Doubles on and off the court, twins and seniors Amy and April Clark continue to play in their fourth year on Sandpoint High School’s varsity tennis team.

Both girls were inspired by their older sister, who played tennis throughout high school and shared her passion for the sport. After seeing their sister’s love of the sport, the Clark twins thought tennis would be an exciting option and decided to try it when entering high school.

Joining the sport together allowed the Clark sisters to become doubles partners, a partnership that strengthened their relationship as siblings. The girls enjoy playing together and having a consistent partner to play with or against.

“Playing together has really forced us to have better communication and work together as a team,” April Clark said.

Participation in the sport over four years has not only strengthened their bond together, but allowed them to grow individually.

“There’s less relying on other people like in a team sport. In tennis, it’s all about you and your skill,” Amy Clark said. “One thing I have learned in tennis is how to become stronger mentally because the sport is more mentally challenging than physically, so having a strong mindset when going into matches is really important.”

Since tennis is both a partner and individual sport, April expressed that her involvement has helped her develop and better understand herself.

“Tennis is a very individualized sport, and this has helped me understand that you can be your own team. You don’t need other teammates to help you grow because over the years I had to grow on my own,” April Clark said.

Beginning the sport as a freshman, April initially found tennis challenging, but after her persistence, she grew to enjoy the activity and appreciated what she learned from her coach Kent Anderson. This led to April and her sister achieving third at districts during their junior year.

“I learned that tennis is not as easy as it looks, but once you get the hang of the technique, it is a lot of fun.” April Clark said. “I love tennis and have gained so much knowledge and passion for the sport.”

The girls practice five to six times a week during the tennis season, and they try to practice as much as possible during the off season. Both of them strongly recommend the sport to anyone interested and plan to continue the lifelong sport as a hobby.

“I don’t see myself ever stopping playing tennis,” Amy Clark said.