Under the bright lights of the postseason stage, Cookeville Cavaliers freshman Louis Kim did not look like someone finishing his first year of varsity tennis. He looked like someone just getting started.
Kim wrapped up his debut season with Cookeville having closed out a breakthrough year that saw him become the program’s lone individual qualifier for the TSSAA Individual State Tournaments. He also competed in the team state semifinals against Science Hill High School, gaining valuable experience on one of Tennessee’s biggest high school stages.
“I feel like when I first started, I mean, the levels are beginner,” Kim said. “I kept playing and really just got better and better and better.”
Kim said he never intended to fall in love with the sport. Kim said he only picked up a racquet because others encouraged him to try.
“I would start because everyone convinced me to,” Kim said. “I didn’t want to play tennis, and then the first time I played it, I just kept playing and playing and haven’t stopped.”
Kim said his early days were not promising.
“When I first started, I wasn’t really very good and I said I’m not gonna play this game,” Kim said. “And I’ve played every single day and got better.”
That daily commitment, playing on community courts and at the Tennessee Tech University tennis facilities with his brother, laid the foundation for a freshman season few could have predicted.
Kim’s emergence also came during a historic year for Cookeville tennis. The Cavaliers were one of only three programs in the state to send both their boys and girls teams to the state quarterfinals, and the only one of those three to also produce an individual state qualifier. In a season filled with milestones, Kim stood out.
Cookeville Head Coach Brian Rohr said the freshman’s maturity separates him just as much as his consistency.
“He just doesn’t miss,” Rohr said. “He’s just unbelievably mature and he can (handle) adversity that other people would buckle under.”
That poise was evident throughout postseason play, where Kim faced seasoned upperclassmen and high-pressure moments without wavering. For a first-year varsity player, the composure was striking. Now, the focus shifts forward.
After experiencing the intensity of state competition, Kim has his sights set on going even deeper this coming season. Kim said the confidence he has built fuels that belief.
