by KAYLA GROHMAN and ABBI DAVIES
To the gifted Ella Goedemans, tennis is a family affair.
The Chadwick sophomore just completed a stellar season, finishing 20-2 overall in singles competition and 5-1 in doubles with sophomore partners Hannah Choi and Storey Kuo.
Two weeks ago, Goedemans lost a heartbreaker to junior Jennifer Liu of Pasadena Westridge at the Prep League singles championship in Glendale. Chadwick was eliminated in the wild-card round of the CIF playoffs.
“I started playing tennis because my entire family, including my mom, dad and older brother, loves the sport,” Goedemans said.
“Not only are they the ones that inspired me to begin my career, they are also my biggest supporters. My brother, Marc [Chadwick Class of 2021], played tennis in high school, and he often gives me advice and tips on how to win my matches. On the other hand, my parents are my chauffeurs and biggest cheerleaders. I wouldn’t be where I am today if it weren’t for them.”
Goedemans has been playing tennis since she was 7 years old, and started competing three years later. Goedemans’ inspiration for competitive tennis sparked during one of her initial encounters at a national tournament.
“Watching the Indian Wells tennis tournament for the first time when I was 9 really inspired me to get competitive with my career,” Goedemans said.
“Seeing the players’ incredible skill sets in such a close distance motivated me to be just like them one day. It was heartening to see professionals playing the same sport that I played at such a high level.”
Goedemans has looked up to top-ranked players all her life. “Aryna Sabalenka [of Belarus] is one of my favorite players because we share a similar playing style. On top of that, I feel like she has a good mind-set and positive sportsmanship. I really admire her because of that.”
Despite being only in her second year of high school, Goedemans is ranked in the top 100 in California and top 600 nationwide of girls’ tennis players in the class of 2026.
“There are so many different styles,” Goedemans says when discussing her sport.
“In tennis, I like how you never really play the same type of person twice. Since you meet different oppenents all the time, every match will be different. That pushes my creative drive, and I’ll always try to come up with different ways to beat different people.”
Goedemans has played varsity tennis at Chadwick since the start of her freshman year, and she’s been one of the top players since the first day.
“It’s been nice to play with the other girls on my team, and I’ve especially enjoyed our bus rides where we play games and cheer each other on,” she said. “I’ve met a lot of new freshmen and became close friends with them.”
Freshman Kaylin Anastasi were quick to discuss Goedemans and all she has brought to the team.
“She has a very optimistic attitude, and because of that, she brings everyone’s mood up when we are at our matches. Ella is insane when it comes to tennis, and her skill sets are a super-valuable asset to the team,” Anastasi said.
Even with her creativity and skill, Goedemans admits that she sometimes struggles with the mental aspects of tennis. “It’s hard to stay cool mentally during matches. I’ve had many bad matches where I’ve gotten so nervous that I couldn’t play as well as I can.”
When asked about playing in college, Goedemans discussed her aspirations. “I’d definitely like to play NCAA Division III because my brother is on Emory University’s D-III team. He’s always been my role model, and I can’t wait to join him.”
Though just a sophomore, Goedemans is already looking to the future. ”I think it’ll be super-fun to play alongside like-minded and competetive athletes at the collegiate level.”
The Mainsheet 