By Blake Chadwick
Sterling sophomore Chelsie Brown returns with state tournament experience after a great freshman season on the court. “Chelsie is a very powerful tennis player,” head coach Janae Ryan said. “She hits a heavy ball and has a really nice serve. Chelsie is an incredibly hard worker. She has put in a ton of time and energy into being the player she is today.” The sophomore has a lot more to her than just being a good tennis player.
“As a person, Chelsie is pretty quiet but has a great sense of humor,” Ryan said. “Her work ethic carries over into other aspects of her life as well.” On top of being a good person, Brown has also dealt with a lot of adversity in her young life, as she is hard of hearing, but she doesn’t let that hold her back. “For school, I’ve just had an interpreter even if I don’t like having the interpreter but it helps me if I miss something,” Brown said. “And most of the time I can hear the teachers and read their lips well enough anyway so I don’t rely on the interpreters too much. For the sports, I’ve just gotten used to not having an interpreter, especially since most of my friends do pretty well, letting me know if I missed something.”
Despite being a sophomore, Brown has been a really good leader for the Sterling tennis team. “As a leader, I just really want my team to have fun, want to play more, and to feel like they belong overall,” Brown said. “And to have no drama obviously.”
