Tory and Richard Boshewicz knew that raising a son would be a challenge, but like many parents, they hoped that by encouraging their son, Anthony, to participate in organized sports, he would stay on the right track, or, where Anthony is concerned, on the right court.

When the Boshewicz family moved to the Ridgewood area just north of Mockingbird, they had no idea that the Ridgewood/Belcher Recreation Center on Fisher Road would play so important role in their young child’s development and future. His mother says that the neighborhood rec center soon became a familiar place for her son to hang out, and that was just fine with them: “The center was a safe and supervised place for him after school and on the weekends. He was there all the time.”

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“Anthony was the perfect example of a tennis rat,” says Richard Magers, English teacher with DISD, and summer tennis coach at the rec center. “He was on the court from morning ’til night. I’d love to take credit for Anthony’s ability, but he’s worked hard, and a lot of instructors have helped him along the way.”

Ultimately, hard work and a natural athletic ability earned Anthony a scholarship to Fair Oaks Tennis Center in Dallas, and this year he achieved Super Champ ranking in the state.

“Super Champ is as high as you go in junior tennis,” explains Magers, “and Anthony had what it takes to get to that level.”

Like tennis champ, Jimmy Connors, Anthony is a lefty, but Coach Magers helped him see how this could be used to his advantage. “Most players are right-handed,” says Magers, “but when a lefty comes on the court, it becomes a different game.”

The Woodrow Wilson High School senior says he enjoys competition but explains that when a player gets to his level, “you’re playing pretty much the same people, and if you see they’re having a bad day, then you can take advantage of that.

“Tennis is much more than most people think,” adds Anthony. “A good player has to think ahead. He has to plan what to do next. The unexpected placement of a ball, that element of surprise, can make the point difference.”

Although he was taking the game seriously by the ripe old age of 10, now, as a maturing 18-year-old, he wishes he had begun playing at an even earlier age: “The younger a kid is when he starts, the greater the advantage.”

Even so, Anthony’s hoping that tennis will take him as far as he may choose to go with it. For now, he’s willing to continue to make the sacrifices that travel and tournament competition require, even though it’s his senior year in high school. Next summer, he’d like to again teach youngsters at Brookhollow Country Club, as he has done the past two years. Then it’s off to college, hopefully with a tennis scholarship in hand.

Although Anthony admits he got into tennis “because my parents grounded me, and the rec center was the only place I could go,” the sport has brought him and his parents a lot of joy. Anthony is an achiever, and he’s not afraid of the commitment required in order to meet his goals. As a result, the doors of youthful opportunity are opening for this very likable young man. He’s made his parents proud.

But when it comes to excelling in sports, Tory says, “Most people think of tennis as the ‘country club’ sport, but Anthony is the perfect example that any kid can play tennis if he wants to.”