Garrett Howard never thought a game of badminton would get him to where he is now.
Like a lot of athletes, it took a while for Howard to figure out which sport was the best fit.
From baseball to football to basketball in middle school, his future in sports was unclear.
One thing’s for sure, he was not interested in playing tennis.
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Howard said, “I always thought, ‘How stupid. That’s a girl sport!’”
Little did he know, he was about to find his sport when he least expected it.
And it all started with a game of badminton in sixth grade P.E. with his current head coach Chris Kohl.
“My coach told me to try tennis and my parents were like, ‘You’re going,’ Howard chuckled. “I did and I liked it. I played in tournaments, too.”
Now, the talented athlete has been with a racquet for almost six years and can’t wait for the next.
“I think that next year I’ll definitely go to state considering a lot of people have graduated, but I think Kickapoo can go to state individually and as a team,” Howard said. “Our high school is very athletic and has a reputation of making it far in sports. I’ve never been one of those that’s really good but the last three years that I’ve played at Kickapoo we’ve had really tough competition. They want the best from me.”
2016 ACHIEVEMENTS
Howard has definitely tried to do his best.
Of all the Missouri high school tennis players, the rising senior is ranked No. 8, and he is ranked 16th in the state and 66th in the region by the United States Tennis Association (USTA).
During his 2016 season with Kickapoo, Howard went 16-2, led the Chiefs to a first-place finish in the Springfield Catholic tournament and a runner-up finish in the Ozark Conference tournament.
Howard also made it to sectionals where he played 1 Awards nominee Reid Jarvis, who placed third at the state singles tournament.
“All my matches with him were like 8-1, 8-2. And at districts I went into third set with him. Competing with him was definitely beneficial,” Howard said.
In 2015, Howard also got to battle against another area top dog, Micah Klousia, who is now a University of Nebraska Husker.
Howard placed second at districts behind him.
Howard said, “What I love about tennis is that it’s an individual sport. You know that it was you if you messed up. When you win, you win. If you lose, you lose. It’s all on you.”
YEAR-ROUND WORK
Tennis isn’t just something he does in the spring with the Chiefs.
Howard is also a dedicated and hard-working USTA player, and he loves it for three main reasons:
1. He gets noticed by colleges
2. He meets new friends
3. He plays a sport he loves
“I love it,” Howard exclaimed. “It’s great competition, especially because you get to travel around the region. When you get in the high levels of tournaments, it’s really tough and it’s really good tennis, which I love because a good tennis match is a good tennis match. Whether you win or lose you are a better player.”
Howard has a lot of tournaments to compete in this summer, starting with one in Columbia this weekend.
In Howard’s eyes, the USTA is preparing him for a collegiate future.
“I want to play at the next level,” he said. “I really am a sports competitive person. I do want to play in college for sure.”
MAKING TIME FOR VOLUNTEERING
While Howard is dedicated to tennis year-round, he is also just as dedicated to another activity.
Aside from being an outdoor enthusiast, he is deeply involved with his church, Wesley United Methodist, and often goes on mission trips around the country.
“Last year we went to Virginia. I’ve been to Chicago, Detroit, Georgia, Tennessee and Joplin when the big tornado hit.”
Howard explained the volunteers go to “bad neighborhoods” to help clean up and renovate houses for people to safely live in.
“This summer we went to Milwaukee and helped out an organization called Next Step,” he said. “They help people get to where they can start living on their own, like the homeless. There was this uninhabitable home and we took everything in it apart and put it together again.”
The church also works locally with organizations like Red Cross and Rare Breed, which Howard is also involved with.
