis camp with great friends was super spectacular,” Shouldis said. “I think all of us had lots of fun on and off the tennis courts. We spent four days there learning about the game, meeting other tennis players, and just enjoyed each other’s company. I have been at many locations playing tennis at Sectionals and Nationals level. All of them had been great, but I have to say that tennis camp was probably the most memorable.”

 

Being at the ranch also helped him brush up on his two favorite shots: the slice and drop shot. The drop shot is really good at exposing most players’ weakness – moving forward. A slice is simply a safety shot for Shouldis. 

 

As Shouldis ages, he finds getting into longer rallies is not a great game plan. Enter the drop shot.

 

“I like the drop shot. Most players are very good at moving side to side, mainly along the baseline. When I play someone with equal skill sets, it gets to be tiresome hitting 13-15 shot rallies back and forth. As I get older, it is not conducive for longevity to maintain long rallies. A well-designed drop shot is a nice weapon to have when the point is getting long.”

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