To be part of one of the many Arcadia High School (AHS) athletic teams is a major accomplishment. Athletic competition is a great way to express one’s passion towards a particular sport or simply competition in itself. For junior Evan Kwan, competing on the AHS Boys Tennis team represents a way to express both passion and humbleness.

Kwan has been playing tennis for just over three years, having to take occasional breaks from the sport due to his academic workload. In addition, the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 limited his ability to practice and play the sport. Despite this, Kwan’s interest in tennis goes back to before he was even a high schooler.

“I have always been interested in tennis ever since I watched some matches on T.V when I was younger. There was something exciting about seeing the intense matches and powerful shots, and I always wanted to be able to do something like that myself one day,” he stated.

After entering high school, it took Kwan some time to make the vision of playing tennis competitively a reality. The pandemic limited his opportunities to do so, but he finally tried out and made the team in his junior year. Being in the middle of the team in terms of individual skill, Kwan has come to learn an important lesson of humility and increased his drive to improve his skills in the sport.

“I am definitely not the best, but I’m not too disappointed about this because all it means is that I have room for improvement, and I know that I will be able to get there if I continue to work and practice hard,” he said.

However, one of the most thrilling aspects for Kwan is the different players from various schools he matches up against every week. He always has something to learn from his opponent, an important part of improving not only as an athlete but as a person to become more open-minded.

“The competition has been very fun and it is a great learning experience. We have gone against many schools from many neighboring cities such as Pasadena, Alhambra, and La Crescenta. Some schools are harder than others but it is important to treat every match with respect regardless of how easy or hard the opponents are,” he stated.

As for his own team, Kwan has fit in well among his teammates and formed bonds that improve their overall morale. Though his more introverted personality has meant being part of a team environment is a bit out of his comfort zone, like-minded people on the tennis team surround Kwan.

“With how much time the team spends together every day practicing and playing together in games, we have all grown to be closer. It is a lot of fun playing a sport that you really enjoy with other people who share a similar passion,” he said.

Kwan plans to continue playing tennis in his senior year driven to do as much practice on his own to improve his tennis skills and continue chasing one of his greatest passions.