MONROE - Al Schroeder picked up tennis late in life, but that hasn't deterred him from seeking challenges on the court.
Schroeder, 45, of Monroe, is gearing up for the United State Tennis Association's Wisconsin state tennis tournament, which will be held Sunday, Aug. 11 at the University of Wisconsin's Nielsen Tennis Stadium.
It's the first time in Schroeder's 10 years of playing in the USTA Madison Area League Tennis that his team has qualified for state. Schroeder has played for several teams over the last decade, but everything came together in his fifth year playing with the Smoking Aces.
"We have exceeded all of our expectations," Schroeder said. "We weren't expected to be here. We just have to go there and let it all hang out and play tennis. People get amped up for matches like this, and they try to do too much. I think we just need to play loose with a relaxed intensity."
The state tournament includes the champions from the USTA Madison, Milwaukee and Northeast (Green Bay) leagues. The state tournament will feature a round-robin format with two singles matches and three doubles matches. Schroeder, at No. 1 singles, and his Smoking Aces teammates will play a match against a Green Bay area team at 8 a.m. Sunday and then take on a Milwaukee area team at 10:45 a.m.
The state champion will advance to the Fort Wayne, Ind. sectional Aug. 17-18, with a trip to nationals at stake.
Schroeder, who won a seventh straight championship in the Monroe Parks and Rec singles tournament in 2012, said the Milwaukee area team is the favorite to win the state championship.
The Smoking Aces finished 10-0 in the Madison Area USTA Tennis League. Six of the team's 10 wins came on a 3-2 score. Schroeder finished 4-5 in No. 1 singles matches. They defeated an Average Joe's team that featured four tennis professionals.
"We were lucky to beat them," Schroeder said. "The best team doesn't always win. I have had a lot better individual years. I'm playing the best of the best. The team carried me this year."
Prior to taking up tennis, Schroeder ran cross country and track at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater. He didn't start playing tennis until 1997, at the age of 29. He points to his collegiate experience for providing him a springboard and insight into what it takes to train.
"I didn't think I would be competing at this level," Schroeder said.
The state tournament is the culmination of a 10-week USTA tennis season that runs from mid May through August. With the season nearly at an end, Schroeder said the pressure is off.
"We don't have any expectations," Schroeder said. "I feel like it was more pressure to get here. We are just going to play as hard as we can. The competition will be ferocious. We will leave it all on the court."
Schroeder, 45, of Monroe, is gearing up for the United State Tennis Association's Wisconsin state tennis tournament, which will be held Sunday, Aug. 11 at the University of Wisconsin's Nielsen Tennis Stadium.
It's the first time in Schroeder's 10 years of playing in the USTA Madison Area League Tennis that his team has qualified for state. Schroeder has played for several teams over the last decade, but everything came together in his fifth year playing with the Smoking Aces.
"We have exceeded all of our expectations," Schroeder said. "We weren't expected to be here. We just have to go there and let it all hang out and play tennis. People get amped up for matches like this, and they try to do too much. I think we just need to play loose with a relaxed intensity."
The state tournament includes the champions from the USTA Madison, Milwaukee and Northeast (Green Bay) leagues. The state tournament will feature a round-robin format with two singles matches and three doubles matches. Schroeder, at No. 1 singles, and his Smoking Aces teammates will play a match against a Green Bay area team at 8 a.m. Sunday and then take on a Milwaukee area team at 10:45 a.m.
The state champion will advance to the Fort Wayne, Ind. sectional Aug. 17-18, with a trip to nationals at stake.
Schroeder, who won a seventh straight championship in the Monroe Parks and Rec singles tournament in 2012, said the Milwaukee area team is the favorite to win the state championship.
The Smoking Aces finished 10-0 in the Madison Area USTA Tennis League. Six of the team's 10 wins came on a 3-2 score. Schroeder finished 4-5 in No. 1 singles matches. They defeated an Average Joe's team that featured four tennis professionals.
"We were lucky to beat them," Schroeder said. "The best team doesn't always win. I have had a lot better individual years. I'm playing the best of the best. The team carried me this year."
Prior to taking up tennis, Schroeder ran cross country and track at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater. He didn't start playing tennis until 1997, at the age of 29. He points to his collegiate experience for providing him a springboard and insight into what it takes to train.
"I didn't think I would be competing at this level," Schroeder said.
The state tournament is the culmination of a 10-week USTA tennis season that runs from mid May through August. With the season nearly at an end, Schroeder said the pressure is off.
"We don't have any expectations," Schroeder said. "I feel like it was more pressure to get here. We are just going to play as hard as we can. The competition will be ferocious. We will leave it all on the court."
