A dream come true

By HUGH RIST For the News & Messenger
Published: April 2, 2008

Last season, Osbourn Park’s Chelsea Gray had what she calls “almost a dream season.”

The senior, who served as the Jackets’ No. 2 singles seed last year, went 15-1 in singles and teamed with then-freshman Shanique Alabi for a 16-1 doubles ledger.

But she realized a dream on March 18 when she officially notified Longwood University tennis coach Pat Breen that she would become a Lancer next fall.
Gray said signing with a Division I program like the Farmville school has “always been a dream of mine.”

“I had been considering Bridgewater and Longwood, but when I visited Longwood it just seemed like a per-fect fit for me,” Gray said. “The chemistry I had with the players was really important to me and I definitely felt it. I also wanted to play at a school that wasn’t too large and wasn’t too far from where I grew up and that applied to Longwood.”

Her dream having been realized, Gray can now turn her attention to the upcoming season, for which she says her individual goal is to “keep my mental game up,” while her team goal is to provide leadership to a talented but fairly young group.

“I like encouraging the young girls and telling them things to help them,” Gray said. “I told them if they have a problem with something that they can come to me and I can help them go to the coach about it, since some of the younger ones are kind of afraid to go to the coach. I like teaching the game to others, so I am sure that after college I will want to stay involved in tennis in that way.”
Gray was introduced to tennis at the age of eight when her parents became members of the Sudley Club in Manassas.

“I picked up a racket and soon fell in love with the game,” Gray remembered. “My first coach, J. D. Almond, really helped me learn the game and I now have a private coach, Francis Alveir, who has transformed my game by helping with my form and my mental game.”

More than anything, Gray said, she has become passionate about tennis and her love for the game has be-come a family affair. Her brother, Troy, is a freshman for the Osbourn Park boys’ team and her parents have also taken to the game the past couple years, Gray said.

“It really helps to have that support system from your family,” Gray said. “They come to all my matches and know what it takes for me to play at a high level.”
What it takes is three to four hours of practice six days a week, but the rewards are great, Gray said. Aside from the educational benefits in the form of a college scholarship, there are team rewards as well.
“The thing I like most about tennis is when I win I know that I did it myself,” Gray said. “Winning a match for my team is the ultimate. Helping my team get to regionals or win the district (as Osbourn Park did last year) definitely makes it worth all the work.”

Osbourn Park coach Scott Baldwin says Gray has “matured quite a bit” since she began playing for the school as a freshman.

“She is continually playing and that has helped her elevate her game,” Baldwin said. “She had a good year last year, but she has reached a point where she can beat some of the other top players on other teams and I would rank her game right with them.”

Gray said playing with the Yellow Jackets forces her to continue to improve her game.

“There is such a high level of competition on our team and in our district that all the girls on our team have to work hard. But they (younger players) know what they’re doing on the court,” Gray said. “Sometimes they just need someone to help them, teach them fine points, and practice with them. In doing so, we all improve our game and our team improves as a result.”