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Feldman’s tennis success earned him The Daily Voice Athlete of the Month honors for May in Westchester.
“My career definitely exceeded my expectations,’’ said Feldman, who will continue his career at Bates College in Maine. “I really had no clue how the team would pull together. We gained confidence in ourselves each and every year, and we kept improving. Winning the championship as a senior was a great way to cap it off.”
Harvey won three league championships and finished second once during Feldman’s career at Harvey. As an eighth-grader, the Cavaliers did not have a full team. Feldman played No. 2 singles as an eighth-grader, and moved up to No. 1 singles in his freshman year.
“In the long run, playing No. 1 as a freshman definitely helped,’’ Feldman said. “There was a lot of pressure, but I also got a lot of experience. I saw a bunch of the same kids over the years. Every year my confidence grew as I got better, bigger and stronger. By my junior and senior years, I was very confident every time I stepped on to the court.”
Feldman entered his final season undefeated. His only loss came in a straight sets decision to Max Macey of St. Luke’s in New Canaan, who finished the season undefeated.
“It does stick out, but I’m glad I was able to get all of those wins,’’ Feldman said. “I’d like to have finished undefeated. He’s a solid player and things just didn’t go my way that day. He got off to a strong start and held me off.”
Feldman plays out of the Saw Mill Club in Mount Kisco and the John McEnroe Academy in Eastchester. He plans to play several summer tournaments to prepare him for the jump to college competition. One of the things he will miss is the team camaraderie he developed with his Harvey teammates.
“I loved being part of a team for a lot of reasons,’’ Feldman said. “I loved not feeling alone on the court. You had someone you could bounce ideas off of. I’m used to playing by myself, but the team really gave me a perspective and a lot of training on what it’s going to be like at Bates.”
Feldman’s family vacations in Maine, and his brother attends nearby Bowdoin College, which helped sway him toward Bates. The tennis program is also one of the most competitive in in Division III.
“I fell in love with it when I saw it,’’ Feldman said. “I think my experience at Harvey will be helpful in college. I learned how to be a leader on a team. It’s probably not something I’ll experience at Bates right away, but it will stick with me. I learned how to stick with a team and support one another. I think that’s going to be extremely valuable during my college career.”
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