Coupeville Sports

Joey Lippo is currently playing tennis, but baseball remains his primary love.

Lippo also spends a little time on the basketball court. (John Fisken photo)

Joey Lippo has no problem swinging away.

The Coupeville High School freshman is a baseball lifer, so the transition to playing tennis this spring for the Wolves has been a fairly easy one.

In the end, it’s still all about the swing.

“I started tennis this past summer and I wanted to play a sport that has the same qualities as baseball, like swinging the racket and hitting the ball,” Lippo said. “The thing about tennis that I enjoy is that I like hitting the ball and being on the court with all the great people on the tennis team.”

With a few minor adjustments, hitting a forehand in tennis is remarkably like hitting a baseball on the diamond, so it’s little surprise which of his shots is fast becoming Lippo’s strength.

“I think that I have a pretty good forehand,” he said. “I still have a lot to learn and I would like to work on my serve, my backhand and my forehand.

“I am not the best player, but even the best players need to practice sometimes.”

In the early days of his first season Lippo has been playing doubles, teamed up with another fast-rising freshman.

It’s a partnership he wouldn’t mind staying in for the long-run.

“My goals are to win a couple of my matches with my partner, Will Nelson,” Lippo said. “And, in the future, I would like to play with Will for the next four years.”

A fan of the “Star Wars” movies and his math class with CHS boys’ soccer coach Kyle Nelson, Lippo also enjoys running and basketball.

If they were in different seasons, he would likely embrace life on the pitch, but since they both fall in the spring, baseball will triumph over soccer.

“I would love to play soccer but Mr. (Willie) Smith has me for baseball,” Lippo said.

Regardless of which sport he’s playing, he credits a lot of his growth to those around him.

“All my family and teachers and fellow players have taught me so many good lessons,” Lippo said. “They have made me the person and player I am today.”