PREP TENNIS PREVIEW Backed by Trapp, Howland seeks MAC, state glory

The Tigers shared the MAC title with Canfield last season.
By JOE SCALZO
VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF
HOWLAND -- About 10 years ago, Jim and Barb Trapp took a look at their three sons and saw three future tennis players. Potentially, at least.
Jim, a former Ohio State player, had offered each of his sons a chance to take lessons in the sport he loved. That was all it was. An offer. He wasn't going to push them into anything.
"We both knew that when you push kids into something like that, they rarely enjoy it," Barb said. "Ryan was the first one to say OK. He went to his first lesson and said, 'Hey these are really fun.' That's when the other two decided to start playing."
Coaching influence
Jim was thrilled, but he didn't want to be his sons' sole coach. So the Trapps hooked up with a coach named Keith Vens, who helped the three players develop their talent -- and their love for the game.
By the time they got to Howland High, they were ready.
Two years ago, Kevin (the oldest) paired with Ryan (the youngest) and advanced to the state meet in doubles. Kevin graduated and moved on to play at Xavier, while Jason (the middle son) paired with Ryan for last year's tournament. Again, they advanced to the state meet.
Jason graduated and moved on to play at YSU. Now Ryan is a senior and will look to make it to the state meet again this year. Only this time, he wants to do it as a singles player.
"It's a little more exciting," said Ryan, who has played singles during the regular season. "Now I'm on my own.
"I like that about tennis. I like that it's just you. In a team sport, you have other players, but in tennis, you can only win a match by yourself. If you lose, you only have yourself to blame."
Piece of the MAC
Of course, that doesn't mean he ignores his team. Last season, the Tigers shared the Metro Athletic Conference title with Canfield -- the first season the Cardinals didn't win the league outright since the league began in 1994.
"It used to be that you'd go to Canfield and it was like, 'Here we go again,' " said Barb, Howland's coach for the past four years. "Last year was kind of fun. Actually, it was a lot of fun. I'll admit it."
Ryan will again play No. 1 singles this season for the Tigers, who will again battle Canfield and Poland for the MAC title. This year's team is a little younger than last year's, but Ryan is hoping Howland can repeat.
"Is that realistic? Yeah, I think so," he said. "I think it's very realistic. But it's going to be hard."
And Ryan, who will play at YSU next season, doesn't wait until the spring to pick up a racquet. He practices four or five times a week during the off-season.
"I've gotten better every year, but not as much as I've wanted to," he said. "My forehand is my strength, but my backhand is my weakness."
He paused.
"I don't know if I should be telling you that."
He's his own worst critic. His mother isn't quite as harsh.
"At this point, he's not going to add a lot of strokes, but I think his head game has gotten a lot better," she said. "I think he's learned that he's better than he thought he was."
He'll find out soon enough. The Trapps have lost in the first round of the state tournament the past two seasons, so Ryan wants to do more than just make it back to Columbus.
He wants to stick around for a match or two.
"Playing at state has really helped my nerves," he said. "There's so much on the line because you know that if you lose, you're out. And there's a lot more people watching. You start to get used to it."
And even though her youngest son graduates this spring, Barb plans to continue coaching at Howland next year.
"I'm having a good time," she said. "Every year when a group leaves, you wonder how they're going to be replaced. But then you get some really great kids.
"Things just seem to work out."