Jefferson’s Parker Holland learning in and outs of tennis game

CEDAR RAPIDS — You often hear coaches say a player is a "student of the game."

Cedar Rapids Jefferson sophomore Parker Holland has taken that a step farther as his development as a tennis player continues to evolve.

"It's small, but it's been very rewarding to see Parker dive into different aspects of tennis other than being just a really good player," said Jefferson Coach Tim Preston. "He's finding new aspects of the sport that excite and interest him. And not only that, but he's finding he's good at those new parts of the game, too."

Holland's talents on the court are unmistakable. As a freshman, he finished fifth in the Class 2A boys’ state singles tournament. He is aiming to improve on that this season.

However, his attention to detail and willingness to dive into other parts of the game have impressed Preston.

"Last summer, during our camp, we were short an instructor for the first week of our camp that he was supposed to be a part of," said the veteran J-Hawk coach. "As I attempted to problem-solve, he jumped up and offered his help. It went so well that he ended up being a coach for that camp all summer long."

Another example.

"For 16 years, it's basically exclusively been me who (strings rackets for players), but Parker has stepped up into that role big time," Preston said. "He's learned about different racket frames, learned about different types of tennis strings. I know those are both kind of little things, but so many players who have put in the time and energy he has end up being ready to step away from the game."

That attention to detail and willingness to adjust have served Holland well on the court. His goals for his freshman year were simple.

"Finishing fifth at state was a great achievement," he said. "Coach Preston and I had a goal to qualify for state and once that was achieved, we set a goal to make it into the second day of state."

After losing to eventual state champion Kaden Taylor of Waukee Northwest in the quarterfinals, Holland rolled to three wins on the consolation side of the bracket, finishing it off with an impressive 6-1, 6-0 win over Muscatine's Ryan Kirkpatrick in the fifth-place match.

Preston said as Holland continues to grow and get stronger, his game will as well.

"He's very dedicated," Preston said, "but we're also starting to see his physical frame catch up to his game. He's taller and stronger, which should really impact his ability to absorb pace against better players and add some pace of his own."

Holland is not the only Jefferson tennis player in the family. His older sister, Lily, a junior, is among the favorites to win the Class 2A girls’ state title after finishing second last year, losing to Cedar Rapids Washington's Katelynn Kock in the final.

"My sister and I do not have a rivalry," he said. "We hit together for practice. Our games are similar in that we are both consistent players, but we have our differences, too."

Parker Holland began playing tennis around age 5, hitting with his sister, his mother Kendra and grandmother Lynette.

"I started to play USTA junior tennis around the age of 10," he said. "I started to have some success at tournaments and I could finally beat my mom, which kept me practicing to keep getting better."

A balanced approach has served Holland well, according to Preston.

"Parker is an incredibly steady player," Preston said. "He makes good decisions. He's comfortable anywhere on the court. He moves very well. And he's built this overall competence from playing so many matches that his opponents have a hard time rattling him or getting him out of his comfort zone."

As one might suspect, Holland's goals for his sophomore season are straightforward.

"We have a solid group of returning players and some new players joining the team so it would be fun to see our team win and be competitive at our team meets," he said. "As a personal goal I would like to qualify for state again, but I know it will not be easy because there is a lot of good competition."