Tennis was a sport that wasn’t on Sutton’s Reeg Kassatly’s radar growing up. In fact, if he had enjoyed playing baseball a bit more, tennis was a sport that would have never even entered his consciousness. As a soccer player in the fall and a basketball player in the winter he was looking for a sport to play in the spring – enter tennis.

“I was looking to stay active and didn’t have a spring sport,” he said. “I was not big into baseball and Sutton didn’t have a lacrosse team. I had run cross country in middle school,  but it was something that I didn’t particularly like so having no other choice, I tried tennis.”

The sport was something that Kassatly would play minimally each year with his father, who was an avid tennis player. Needless to say, when his son decided to pick up a tennis racket he was more than thrilled. 

As a freshman playing the sport basically for the first time competitively, Kassatly was assigned to playing second doubles for the Sammies. It was here that he would begin to truly learn the sport while watching his older teammates.

“Tennis is a mental sport and one that is tough to get through. Still to this day I have problems with it from time to time,” Kassatly said. “While battling the mental aspects of the game you also have to deal with the elements; the wind is something that can really affect tennis unlike any other sport.”

Upon joining the tennis team at the high school, Kassatly found the atmosphere and teammates fun, but the sport itself was something that he found very uncomfortable and a challenge. 

Following his first season with Sutton he decided that he was going to give up basketball and start playing tennis with Rally Point Racket Club in Greenville Rhode Island.

“It was something that I needed and definitely helped my game a lot. It’s fantastic program with great coaches. It’s one coach to every four students, so it’s very focused,” he said. “Having a different set of eyes watching and dissecting your game really helps you to become a better player.”

It was with Rally Point that Kassatly switched from a two-hand backhand to a single hand. Originally believing that his backhand was weak, improving it was a main focus for him when joining the club team. Although he still needs work on his backhand, it is much better than it was in those early years.

While his backhand may be his weakness, he finds that his drop shot and serve are part of his strengths on the court. 

“I feel that I have a pretty good drop shot and my serve I can move it around, with our without spin,” Kassatly said. “I’m still working on my ground strokes as it’s not a strong suit, but having played doubles for three years I am relatively strong at the net.”

Coming into this, his senior campaign with the Sutton tennis team, Kassatly knew that the team lost a few senior singles players from last year’s squad and he was hoping that he’d be able to jump into one of the vacant spots, especially after losing his doubles partner.

“The tennis season will be my last high school sport, so I really want to savor the moment,” he said.

Having been promoted from the doubles team to play second singles this season Kassatly was not surprised, he fully anticipated it.

“Getting to play singles this year was my goal,” Kassatly said. “This past winter at Rally Point I started crafting my game to singles for the upcoming season. I worked extensively on my ground stokes and some more on my backhand.”

Kassatly also played got to play some tennis with his dad and although he learned a lot at Rally Point, it was his father who taught him most of what was needed on the courts.

As a four-year player coach Dennis Stamos felt comfortable moving Kassaply up from doubles this season.

“He was a very good doubles player for us, but definitely has the singles game mentality; quick decision making with experience,” the Sutton coach said. 

Entering the season his goals are just as they’ve been the past three years, he wants to improve his tennis game while working on his weak points, while helping the team become successful.

“This year it’s going to be a different game than what I have been used to. Instead of having a partner, I’ll be all alone on the court,” he said. “Having a partner, they keep you locked in, but in singles it’s different, you’re all by yourself.”

As a singles player this year, Kassatly wants to go out and do his best each and every time that he steps onto the court to help Sutton to victory. And, although he feels one step detached from doubles, he feels that he can really help this team playing at second singles.

In addition to helping his team Kassatly is hoping that his Sutton teammates can get into the State Tournament and go further than they have in the past, all while having fun.