Boys Tennis: Hinsdale Central’s Chase Hamilton wears many hats

Updated: May 8, 2012 6:18PM

When Chase Hamilton needed to go to practice growing up in Hinsdale, the Hinsdale Central sophomore remembers that it was usually his dad, Bryan, taking him there.

For the Hamilton family, that was a lot of practices.

Years later, Hamilton is playing his fourth different sport in high school. Hamilton’s love of sports started at an early age. He remembers playing for the Falcons youth football team as a first and second grader, but then he skipped the sport until returning for the eighth grade.

Hamilton, now 6-1, 175 pounds, didn’t stay idle while away from football. He competes in nearly everything.

Hamilton’s Hinsdale Central Odyssey started before he even stepped into his first high school classroom. Hamilton plays football in the fall, basketball in the winter and is on his second spring sport.

He is currently playing No. 2 doubles for the Red Devils’ highly touted tennis team with freshman Mike Lorenzini, the younger brother of Caroline, who won her second consecutive state doubles title in the fall with the girls tennis team.

For Hamilton, it has been an adjustment while getting used to playing doubles extensively for the first time after spending most of his tennis career as a singles player. Hamilton and Lorenzini enter the team’s biggest dual meet of the season Tuesday with a home match against defending state champion.

Hinsdale Central defeated New Trier 3-2 April 7 in the Benet Invitational. The rematch takes place before this weekend’s West Suburban Silver meet. New Trier will play without its top two players, defending state runner-up Jared Hiltzik and his younger brother Aron, who quit the team last week over a dispute with their coach.

The Red Devils are favored to win their 57th conference meet and 13th consecutive title. Hinsdale Central won the Naper Valley Invitational Saturday despite missing the top doubles pairing of Peter Heneghan and Alex Hagermoser on the same day as the SAT exam and prom. Hamilton and Lorenzini played No. 1 doubles at Naper Valley, but finished in ninth place.

Hamilton played baseball a year ago for his future boys basketball coach, Nick Latorre, the freshman baseball coach. He played shortstop and pitcher, but missed tennis.

“I did miss tennis. I was playing since I was age 4. I’ve played my whole life,” Hamilton said. “I decided to play baseball instead of tennis, but I missed tennis during the baseball season.”

This school year, Hamilton was the starting quarterback for the sophomore football team and was a reserve guard for the varsity basketball team. He played in 16 games and scored 5.4 points per game in basketball (17-10), which had its season end in a Class 4A regional final loss to Downers Grove South.

The addition of Hamilton and 6-6 freshman Matt Rafferty (7.5 ppg) this season gives the basketball team a bright future.

“I think I’m so gifted with playing because I’ve had good assistance with helping my talent. My coaches have helped me develop into what I am today,” Hamilton said.

His parents, Bryan and Sandy, have always been supportive and now Hamilton’s 12-year-old brother, Trevor, is involved in multiple sports as a sixth-grader at Clarendon Hills Middle School.

What can’t Hamilton do?

When asked about bowling, Hamilton admitted to rolling a 190 game as a fifth-grader once. He has even played golf while visiting his grandparents at Hilton Head, N.C.

“I do not have a favorite (sport),” Hamilton said. “My favorite is whatever I play that season.”

Even in the summertime, tennis wasn’t far from Hamilton’s thoughts.

He attended high school camps for football and basketball and then spent one to two hours each late afternoon for tennis lessons.

“I would come home tired, rehydrate and do the same thing the next day,” Hamilton said.

Hamilton practiced at the Oak Brook Racquet Club in his younger days, but now plays out of the Salt Creek Club.

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