Plainfield North star Jessica Kowalcik commits to Georgia Tech, plans for future – Shaw Local

When the Beatles wrote “Eight Days a Week,” Paul McCartney was referring to how much love he felt for a girl.

For Jessica Kowalcik, the song applies more to the sport of tennis.

Kowalcik, a junior at Plainfield North University, has been playing tennis since she was 4 years old. Of course, she was too young at the time and didn't know how much she loved it. It took her years of hard work to make that decision, right?

“When I was 7 years old, I knew I wanted to play at a high level and I wanted to do that in college,” Kowalczyk said. “It’s been a big dream for me ever since, so I’m really looking forward to it.”

The increased level of excitement is due to her recent decision. Kowalcik made her verbal commitment to continue her academics and her athletic career at Georgia Tech. Georgia Tech, a member of the ACC, won her four conference titles and her 2007 NCAA national championship in women's tennis.

“Georgia Tech felt like the best fit for me as a person and as a player,” Kowalcik said. “They have an important balance between academic excellence and high-level tennis that really attracted me and made me know Georgia Tech was the right place for me. The team's dedication It was amazing to see the community.

“It will ultimately help me achieve my aspirations in the near future.”

She has had plenty of opportunities to play at such a high level.

At Plainfield North, she finished third in the state in singles as a freshman, rose to runner-up as a sophomore and won an individual state medal last fall. She is wondering whether to play for her school during her senior year, considering her own time and her obligations.

After all, she loves playing tennis almost “eight days a week” now.

“I play six days a week now,” she said. “I go to public school, so obviously I have to balance school and tennis. I have some tournaments scheduled for next month and summer. I'm pretty busy, but good luck.”

Kowalcik said her decision to attend Georgia Tech was a relief because of the balance she had to balance. She and her private coach, Marcy Hendricks, have been competing in off-campus tournaments around the country and are focused on the USTA Billie Jean King 18-year-old and 16-year-old national championships in August. It's about school, deciding whether to major in business or a law degree in college, or whether you're still a teenager.

A schedule like this can break even the strongest of adults. But Kowalczyk accepted the challenge. She is grateful to her family and friends for helping her learn how to balance her various responsibilities.

“Time management helps you stay focused,” Kowalcik said. “I give 100% in everything I do. …My coaches, my friends, my family, they've all been so helpful. Always there to support me. So that was really important in my decision and in my tennis career.”

She still has many big decisions ahead of her. She hopes that after the national tournament, she will decide whether she should remain on the school team and consider her major, while also deciding whether she will play on the pro circuit. Now, like McCartney, she plans to work “eight days a week,” but she also works “one day at a time” like McCartney's bandmate John Lennon. There is.

“I have big dreams of turning pro after college,” Kowalczyk said. “I'm working towards it, but I want to just go with the flow and see what happens. I don't want to stress too much about it.”