Michael Chen has been a leader on and off the court for the Holmdel High School boys tennis team. He is headed to Georgetown University in the fall, where he will play NCAA Division I tennis. Michael Chen made an indelible mark on Holmdel High School’s tennis program. His NJSIAA singles tournament title last year was the first for the Hornets, and the senior led Holmdel to three team championships in 2015.
Off the court, Chen was just as important to a team that called on him to take charge at first singles early in his high school career.
The torch was passed to Chen, and he rose to the occasion.
“He’s been a big influence on the rest of the kids,” head coach Chuck Chelednik said. “One of our freshmen, Justin [Wain], followed him around everywhere.”
Chen, who is headed to Georgetown University, has been a key piece of Holmdel’s postseason domination. The Hornets were NJSIAA Group II finalists every year Chen was in the lineup, winning three out of four. This season, Holmdel earned its seventh straight Monmouth County and Shore Conference championships, plus the Group II title.
Chen took up the sport as a 5-year-old. Today, he idolizes the world’s top-ranked player, Novak Djokovic, saying he respects the way Djokovic goes about his business.
Despite playing first singles since his sophomore season, Chen believed he had a greater role as Holmdel’s leader this year. His duties as a senior extended outside the baselines, motivating his fellow Hornets to perform their best. “Be like Mike,” a reference to basketball great Michael Jordan’s Gatorade advertisements, become a call to action at Holmdel.
“Being a senior and the oldest player on the team is a lot more special. You can assume a position of leadership,” Chen said.
Chen provided a veteran presence off the court, and he also “led by example on the court and encouraged everyone else,” Chelednik said.
Chen lost just two matches in 2015, another 30-win season, and advanced as far as the semifinals in the singles tournament.
His career-best performance came a year ago. As a junior, he didn’t drop a single match on his way to the first singles title in Holmdel history.
The individual state championship wasn’t the only top moment for Chen, who said the most thrilling experience during his Holmdel career came in the 2012 Group II finals against Haddonfield Memorial High School. Chen watched as Derek Liu, playing at first singles, fought through cramps in a grueling three-hour match. Liu rebounded from a 3-0 deficit in the final set, propelling the Hornets to a 3-2 victory. “Liu had a crazy match. That was the best team moment for me,” Chen said.
Chen was inserted as Holmdel’s first singles choice, with Liu moving down the order, in 2013. That year, the Hornets rocketed through the state tournament. Holmdel made a run all the way to the Tournament of Champions finals, where Millburn High School handed Holmdel just its second loss of the spring.
The midseason switch, asking a sophomore to take the reins from a senior, may have been a gamble. But Chen proved he was ready for the spotlight. Not to mention that Liu took the move in stride, which didn’t go unnoticed by Holmdel’s head coach and his upand coming singles star. Liu embraced his role as a squad leader, like Chen after him.
“I think it was sort of passed on,” Chelednik said. Following the end of Holmdel’s season, Chelednik acknowledged that losing Chen will be a tough obstacle to overcome.
“You can’t replace Michael,” he said.
Chen sees more great years ahead for the Hornets. Wain has developed a lot over the last few months, according to the coach, and current junior Dennis Barlotta looks ready to step up to first singles in 2016.
“Holmdel is always going to be strong. I think the next couple years, Holmdel is going to be a very strong contender in the states,” Chen said, adding that Chelednik is always available to players looking for advice.
Chen expects to face his share of challenges following his move to Georgetown and NCAA Division I matches. But he looks forward to playing more doubles in college.
“Sometimes playing by yourself, you get a little emotional. Having someone there on the court with me will help my game,” Chen said.
He will carry with him plenty of lessons from his Holmdel career, especially the camaraderie he felt as a member of the successful Hornets teams of recent years. Chen also noted how the advice he received from his head coach will continue to help him through tough times.
From Chelednik’s point of view, Chen is ready to make some noise on the college level. The coach said he saw a dramatic difference from Chen’s play as a freshman to his senior year.
“He went from primarily a baseliner, since his serve was not a strength, to having one of the strongest serves in high school,” Chelednik said.