Thomas Auerbach, a senior and member of Hart’s Varsity tennis team, is excited to get his swing on for the 2022 season. 

“I think this is going to be a great season. We’ve got a lot of good guys and I’m excited to play,” said Auerbach. 

Thomas has been playing tennis since his middle school years at Placerita Junior High. He accredits Mr. O’s “Tennis Club,” a weekly after school program, for getting him interested in tennis. Since then, he hasn’t been able to stop.

“I love playing… it’s just so much fun,” Auerbach said. 

While tennis is the sport Auerbach has come to love the most, his physical talents have manifested in many other sports, including football.

“He’s a naturally gifted athlete and a fast learner. He’s a swiss army knife. In our first season of football, he came from nothing, and by the end of the year, he was a standout player,” said longtime friend Luke Bourgeois. 

Thomas played football until his freshman year of high school, when he decided to solely focus on tennis. After serving as JV captain during the truncated 2020 season, he made the jump to Varsity his junior year, and made quite a splash.

“His playstyle is so smooth… he’s got such good control over his game, more than I see anyone else have,” said teammate Ben Haslam.

Auerbach, who is known on the team for his unparalleled work ethic, fought his way to a starting doubles spot. By the end of the year, he had proven his worth, earning the title of “All-League Doubles Player,” which is reserved for the top three doubles teams in the Foothill League (which includes all the high schools in the Hart district). 

This year, Auerbach is eyeing a singles spot.

“After all of his years of dedicated effort, he’s definitely earned his position as a singles player,” Haslam said.