Senior Spotlight: ‘I’m really proud of who she’s becoming’

Editor’s note: This article is part of a recurring series on local high school athletes who had their seasons cut short or canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic.

SANDPOINT — Kind. Selfless. Driven.

Those are just three words that describe Jenny Slaveck, according to the people closest to her. Jenny’s impact on and off the court for the SHS tennis team won’t be forgotten anytime soon and her mom, Mary Slaveck, can’t wait to see where life takes her.

“I always tell Jenny, I want you to be remembered as being the best person you could be because that is what’s important,” Mary said. “I’m really proud of who she’s becoming.”

Jenny arrived as a freshman on the tennis team and immediately made her presence known. The senior made it to state as a sophomore and junior and entered this year as the team’s No. 1 singles player and a team captain.

Head coach Kent Anderson was eager to see Jenny take a “quantum leap” in her final season and contend for a placing spot at state.

“She was going to get to where she needed to go and no one was going to stop her,” Anderson said.

Tennis has become an integral part of Jenny’s life but it took her a while to get interested in the sport. Jenny took some lessons when she was 3 but then didn’t pick up a racket again until just before entering the eighth grade.

In middle school, tennis and volleyball are both played in the fall. That overlap caused a bit of a problem for Jenny who had played volleyball for most of her life and was already dreaming of competing in the sport after high school. She had to choose one over the other and Jenny decided she wanted to try something different for a change so she picked tennis.

Part of the intrigue that sparked Jenny’s sudden interest in the sport was getting the opportunity to participate in an individual sport. She had only played basketball and volleyball up until that point and figured why not give being a solo act a go.

Jenny recalled showing up to her very first practice, hitting a few balls and then having a conversation with Anderson who asked if she had ever played tennis before because her skills were evident.

From that moment on Jenny has only put down a tennis racket to spike a volleyball.

“Ever since that first day, I’ve loved it,” she said.

Anderson, who is also the middle school tennis coach, said it didn’t take Jenny long to become one of the Bulldogs’ star players. It came natural to her and the athleticism, lateral movement and strength that Jenny had developed on the volleyball court translated directly to the tennis court, Anderson said.

Anderson wasn’t surprised at all when Jenny made it to high school and quickly began wrecking havoc across North Idaho because of her dedication. He said Jenny earned the respect of her teammates through her work ethic. They all look up to her.

“Having her on the team is inspiring to all the kids because she’s just the consummate athlete and she’s just good at everything,” he said.

Jenny said playing tennis helped her gain confidence and leadership skills, and understand the mental aspect of competing in sports where getting inside your own head is easy to do.

Jenny’s dad, Andrew, played tennis. He passed away when Jenny was in eighth grade. Her mom, Mary, said tennis helped her daughter deal with losing her father and she is grateful the sport came into her life.

“Its been really positive and I’m so glad she’s had it,” Mary said. “I truly believe tennis is something she can play for the rest of her life.”

The best thing about high school for Jenny was it gave her the opportunity to play volleyball in the fall and tennis in the spring. However, there was still some overlap between the two sports because the club volleyball season was in the spring.

Jenny found a way to balance both sports without missing many practices or tournaments for each. She recalled one day when she competed in a tennis match against Lakeland and then proceeded to drive all the way to Boise for a volleyball tournament. Sure it was stressful and extremely difficult at times but it was a commitment she doesn’t regret making.

“There were many times where she would go practice tennis,” Mary said, “and I’d be waiting at the court with her dinner and her books. Then we’d drive to Spokane and she’d do her homework on the way and practice volleyball that night.”

Jenny will always cherish the memories she made with her teammates while traveling to state for tennis and won’t forget the countless hours she spent in her teachers’ classrooms during her high school career.

“I never realized how much I enjoyed the access time [with my teachers] until now when I’m not in school and I get like one zoom call with them,” Jenny said about being stuck at home. “I just miss being able to talk to my teachers and being in the academic environment.”

Jenny, a member of the SHS Honor Society throughout her high school career and current treasurer, will be attending Colby College in Waterville, Maine, this fall. Jenny will also be playing volleyball at the liberal arts college that only accepted about 9 percent of the 13,922 students that applied to the college this year.

Jenny plans on majoring in economics and wants to attend business school after graduating from Colby so she can start her own nonprofit aimed at helping kids and families who lose a parent due to cancer.

Jenny has already started building relationships with her teammates at Colby over Zoom and can’t wait to move to the other side of the country and start the next chapter of her life.

Anderson said he’s going to miss watching Jenny walk on the tennis court every spring and having her stand in as coach during drills in practice because it brought out another side of her personality that everyone on the team loved.

“I’ll miss her about as much as I could miss any player that I’ve ever had,” he said.

In her own words: Jenny Slaveck

“I would like to thank my parents for motivating me to do my best in all aspects of my life, and encouraging my biggest goals and aspirations. I would also like to thank my teachers for their support, as they have truly made an impact on my life, and I will miss them greatly. Kent Anderson, thank you for four wonderful tennis seasons and always believing in me. I have enjoyed my time at Sandpoint High School and I’m grateful for the amazing experiences I have had. I am excited to continue my athletics at the collegiate level for Colby College!”