Success is something that is worked hard for and is rewarding when it is achieved. While the work is important, having a great support system is key. This is something that Faith Koontz says has helped shape her into the person and athlete that she is today.
“My mom is my biggest role model because she has taught me the values of hard work and treating others with kindness,” Koontz said. “Her mindset inspires me to push myself to be the best player and person that I can be. There are two teachers who have had the biggest impact on my life. The first is my freshman-year English teacher, Dr. Berglund, who helped me discover my passion for writing which is why I want to study English in college. The other teacher is my eighth-grade science teacher, Ms. Parker. Her passion for helping others and her deep care for everyone around her have inspired me to lift up people in my community and make them feel valued.”
Faith is a senior at Holland Hall, where she is a captain of the varsity tennis team. She is also involved in choir, and show choir, and she plays the piano. She is the president of the Baking for Kindness Club at Holland Hall, the president of Holland Hall Student Ambassadors, and she is a tutor for the Holland Hall Tutor Service. Outside of school, she attends the Tucker Tennis Academy where she works on improving her skills on the tennis court.
Faith has made some great memories throughout her life and she says that her top sports moment happened last season.
“The highlight moment of my career is winning the state championship last year,” she stated. “Winning the number one doubles title with my partner, Natalie, made me feel like all of our hard work had paid off. It was also a great feeling to win the Class 4A state title as a team.”
While she enjoys working with all of her teammates, Koontz says that her doubles partner Natalie is the one she enjoys working with the most.
“Our games are very similar and we always push each other to be better. We’re also great friends so we always have fun while we’re practicing.”
