Tennis just one of Bennett's passions

Great athletes come in all sizes and packages, but one attribute usually shared by all is single-minded focus and an all-consuming dedication to a sport.

That would not describe Calvin Bennett.

As the No. 1 singles player on the Waterford tennis team, Bennett mows down opponents effortlessly and the first thought that comes to mind of the average fan watching is: Why doesn't he switch schools where he can be challenged by the state's best players? And the answer is: Tennis is only one of the many interests that keeps his engine running. And besides, he already is, arguably, the best tennis player in the state.

People say about him that when he meets up with the 5A players in summer tournaments, he beats them regularly. In reality, he says, "I rarely play any of them." And the reason why is that he has competed in about 15 national tournaments a year since he was 12 all over the country and is ranked in the top 50 players 18 and under.

So why not turn pro or at least go to a college that has a major tennis program?

"I can't spend my whole life playing tennis," he explains. "I never have liked just doing one thing. There are so many things to do." Thus he is heading off to Yale to explore a few of those things. The Ivy League does not bestow tennis scholarships, but his academic abilities earned him a pass to this bastion of learning.

Writing and English are two subjects in which Bennett excels. "I write short stories and poems," he said. "I won the poetry contest at Waterford."

His coach, Ken Wade, observed, "He is definitely not a dumb jock."

Bennett realizes that he has extraordinary talents in tennis. "It comes naturally to me," he said. "Maybe it is a bad thing because I don't need to work so hard."

Not to say that he hasn't worked hard. At 12 years of age he attended a tennis academy in Florida and at 14 he attended the Chris Everett Academy there and has been asked to remain in Florida to work on his game full time. He declined, choosing instead to enroll at Waterford and broaden his other interests and also to remain with his family in Utah.

Alta Canyon is where Bennett first became interested in tennis and where he took lessons beginning at age 4. Long-time friend and neighbor, Kyle Robins, said, "In second grade we were best friends and I would call him up to come over and play and he was always playing tennis."

So despite his other interests he has worked hard. He also knows that tennis is his meal ticket. He will play at Yale and hopes to groom his abilities so that he can try his hand on tour after college. "I would love to travel the world playing tennis tournaments," he said.

Meanwhile he will play "renaissance man: at Yale and partake of all those "so many things" that are offered up in this exciting world. Regarding his main goal there are, of course, too many options to choose from at this stage of his life. He concluded, "I just want to survive my first year at Yale."

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E-mail: wjewkes@desnews.com

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