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Q&A with Mattawan boys tennis players Brian Weaver, Logan Pearson and Brady Sullivan
Jacob Hodgman. (Credit: Erf Pirbhai)

Q&A with Mattawan boys tennis players Brian Weaver, Logan Pearson and Brady Sullivan

MATTAWAN, Mich. — The Boys Varsity Tennis Team at Mattawan High School is having a very good season.

Head Coach Matt Boven says the key to the team’s success goes back to their training exercises. “We’ve integrated more speed/agility training into our practices, and we do an abundance of situational training so the guys can handle different pressure situations. I also believe having a clear goal is a significant key to our success and focus. Our goal is to win a state title, and we’re not shy about letting people know.”

He should know what’s he talking about.  As a 1998 graduate of Mattawan High School, Boven played the sport in high school and college and has been coaching since he was 18. He’s coached at KVCC, Kalamazoo College, and Kalamazoo Hackett and has coached at Mattawan for the past 25 years.

And while Coach Boven says adversity and disappointment will happen during a season, he believes to be successful at the highest level, the team needs to be fueled by its losses and not be afraid to fail.

“The proudest moments I have is when my players demonstrate strong sportsmanship,” he says. “Competition can sometimes bring out the worst in people, so I’m especially proud when players show class in the tough moments.”

One of his most memorable seasons goes back to the pandemic. “2020 was an emotional season as we didn’t know if we would be playing or not. Because of COVID restrictions, we used a single elimination team vs team March Madness format at the state tournament. While the guys fought their way to the finals, they fell a little short, taking home second place honors.”

Still, nothing to sneeze at.

If there’s anything he’s learned in his long coaching career, it’s that you get back what you put in. And when asked what he hopes his legacy will be, he says he wants to be remembered as someone who was completely committed to his players but made mistakes and tried to learn from them.

“This season has been special and memorable because I feel like everyone is contributing to the team’s success. We have a tremendous, committed coaching staff made up of Coach Offord, Coach Norton, and Coach Baker. Also, the parents have been instrumental with their support and ability to organize the essentials, so the guys are prepared for every match/tournament.”

Coach Boven enjoys the small town feel of Mattawan even though the school and community has grown over the years.

“Our leadership is invested in our sports programs and the outpouring of community support is incredible,” he says. “I love the family feel.”

The team will play in the regional tournament in Portage in early October. If they advance to the state tournament, they will Play Oct. 14-15th.

Brian Weaver. (Credit: Erf Pirbhai)

Brian Weaver, Senior

What are your personal goals within your sport? 

Brian Weaver: As a senior, I hope to win a state tournament. For the past two years, I’ve been at the one doubles position on our team and have witnessed countless players come on and off the court. This year my partner and I are 18-1, and we believe we have the best shot of taking home a title that we haven’t had in years.

What is the biggest challenge in your sport, and how do you manage it? 

Weaver: Tennis is one of the most self-challenging sports. If you let it, half of the game can be a battle against yourself. With each game, you either make a mistake and lose or win the point. With this in mind, you have to stay positive and confident in yourself. The best players in the world can lose when they doubt themselves point after point.

What was the best advice you ever received? 

Weaver: “A winner is decided before a match even starts.” A great player can walk off the court with his head bowed down. Even if he won, he might not have performed well. The unseeded player who lost and was able to get in the guy’s head walks off with a better spirit than the other guy.

Off of the court, what do you like to do?

Weaver: I enjoy backpacking, photography, and robotics. I’ve always tried different hobbies every year, finding more and more to excel in. I’m an active member of FCA and NHS, and I’ve started a landscaping and photography business over the past several summers.

Logan Pearson. (Credit: Erf Pirbhai)

Logan Pearson, Senior

What are your personal goals within your sport? 

Logan Pearson: My goal is to make it to the semifinals at the state tournament.

What is the biggest challenge in your sport, and how do you manage it? 

Pearson: My biggest challenge is staying offensive enough not to get trapped by the opponent. I have more of a defensive playstyle, so when I hit a weaker ball to a strong opponent, they can jump on the opportunity and win those points against me. To manage this challenge, I practice hitting balls strong and deep to keep my opponent from being able to advance on me.

What do you love about your sport? 

Pearson: What I like about my sport is that the person who wins a tennis match isn’t just the bigger, stronger player. Instead, the winner is the person who uses their strengths to their advantage and plays smarter than their opponent. Also, we have a pre-match activity called stirring the soup, where we get in a circle and pretend to stir a giant pot of soup. It gets us excited and confident for the match ahead of us.

Off of the court, what do you like to do?

Pearson: While it’s still tennis, a side job of mine is doing tennis hitting sessions with newer/intermediate tennis players. In these hitting sessions, we hit tennis balls back and forth for an hour in variations of short court, full court, crosscourt, and other activities the tennis student would like to work on.

What was the best advice you ever received? 

Pearson: Coach Boven told me that at the beginning of my matches, I should start the first few games by just returning every ball to see what type of an opponent I’m working with.

Brady Sullivan. (Credit: Erf Pirbhai)

Brady Sullivan, Senior

What are your personal goals within your sport/athletic dreams? 

Brady Sullivan: My high school tennis career goal is to win the state tournament.

What is your biggest challenge in your sport, and what do you do to manage this challenge? 

Sullivan: My biggest challenge is being put under pressure situations; I manage this challenge by having ice in my veins.

What was the best advice you ever received? 

Sullivan: The best advice I was ever given was, “Clear eyes, full heart can’t lose.”

What do you love about your sport? 

Sullivan: I love the atmosphere and my teammates.

Do you have a pregame ritual you follow? 

Sullivan: I take a cold shower.

What has being a member of a team taught you? 

Sullivan: Being a member of a team has taught me leadership skills, among others.

Describe a mistake you made while competing and how you overcame it. 

Sullivan: One time I couldn’t make any shots in and lost the second set of a match. I sat down, took deep breaths, and kept loose. I ended up dominating the third set and won.

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