Coupeville Sports

Beware, tennis balls. Kyle Bodamer is coming for you, and he will destroy you. (Wendy McCormick photo)

There is a new breed of tennis player at Coupeville High School and it resembles The Terminator.

Not content with merely waving at the ball as it went by, two Wolf netters, Ben Etzell and Kyle Bodamer, both threw themselves onto cement courts to make shots in recent matches. After he was done screaming like a little girl with a new dress, all CHS coach Ken Stange, a life-long tennis player who had never done that himself, even on a grass court, could do was marvel at the (slightly insane) commitment of his players.

“Everyone who was watching went berserk, including me!,” Stange said. “It was one of the most impressive displays of effort I’ve ever seen in a high school tennis match, almost up there with the rare three-hour marathon match.”

So, what was Bodamer, a sophomore baseball stud who picked up tennis as a second sport in July, thinking at the moment he went kamikaze?

“When I went diving for the ball nothing went though my head besides I must get the ball at all cost,” Bodamer said. “At that moment my body wasn’t my first concern. My only concern was that point, that moment, that shot, that was my only concern.

“I have no plans to do the same again what so ever!”

While he has only been on the court a relatively short time, he has already made an impact — and not just on the cement.

“Love that kid,” Stange said. “He’s all heart.”

Like all developing players, Bodamer has strengths and weaknesses in his game. The key to continued success will be whether he can shore up a few rough spots while continuing to bring the heat with his power game.

“My strengths on the court are at the net, because I feel like I’m really powerful and can put away balls, but at the same time have a touch to where I can place the ball about anywhere,” Bodamer said. “My serve is by far my biggest struggle in tennis. Also I want to get my back hand up to par with my forehand.”

In the spring, he’ll return to the baseball diamond, where most of his prior athletic success has come. The younger brother of former Wolf standout Brandt Bodamer, Kyle accepts the large shadow his brother left behind but is committed to proving he can be a star in his own right.

“If anything, it strengthens me. I can’t let my brother be known as the better baseball player. It just can’t happen!,” Bodamer said. “I’m actually glad he was pretty good at sports, because now I have a high standard to complete.”

A well-rounded kid away from sports, with interests in science (“It is just amazing to me how we can date a rock and how the human body works.”), ’80s rock and working on engines, especially the one on his dirt bike, Bodamer is still young enough to not have to have his entire future planned out. He has thoughts of perhaps becoming a mechanical engineer, but that decision is still in the future.

For now, he’ll continue his daredevil ways on the tennis court, a domain ruled over by his favorite authority figure.

“My favorite teacher so far has to be Mr. Stange, because he may be a legend at tennis, but he’s one of those guys who just doesn’t teach you what he has to and then call it a day,” Bodamer said. “He’s a guy that actually cares about you and is very understanding and truly is an amazing guy!”