He tried just about every sport before he found the one.
From soccer to basketball to swimming, Reid Jarvis was on the hunt to find his place in the world of athletics.
He finally narrowed his list down to one: tennis.
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In 2016, Jarvis went 32-1.
As a freshman.
Jarvis said, “I was a little intimidated as a freshman and being No. 1, but the other seniors helped me adjust to it.”
He not only adjusted, but he also got very comfortable.
Jarvis was a key player in Glendale’s district title, as well as their runner-up finish at the annual Springfield Invite, where he topped all singles players.
To top off an unforgettable dream season, Jarvis alone battled out a tough third set test at the Class 2 state singles tournament to earn third place.
Standing on the MSHSAA podium, he was all smiles with a bronze medal around his neck.
It’s undeniable that Jarvis was just born to be an athlete.
With a family full of them, how could he not be?
It started with Jarvis’ father, Howard, who played tennis and basketball at Graceland University in Iowa.
Then the genes were passed down to Jarvis’ older brother, Alec, who was also a Glendale tennis player last season.
Alec graduated in May and will play at Truman University in the fall.
Jarvis described his relationship with his older brother as “very close.”
“We only got to play one year together but that was great,” Jarvis said. “We have an athletic family. We play sports and when it came down to it, it was me and my brother’s favorite sport.”
Tennis is also becoming a favorite for another member of the athletic Jarvis family.
Erin, heading into the eighth grade, is spending a lot of her time on the courts.
It’s as if offseason does not exist for the Jarvis siblings.
Aside from Glendale tennis, Jarvis also feeds his drive to succeed with competing in USTA tournaments.
“I’m just staying healthy for now, but I’m getting ready to play in tournaments this summer,” said Jarvis. “After this next tournament (Clay Court Nationals), summer will be busy with a lot more of them.”
After a summer of hard work, traveling around the country and playing his Vintage guitar when he has a chance to, he predicts another solid season for the Falcons.
Jarvis said, “It’ll be tough. There will be some helpful freshmen coming in that could definitely play varsity if they keep working this summer. It’ll be tough to have a season like we did this season because we’re losing three of our top four. We’ll have a tough time but if we work hard we’ll still have a solid season and hopefully build our team.”
