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Tennis and basketball. Two very different sports with two very different skill sets. For LaGrange Academy’s Alex Jarvholm, these are the two sports he is attempting to master. The sophomore enjoyed a true breakout season on the courts for the Warriors.

Jarvholm just wrapped an impressive second tennis season with the high school team. After finishing region runner-up last season, Jarvholm was able to win the individual region title this season and make it all the way to the state semifinals.

“There is a ton of pressure and you can either deal with it or you can’t,” he said. “I know how to calm my nerves in high-stress situations.”

With this season now in the rearview mirror, Jarvholm has already started plotting how he can take it a step or two further and win a state championship.

“This year the guy I played against got me, but the next time I’m going to make it to the final, there is no question about it,” Jarvholm said. 

Jarvholm has to step up for the tennis team in a big way this year. When no. 1 singles player and reigning region champion Prem Kamat went down with a season-ending injury before the season started, Jarvholm was thrust from the team’s no. 2 singles players to their no. 1 overnight. He helped the team make a run to the state quarterfinals and the uptick in competition helped him make his run at the individual competition.

“Prem being out injured forced me to step up and be a leader and play against the best players from other schools,” Jarvholm said. “I feel like I really stepped up my preparation this season when I found out and it has helped me step my game up.”

Tennis is no afterthought for Jarvholm, but basketball is where his heart lies. 

“My dad played tennis in college, so he got me playing as soon as I could hold a racquet,” Jarvholm said. “I fell in love right away and even though basketball is my main sport, tennis is till something I love to play.

“When I was a kid I was involved with playing just about every sport, but over the years I grew out of them and became more passionate about basketball.”

When he is not playing with the Warriors, he is lacing up his sneakers and playing with his travel ball team. Basketball is year-round for him.

“Basketball is all year for me because I’m either playing with my school or playing with my AAU team or going to basketball camps during the summer,” he said. “It is non-stop.”

Despite having some individual success, the LaGrange Academy boys basketball team struggled as a whole, winning just one game during the 2023-24 season. It was tough for Jarvholm who got to learn how to handle the highs of his tennis season with the lows of the basketball season.

LaGrange Academy is home for Jarvholm. The sophomore has been attending the school since he was in the fifth grade and is not going anywhere anytime soon as he looks to make his final two years at the school his most impactful yet.