“It’s a family thing.”
That’s how Elizabeth Brown describes her involvement from the age of ten years old with the sport of tennis. Brown, a senior at Hardaway High School, has been the top-ranked singles player for the Hawks since she was a freshman at the school. “Love” may be a way to keep score in tennis, but it also describes Brown’s passion for the sport.
“Tennis is such a family thing. My family plays tennis. I have family members who have tennis courts at their homes. I picked it up pretty easily. For me, it was a match,” says Brown, 18.
Sometimes, tennis athletes with the kind of talent Brown possesses will gravitate toward tournament tours and expensive lessons with elite out-of-town tennis coaches. The 5’6” left-handed tennis athlete is pretty modest about her abilities and is quick to point out that while she does have tennis clinic with local coach Mike Greer, she doesn’t have time for that way of life.
Brown is a participant in Hardaway’s rigorous academic magnet program, the International Baccalaureate (IB). Course work for the program is time-consuming to say the least. Athletes at Hardaway in the IB programme learn quickly that time management is essential in order to combine athletics and academics, but Brown chose the school precisely because of the IB magnet.
“Hardaway’s IB programme drew me in. I applied to a couple of other magnet programs, but I decided IB was right for me. To play sports and keep up with all IB requires, well, it’s just a balance. I feel like I always have a big project going on, and it leaves very little time for anything else. I have made it work, though, and think learning this skill will be very beneficial in my life,” she says.
Making it work means practicing her sport with her fellow teammates after school, then arriving at home after 7 p.m. to complete about two hours of schoolwork. Tennis is a year-round activity for her. She also is a volunteer with the Juniors Council of the Columbus Regional Tennis Association (CORTA). That affiliation demands more time management, but some of the responsibilities are very close to her Brown’s heart.
“We have special needs groups we work with at Juniors and I absolutely love that. I get so much back from working with the people in those groups,” Brown says.
The senior explains her devotion to the volunteer work also fits in with the requirement of IB participants to complete 150 hours of service over a two-year period. Between her time on the Juniors Council and the volunteer work she does with CORTA, Brown has long since passed that mark.
Brown has developed tennis relationships along the way. She played tennis throughout middle school and also with the Juniors program at CORTA. Like many high school sports, tennis is a small world for those who are serious and have the talent to back up the interest. Brown has played alongside several local tennis athletes over the years, and that just may be to her advantage this season.
“With our new region, I will be up against some more schools in our area. Some of the tennis players I know from 
other things, so I am kind of interested to see how it works out. You know, before I go on the court, I will already have an idea of what they can do,” she says with a laugh.
Brown has a bubbling, warm personality and fits the image of the all-American girl. She is hesitant to talk about her tennis talent, but she didn’t get to be the number-one singles player at Hardaway for four straight years for no reason. Last year, she finished with a 9-1 record and went into the teams’ Class AAAAA playoff match with a 9-0 record.
She admits she might not have had the playing time at some other schools, but she has not wasted her chance. Her first year in the Hardaway tennis program was a learning experience. Brown says she had a tendency to lose focus and be unable sometimes to recover on the court when that happened. She’s worked on that issue and more to get to where she is today.
“I am always trying to improve. Now I can see the point. I can place the ball where I want to. I know I have been given a great opportunity to play here, and I play because I love it,” she says.
Hardaway tennis coach John Franco feels fortunate Brown chose to attend the school and be a part of the Hawks tennis program. Now in his sixth year coaching tennis for the Hawks and his fifth as head of the boys and girls tennis teams, Franco understands the value of players of Brown’s caliber.
“We don’t get many like her. Holding down the number-one singles position for four years is pretty rare,” he says.
Franco has seen Brown mature in her level of play. He knows her strengths and has no doubt she will be able to hold her own against the new region opponents.
“Her composure stands out above everything. You can tell she is a veteran player by her attitude and how she handles herself. She’s a smart player, which allows her to play at the number-one singles level and consistently produce solid wins,” Franco says.
With her talent, academic strength, and background in tennis, it is surprising to learn Brown is not seeking to play at the next level. She hasn’t chosen a college and is keeping her options open. She has a desire to enter a health care field and possibly work in some way with those who have special needs. Because she knows the time commitment that pursuit will involve, she hopes to continue to play tennis either as an intramural sport or strictly for pleasure.
“I don’t know what I am doing yet. I just want to focus on this season and enjoy it. Then, well, tennis is something I can play forever. It’s not like a lot of other sports that are over after you leave school. That would make me sad to leave it behind. You can take a racquet just about anywhere. That will be me,” says Brown, smiling.
Getting to know Elizabeth
Family: Parents, Frank and Julie Brown; one sister, Caroline
Pets: I’m a farm girl, I’ve got a lot! Mainly, four dogs and three cats
Favorite food: French fries
Athlete she admires: Caroline Wozniacki
Favorite team (college or professional): UGA
Hobbies: Reading, hanging out with friends
Favorite book: Tie between Pride and Prejudice and To Kill a Mockingbird
Person she most admires: My parents
Music she prefers: Almost any…country, pop, and my sister has got me listening to rock
Special routine before a match: Before we begin, I take a few seconds to compose myself and think about it.
Church she attends: Christ Community Church
Best thing about attending Hardaway High School: The IB programme. It narrowed down the population, so I got to meet people in an otherwise very large school.
Columbus Valley/Player Spotlight (female)/April 2015
Elizabeth Brown
Hardaway High School
Columbus, Georgia
By Beth Welch
Photos by Jerry Christenson
