Coupeville Sports

Ben Etzell, back when he still had all of his original skin. (Wendy McCormick photo)

Ben Etzell gave his body to tennis.

In a move that caught bystanders, fellow players, fans and even his seen-it-all coach, Ken Stange, by surprise, the first-year Coupeville High School netter threw caution to the wind while in pursuit of the ball in a recent match against South Whidbey. Actually, he took caution, crumpled it up, lit it on fire and told it to never come back to town.

Few tennis players dive for a ball on a GRASS court. Etzell went hard to the court twice, and still made his shot, on a CEMENT court.

“I saw something happen that I’ve never seen in a high school tennis match,” Stange said. “It was truly something to behold. Everyone who was watching went berserk, including me!”

Etzell paid a price for his heroics, but it seems to be one he is at peace with.

“Well, if there is a ball within reach, chances are I’m going to make an effort to get to it whether that means diving or not,” Etzell said. “I’m a baseball player, so my first reaction is to get it. So really it’s just a reflex; I don’t go out there saying, okay, I’m going to dive next time they hit it over.”

He’ll remember his tussle with the hard stuff for a bit. Like pretty much every time he moves his arms and legs for the next few days.

“Oh man, I have a pretty bad cement burn about the size of a piece of bread on my right hip and thigh and my right elbow is torn up as well,” Etzell said. “At school today I had a gauze pad on both.”

His actions, which came during a highly competitive doubles match in which Etzell and partner Sebastian Davis put up a solid fight against a tough Falcon duo, seemed to inspire his other teammates. A few matches later, fellow baseball player Kyle Bodamer put flesh to cement as well.

“I love the kid. He’s another baseball player who’ll lay it all out there, literally!,” Etzell said. “He (Kyle) does what he needs to do to win, and if diving is included then that’s what he’ll do.”

While Etzell is new to tennis, he is a baseball lifer.

“Baseball is my passion, it’s what I want to do in life,” Etzell said. “I have played baseball for 13 years and plan to do it for another 13+ years.”

And, even missing some of his skin, he’s glad he picked up a racket to fill in the time between baseball seasons. A good relationship with his coach, even when he freaks out that coach a bit with his wild play, doesn’t hurt.

“This is my first year playing tennis and I’m absolutely loving it! Coach Stange has been great at helping me to progress but it really helps to have that natural raw talent in me,” Etzell said. “I’d say my favorite class is probably yearbook with coach Stange, just because he’s a great guy to have a class with and a bonus to have as a coach!”