23-05-2025
Lafayette Jeff's Sydney North goes from the balance beam to the baseline
LAFAYETTE ― Sydney North stroked a forehand shot firmly as the Lafayette Jeff girls tennis sophomore worked against Harrison senior Ella York.
North had won 12 straight matches and was undefeated coming into match against York Tuesday, May 7.
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"It was a fluke to how I got started," North said.
Tennis became North's primary sport of choice later in life when she was at gymnastics practice at age 7. North's mother, Katina, saw a group of children with rackets at Lafayette Sports Center go behind a curtain to take lessons with instructor Lisa Wright and her Indiana High School Tennis Hall of Fame husband Tim Wright.
"It was like fate," Wright said.
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North has continued her path in tennis ever since with the Wrights over the last 10 years, the latter of which also coach at West Lafayette.
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"She started to excel at a young age, jumped up levels and she moved up and skipped a couple of levels," Wright said. "She has a lot of potential and puts in numerous hours on the court. She's very determined. She has taken my advice and that's to play in as many tournaments as she can."
Lafayette Jeff's Sydney North hits the ball Tuesday, May 6, 2025, during the IHSAA city-county track and field meet at Lafayette Jeff High School in Lafayette, Indiana.
North is balancing her high school career by also doing coaching herself. She teaches lessons to students between the ages of 8-18 years old at West Lafayette Elementary on Sunday afternoons.
The combined teaching, playing and interactions with the game have afforded North to continually grow while staying confident and humble at the same time.
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Her undefeated streak ended against York, an elite player who did lessons with the Wrights as well.
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The quick pace, aggressive serve and experience of being a four year varsity player were tools North found difficult in matching.
But North also knows losing is part of the process of growing in sports. To get better, it takes competing against elite players.
"The key to being able to keep your momentum up every day and come out here is just to have that mentality that even if you do get beat, you're still going to go out there and give it your 110%," North said.
Lafayette Jeff's Sydney North serves the ball Tuesday, May 6, 2025, during the IHSAA girls tennis meet at Lafayette Jeff High School in Lafayette, Indiana.
North has her mind fixated on one day playing in college just like Wright, who earned a scholarship to Indiana State.
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Coaches around North believe she has the capability of playing college tennis someday because of her daily involvement with the sport as both a player and teacher to other aspiring tennis enthusiasts.
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"She's just a solid year-round player," Lafayette Jeff coach Dawn Patterson said. "She's cool, calm tennis is a lot of mental strength. I haven't played a girl player like her in a really long time."
Ethan Hanson is the sports reporter for the Journal & Courier in Lafayette. He can be reached at ehanson@ on Twitter at EthanAHanson and Instagram at ethan_a_hanson .
This article originally appeared on Lafayette Journal & Courier: Lafayette Jeff tennis player Sydney North continues to grow her game
