By Avrena Ghatas
As a fifth grader, senior Benjamin Nguyen had just started going to Los Cab Sports Village to practice playing tennis after considering it a hobby throughout elementary school. He had the vision to get on the tennis court and do his best to earn every win in the competitions he was going to soon be involved in. Nguyen is now the co-captain of the varsity tennis team.
A scholar, a friend and a tennis player, Nguyen’s journey in high school included the wins and the losses but most importantly taught him valuable lessons for his future. Nguyen grew from a quiet freshman to the varsity tennis team captain as a senior. Nguyen continues to grow and will soon become part of the military.
As immigrants, Nguyen’s family escaped Vietnam’s communist regime through the help of the United States’ Military he says. Not only that but they also helped liberate his grandpa, formerly a Major in the South Vietnamese Army, after ten years of imprisonment.
“[My parents] sacrificed so much money, energy, and time for me that I felt like I had to repay them in some way. But the debt that I owed was too big to be repaid, so I decided that the next best thing was to pay it forward,” Nguyen said. “I decided that I would use the opportunities that my parents gave me to join the military to help those families just like mine. I hope to one day be the hero that those soldiers were to my parents.”
Nguyen’s goal is to pay a small part of his parents’ sacrifices; he does that by exceeding the expectations in everything he commits to. In tennis, Nguyen found a passion that he continuously puts his all into.
“I stuck with [tennis] because I met some of my closest friends through tennis like Kai and I just fell in love with the sport and the competition,” Nguyen said.
Nguyen met one his best friends, senior Kai Rodriguez, who is currently the tennis team co-captain of the varsity tennis team, through tennis. Rodriguez also attended the Los Cab program with Nguyen.
“This upcoming summer I am attending the United States Military Academy at West Point for computer science and aeronautical engineering,” Nguyen said. “I hope to either go to grad school or directly branch into cyber or military intelligence after I graduate.”
Nguyen explains how tennis played a huge role in his life in which he learned to push through and ultimately achieve his goal regardless of the hardships.
“I’ve had a lot of really tough losses in tennis…but the most important thing is that I still walked onto those courts the day after to get back to practice and hopefully walk off physically and mentally tougher,” Nguyen said.
Not only did Nguyen love his growth in the team but he also cherishes the moments before or after every game where real bonds are created.
One of Nguyen’s favorite moments while playing tennis was when the team won the CIF championship when he was a freshman. Nguyen felt joy walking in between a huge crowd of students cheering for him and his teammates.
“I was especially happy because I upsetted their #1 singles and gave him his only loss of the year which was a great feeling,” Nguyen said. “We then celebrated with an awesome team dinner and had the best sleep of my life. That was just the best day of my life.”
Laughing off any stress before a game and practicing together for the same goal of winning, Nguyen values his relationships with his teammates the most.
“[In the past] I would have said that I was most proud of my awards because they reflected all of the time and effort I put into tennis,” Nguyen said But now I realize the most priceless things I’ve earned from tennis is the camaraderie and personal connections with my teammates”
Watching Head Varsity Tennis Coach Harshul Patel train his team and also guide them on important aspects of their lives, Nguyen looks up to his coach’s sacrifices for the team and how he goes out of his way to make people’s lives better.
“From [Nguyen’s] incredible performances in tennis to his amazing academic achievements, Ben has never failed to astonish me with his capabilities. He has proven himself to be a dedicated and hardworking person, and I am proud of the person he has become,” Patel said.
Nguyen believes that being consistent and preservant are key qualities that will bring everyone one step closer to their goals and aspirations.
“I would just say always get back on the court. That’s the most important thing. You might not make the team, you might not win that match, you might want to play, but always get back on the court and push through. Struggles are what make people stronger,” Nguyen said as a piece of advice for someone who wishes to pursue tennis.
Even though Nguyen will not be playing tennis in college, he will forever appreciate the lessons, relationships and the challenges that led him to become the strong-willed person he is now.
“I have seen so many kids grow up to become contributing members of society, and I am quite excited to see what Ben will accomplish in the future, knowing that no matter what he does, it will be impressive. Ben was an asset then and he is an asset now,” Patel said.
