Valley Center junior Gabe Shaffer has been one of the best tennis players in the area ever since he stepped on the court freshman year.
“God has been a huge part of my journey through tennis and I’ve grown with him throughout this process just as much as my tennis game has grown,” Shaffer said. “He has kept me injury free while I’ve been trying to pursue this dream and I will forever be thankful for Him.”
Shaffer was named the 2024 Regional Doubles Champion, a 12th-place finisher at the state tournament, and was a part of school history when he and his other five teammates qualified for state for the first time.
The junior currently plays doubles with one of his closest friends in Braxton Nicholson. The two have been friends since elementary school and have played together for five years now and have elite communication through all the highs and lows of a season.
As Shaffer moves into more of a leadership role as it is his third year on varsity, he wants to continue to make a deep runs at state, but wants to make sure everyone has fun while they do it.
“My plans as a leader this season are to make sure everyone has a great time playing this sport we all love, while also being able to grow as a player and as a person,” Shaffer said. “Being able to keep our team like a family and making sure everyone is always in a positive mood is a huge thing for our team.”
