Jeremiah Pangelinan is a rising figure in Guam’s tennis community. The 20-year-old from Yigo intends to continue to advance in the sport.

Pangelinan is currently a coach for the tennis team of his alma mater, Simon A. Sanchez high school.

The team comprises of students from different grade levels and many who are new to the world of tennis.

Much of Pangelinan’s time is spent on training those who started out just like him.

In 2018, Pangelinan placed third in the All Island High School Doubles A tournament. The following year, he was a semi-finalist for the Guam National Tennis Federation Men’s League that season, but Pangelinan believes that he can still refine his skills.

Improving his player level from 3.0 to 4.5 is something he wishes to accomplish as soon as he can step back onto the courts.

“3.0 is basically the intermediate level. Typically, 3.0’s are able to hit the ball with good pace and know about the basic mechanics of the game,” Pangelinan said.

His player skill rating is determined by the points he earns in official United States Tennis Association matches.

Pangelinan was first invited by one of his friends to play tennis in 2017.

“I remember hitting the tennis ball like it was a baseball and not getting the ball in the court,” Pangelinan said.

An unforeseen milestone in his first year of tennis was when he placed third in the Independent Athletic Association of Guam All Island Doubles A with his partner.

There was no one more surprised by his win than Pangelinan himself.

He slowly eased into the sport by practicing with friends and attending training camps held by the Tennis Academy of Guam.

His association with the tennis community grew further as he joined “Hit It Harder,” a team part of the Guam National Tennis Federation Men’s League, along with assisting for the Tennis Academy of Guam.

As tennis became a pleasant experience, he started to save money for equipment and practiced often.

Although Pangelinan has gained many positive experiences from playing tennis, such as forming unexpected bonds and finding motivation for consistency, he has experienced some setbacks.

Since the COVID-19 outbreak began, going out to play sports became a safety concern.

When the island transitioned to Pandemic Condition of Readiness 4 back in May, the time away from the tennis courts was obvious in Pangelinan’s practices. “When tennis was finally up and running, I was really rusty, and it took me a while to get back into the groove.”

Pangelinan hopes that the pandemic situation will ease so that he can play safely again.

Pangelinan’s family and friends are still his top priorities.

Outside of practice, Pangelinan enjoys playing video games with his friends and spending time with his family as well.