Senior Carson Odam plays tennis with the NC varsity team as the line two singles player. Throughout his four years on the team, Odam has helped create a sense of community among his peers. His passion for the sport remains apparent in each of his games, allowing him to motivate the team through his drive and perseverance. His leadership helps create a strong community among the players that binds the team together on and off the court. As the season continues, he hopes to share happy memories with his teammates and lead them to the state playoffs for his best season yet.
“Carson Odam warmly welcomed everyone on our team. He pushes for team bonding events and cares about our relationships with each other outside of tennis. His friendly nature is truly indicative of what it means to be a part of North Cobb Tennis,” magnet senior and teammate Jack Scafidi said.
As a singles player, Odam plays by himself on the court. One needs to understand the rules of tennis to understand the dynamics of the game and the significance of playing as a singles player in men’s high school tennis. The basics include the court colors. The tennis court supplies two different colors: one color on the inside of the lines and one color on the outside of the lines. This helps determine if a ball lands in or out, which determines the score of a tennis game. The player who wins the game needs to gain a total of five points. The names of the points are called love for zero, fifteen for one point, thirty for two points and forty for four points. The player needs to win the point after forty to win the game.
“Carson always is willing to work with us underclassmen either to improve our tennis skills or just to help us in our day-to-day lives. He helped me understand the game better when I was still new and I am very grateful. He is a great teammate and helps encourage us whenever he can,” magnet sophomore teammate Aiden Faber said.
Odam did not always want to play tennis. Inspired by his dad at age 11, Odam joined his neighborhood team to try the sport. Starting, he preferred the social aspect over the skill aspect of tennis. As time went on he started to seriously think about his playing in an attempt to join the varsity team at NC. Through diligent work and dedication, Odam joined the team his freshman year and his love for the sport grew. While he did not take tennis seriously at first, his dedication expanded when he realized how it brought his family together. Watching him play allowed his dad and grandfather to bond, which deepened his connection to the sport. Now, he plays a key role in the success of the team as a line two single player.
“I started playing tennis to make my dad and grandfather proud. They love to watch me play and I still play for that reason. I have gained a lot of love for tennis over the years and want to play beyond high school. I want to go to Midway University to play college tennis and then play tennis after that as well,” Odam said.
In the future, Odam hopes to pursue either data analysis or engineering. Following in his dad’s footsteps, data analysis attracts Odam because of its scientific nature. However, he adores the handiwork involved in engineering. For college, he plans to attend Kennesaw State University (KSU) or Midway University. If he chooses to attend Midway, he intends to gain a tennis scholarship and join his former teammate Tyler Goldfine on the court.
The Chant wishes Odam luck on his tennis journey.
