Bostrom able to relax more on the tennis court

By Kevin Hampton
Corvallis Gazette-Times

CORVALLIS — There was a time not so long ago when Crescent Valley High sophomore tennis player Allison Bostrom couldn’t let a bad point go.

If she flubbed a shot during a United States Tennis Association youth tournament, she often sent her racquet skidding across the court. She’d get so steamed up over a few miscues that it would take her out of the match.

Bostrom’s struggles started when she was about 10 and lasted about four years while she was playing tournament tennis. Her coach, Hunter Lipscomb, had a special remedy.

“Every single time when I would get upset with myself he would make me say, ‘I love it!’ really loud, make me yell it and I’d get so (mad) at him,” Bostrom said. “But eventually I got calm and I have a real good attitude now about everything. I really thank him for that.”

Lipscomb helped Bostrom hone her tennis skills that eventually resulted in a state meet berth as a freshman last year and an undefeated run so far this season.

Once she stayed on an even keel, her game improved dramatically. She wound up winning several events and even went to a major competition in Arizona when she was 14.

“It was a blast, it was so much fun,” she said. “The weather was great, it was beautiful. We’d have practice at 6:30 (a.m.) and it’s like 80 degrees already, so you don’t have to worry about it. It was really nice and I had such a good time.”

Bostrom stopped playing USTA tournaments when she got to high school. She played a tournament at Timberhill Tennis Club last summer and is considering playing a few more summer tournaments this year.

In the meantime, she has the high school season to finish. She’ll most likely be the top-seeded singles player in the Mid-Willamette Conference meet and could make a solid run in the state meet after making the round of 16 in 4A as a freshman.

Last year she rolled through the Valley League at No. 2 singles for the Raiders and wound up upsetting teammate Lindsay Clark for third in the district meet.

She said she lost only to Sprague’s Shannon Young.

“I wasn’t expecting to do as well as I did, but when I got out there, after I won the first match I felt better,” she said. “I’ve always had this thing where after I win the first match in a tournament, I feel so much better and relieved because at least I won something, even if I don’t win any more matches, at least I won something.”

Bostrom said she follows pro tennis but doesn’t really model her game after any player in particular.

“I like to stay on the baseline a lot more than I like to come to the net,” she said. “Mostly I’m what they call a baseline boomer, which is where you like to stay on the baseline and grind out hard, deep shots.”

She does enjoy following the Williams sisters and liked Jennifer Capriati when she played a lot.

Bostrom went to a meet in San Diego and was able to meet Venus Williams. She made it into an area close to the player and wound up shaking her hand.

“I like (the Williams’) power and how great they are and confident they are on the court,” Bostrom said. “Except I don’t get how they wear those hoop earrings and never pull their earring out of their ear.”