Sophia Schutte, a rising junior at Great Neck South High School, is this year’s recipient of the Jennifer Sherry Junior Sportsmanship Award. Each year, the United States Tennis Association of Long Island presents this award to a junior female tennis player who has exhibited excellent sportsmanship in her game.
Schutte’s parents attribute this excellent sportsmanship to her “reserved demeanor” and ability to remain “steady under pressure.” They said that their daughter is always “calm, steady and respectful,” despite the actions of her opponents.
“When she participates in organized tennis programs and camps, the coaches can always count on her to maintain a strong work ethic and demonstrate a positive attitude,” her parents explained. “In fact, there have been times when they will use her as an example of how a player should conduct themselves on and off the court.”
Schutte has been playing tennis consistently since age 8, and has a plethora of achievements under her belt. During her sophomore year, Schutte was a member of the Great Neck South High varsity tennis team. She played first doubles and ended the year with a record of 12 wins and three losses.
She was the National Winner of the USTA Arthur Ashe Essay Contest in the 14 and younger age group and was presented with the Junior Varsity Coaches Award in 2016.
In addition to all of her tennis awards, Schutte has also received scholarships in both 2017 and 2018 for NOAA-CREST Weather Camp at City College of New York and Penn State University Advanced Weather Camp, respectively.
Academically, Schutte’s favorite subject is science, and she is interested in studying meteorology in college.
In her free time, she enjoys traveling, camping and listening to country music.
