To win a state championship in any sport is quite a feat, but The Bear Creek School’s Jake Imam’s accomplishment of winning the Class 1A boys tennis singles crown back in May borders on the extraordinary.
Imam, 15, just completed his ninth-grade year of high school.
At an age where students in the Lake Washington School District would have yet to step on a high school campus, Imam has reached the pinnacle of his chosen sport at the high school level.
And with his state-title win, Imam brought not only the Grizzlies’ tennis program, but the entire Bear Creek School community, along for the ride.
“Our kids are really excited about it, they want to put it on their college applications,” said Dennis Sherrer, the first-year head tennis coach for Bear Creek. “It’s wonderful that one player performs well and the whole team gets recognized for it. I think the best thing about it is that because of the work he has done, he has motivated the rest of the players to be better. They’ve got their sights set on winning state next year.”
“We are extremely proud of Jake not just for the victory at State, but for the way he conducts himself on and off the court,” added Chad Pohlman, Bear Creek’s athletic director. “He is a true champion and we could not ask for a better representative of our school.”
COOL UNDER PRESSURE
Imam, whose grandmother played tennis professionally, got started in the sport about four years ago at age 11. At first, it was all just fun and games to play with his siblings, but after a while, he got hooked — and super-serious.
He enrolled at the Mill Creek Tennis Club, learned the nuances of the game under club director Scott Shogreen, and honed his skills through prestigious junior tournaments organized through the United States Tennis Association.
So come this spring, there was no mistaking Imam’s talent, and he more than exceeded his own lofty expectations.
“Before the season started, that was my goal,” said Imam of winning the state championship. “The school has done so much for me, on a spiritual level… I was so appreciative. The guys over there are just so awesome, so it was kind of a ‘thank you’ to the school.”
Imam said that having grown up around competitive, cut-throat tennis, he needed a laid-back coach like Sherrer to remind him that tennis was, first and foremost, fun.
“Oh man, I absolutely love coach,” Imam beamed. “He’s just so positive, and he never put pressure on me… the (state tournament) was just a lot of fun. Great people were around me all the time. The Overlake team really took me in as well. Everybody just made it so fun that I really didn’t feel the pressure.”
Imam went on to recount a story from earlier in the season, when he was playing one of the top players in the Sea-Tac League. He battled to a tiebreaker, eked out a set victory, and went to Sherrer to do some soul-searching.
“I asked coach what to do, and he said ‘It doesn’t matter. Just figure out his game, no pressure whatsoever. You still have league, districts and state to play him again,’” Imam recalled. “He just took all the pressure off and made me feel so relaxed, and I came out next set and won it pretty (easily). He’s been a blessing.”
Imam saved his best for last, when the freshman played like a poised veteran, mowing down the field at state. He gave up only two games total in his first three matches, while dominating Cascade Christian’s Nathan Anderson 6-1, 6-2 in the final.
Drawing on all of his competitive experience, Imam was so focused that he had to be told that he had won the title.
“In that match, I hit that last serve and it was an ace, so I walked up and shook the guy’s hand, and started packing my bag,” Imam said. “I really wasn’t smiling or anything at the time, and I looked up at my best friend who was watching and he was like, ‘Yeah Jake, you won state!’
“I really didn’t realize I had won, I just kept focusing on one match at a time.”
PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT
Knowing Imam’s rigorous training regimen, it’s no wonder how he got so good, so quickly. During the offseason, Imam practices up to three and a half hours every day, waking up before the crack of dawn to be at Seattle Tennis Club at 6 a.m. He plays as many USTA events as he can.
Sherrer admits that making the change from tournament to high school tennis can be difficult, but Imam was able to adapt with flying colors.
“Playing in a national circuit like he does, it’s very independent and isolated,” Sherrer said. “When you’re in high school, you play for the team, for the experience. I wanted him to get the blessings from that, and enjoy having friends and playing with friends. Now he’s been trying to get some of his other athletic friends to come out for tennis next year. It’s totally different than what he’s done before. Tennis has become fun for him again.”
Sherrer’s team is very young, and the fact that only one senior graduated bodes very well for the Grizzly team, for which Imam will likely try to follow up his singles win with a doubles title in 2010.
“It’s not confirmed or anything, but that’s our plan for right now,” Imam noted. “It sounds like a lot of fun, and to win (singles and doubles) would be pretty cool.”
As successful as Imam has been at his young age, the kid with the rocket serve and deadly-accurate forehand has no plans to be the next Roger Federer.
“I originally had goals to (play professionally), but I like too many other things,” Imam admitted. “I wouldn’t want to focus all my time and energy on tennis. I really like my academics, so I’m just playing to get into a good college and figure out what I want to study, and set myself up.”
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Q & A with Jake Imam
Q: What are some words of advice you would give to other serious prep tennis players looking to be where you are today, as a state champion?
A: For 1A, what I found separated me was that all the guys were great athletes and very consistent, and the only reason I won was because I had a couple weapons: my forehand and my serve really helped me out. If you really want to do well, besides having an incredible work ethic and focusing on every ball, knowing where you want to hit it and getting it to that point, you need to build up those weapons. Build up a forehand that you know is going in no matter how hard you hit it, and that it’s going to go where you want.
Q: Who has helped you achieve the success you’ve had?
A: I’d like to thank my parents, Susan and Hani, who are just incredible and loving, they support me in so many ways. And all my coaches, Scott, Dan, Mike, Jonathan, Alex, and then my best friends, Jamie and Luke.
