Jamie SarkonakAshley Burke
Program: Science 1
Hometown: Edmonton, AB
Team: Tennis
When did you start tennis?
I started when I was 11 years old, so a lot later than everyone else. The usual age to start is five, so I had to play lots of catch-up. So I played when I was 11 and thought, “Oh that was kind of fun!” So I went in a program throughout the year, and I really liked it. So I kept enrolling. And here I am I guess.
What do you like about the sport?
There’s such an athletic component to it, but also a mental component — like math, in a way. Also, you have to maintain a positive attitude, because it’s very easy to get mad at yourself if you miss or if you make a really silly shot. So you have to maintain being really mentally strong.
How hard is it to balance being on a varsity team and studying science?
It’s actually so hard. I spend a lot of time late at night working on homework because I’m on court Tuesdays and Thursdays and we work out Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays. So it’s hard to maintain everything. I’ve just learnt over the past couple of months that you really have to maintain your focus and know what you want to accomplish.
Do you have any favourite tennis players?
Milos Raonic. He’s from Ontario — he’s Canadian. And he’s the highest ranked Canadian ever. He’s my bae, if I ever meet him. He has an amazing serve. It’s amazing. He hits so hard and so fast. No one in the world has a serve as fast as Milos Raonic.
How important is the racquet to the game?
I don’t think the racquet is as important as your willpower, as your dedication to learn.
What’s the funniest thing that’s happened to you on court?
It happened actually three weeks ago. We were taking our action shots, our photos. So I was like, “I’m hitting a backhand, so I have to look nice and smile kind of. But something happened and I was late on the ball. So you know who I hit? The photographer. That has never happened. And my coach said no one has ever hit the photographer. I was the first Panda in history to ever to smack the photographer with the ball.
What kind of misconceptions do people have about tennis?
That it’s badminton. Tennis and badminton are like apples and oranges. Yes, they are fruit, but they’re completely different.
