Bartelt Enjoys New Take on Life

Page Bartelt probably would have a hard time convincing Sherlyn Brown that six months ago her right elbow was so sore she couldn’t lift her school backpack, much less swing a tennis racket.

But that’s because Bartelt had just drilled Oceanside’s Brown, 6-0, 6-0, in the first round of the Toshiba Tennis Classic Opportunity at the San Clemente Tennis & Fitness Club.

Less than 45 minutes after the start of her match, Bartelt was in the stands talking about her renewed vigor, newfound faith and a sudden desire to play professional tennis. But before Bartelt could talk about the future she had to explain her painful past.

Four years ago, Bartelt was a top-five player in Southern California and on her way from Capistrano Valley High to Arizona State on a tennis scholarship. After a respectable freshman season at Arizona State, Bartelt began to feel twinges in her elbow when hitting her forehand. She tried to ignore the pain for most of the season, but when she realized it wasn’t going away, she decided to seek medical help.

Meanwhile, Bartelt was becoming tired of the heat and her surroundings in Tempe.

“I missed California and I wasn’t crazy about Arizona State,” said Bartelt, 22. “There’s a lot of bars, a lot of drinking and a lot of fraternities and sororities. If you’re not into that, you’re in the middle of the desert with nothing to do.

“I didn’t enjoy running on the track when it was 107 degrees. Most of the people there seemed to be from back East and they wore Polo and Ralph Lauren. Guys were walking around carrying brown leather bags over their shoulders. That’s just not my style. Both my sisters had such great college experiences. I wanted to go to a place where I’d be happier.”

So Bartelt took her sore elbow and her laid-back style to UC Santa Barbara where she said the school uniform consisted of “thongs and boxer shorts.” Bartelt said she had no hard feelings toward Arizona State women’s tennis Coach Sheila McInierney, but she said her injury might have been caused by McInierney’s teaching philosophy.

“I changed my forehand when I was at ASU,” Bartelt said. “I went to more of an open stance, kind of like the one Andre Agassi uses. But I realize now that I wasn’t strong enough to hit like that.”

Bartelt redshirted her junior year at UCSB and didn’t play tennis for 18 months. She couldn’t.

“I tried hitting the ball against the wall at home once and it felt like my arm was going to fall off,” she said.

Bartelt said she saw doctor after doctor and none of them could tell her why she was in so much pain.

“They said I had tendinitis but that usually doesn’t last 12 months,” she said. “Actually, the technical term they used was golf elbow, not tennis elbow.”

Eventually, the pain receded with time and therapy. And in January of this year, Bartelt began swinging pain free, and differently. She has gone back to hitting her forehand from the side, the way she swung during her junior career. She played singles and doubles for UCSB this season though she still wasn’t able to practice much.

“I had a great time playing this year,” Bartelt said. “I’ve really changed the way I look at the sport. I didn’t have a passion for tennis before but I do now.”

Before being forced to take her 18-month hiatus, Bartelt had played tennis nearly every day since she was 8.

“I liked it when I was playing well, but that was about it,” she said. “Now I’m playing more for fun and I’m loving it.”

Bartelt said she’ll play California tournaments like the Toshiba Opportunity before leaving this fall for a semester at sea, her last semester at UCSB.

“I’m so addicted to the sport now I don’t know if I can be without it for 100 days,” she said. “Maybe I’ll get off the ship and play at a hotel court. But I don’t see myself missing seeing the Great Wall of China so I can play tennis.”

When she returns from her around-the-world education, Bartelt will play some pro satellite events and attempt to earn money playing tennis.

“I feel like I’ve just scratched the surface,” said Bartelt, who is three victories away from winning her second Opportunity Classic, a qualifier for the qualifying rounds of the Toshiba Tennis Classic at La Costa, Aug. 17-25. “So much of the game is strength and quickness and I’ve never really worked on either of those things before. I’m trying to see how good I can be when I take the game seriously.

“Since I’ve become a Christian, I look at tennis as a gift and a privilege.”

If not for her injury, Bartelt said she might not have tried to reach her potential.

“Where I’m at now, I wouldn’t trade for anything,” she said. “So many of my friends from high school are so burned out they’re throwing their rackets in the closet.”