Tennis prodigies feed off one another's success
Weymouth Club's trio tops rankings
Jillian Rooney may be 12 years old, but that doesn't mean a teenager can't learn from her.
Rooney, of Canton, always finds herself looking up to older tennis players at the Weymouth Club. Little did she know that the older players have been watching her, too.
Rooney is "really talented," said 17-year-old Erin Vierra of Norwell. "I sometimes look to her because she just throws herself into it everyday, and it's good to see. I wasn't like that at that age. She's going to be really good."
Take a look at the United States Tennis Association's New England rankings and the number one spots are taken by Rooney and Vierra in their respective age groups in girls' singles. Not too far behind is Victoria Aiello of Milton, who will be a senior at Milton Academy this fall, ranked among the top 15.
The girls all train at the Weymouth Club, and while they are at different points of their young careers they have a mutual respect for one another and have gained respect in the tennis community.
Rooney is looking to build on her talent. Vierra is gearing up to blend in as a high schooler after two years at a tennis academy in Florida. And Aiello is vying for a college scholarship.
This summer, they have competed in local, regional, and national events to become stronger in the sport that has challenged them.
It is a coincidence that all of them are connected through the Weymouth Club and have been coached by Oscar Jara, the club's tennis professional.
Rooney's family recently moved to Canton from South Boston partly to be closer to Braintree, where she will be a seventh-grader at Thayer Academy.
Thayer does not offer tennis in the middle school, so varsity girls' tennis coach Cathy Turpel encouraged Rooney to play with the high schoolers. Not only did she play, she was the number one singles player and the varsity's only middle schooler. Rooney earned All-Independent School League honors with a 7-3 record.
"When you meet her, she's the sweetest girl," Turpel said, "but once you get her on the court, she's a competitor. . . . It's tough when you're a sixth-grader and you're competing against a senior in high school, but she's able to focus and play at a level that is really amazing."
Rooney said her teammates were welcoming and "treated me like I was their age" while being protective of the fact that she is so young. At 5 feet 9, Rooney looks like she could be in high school, and she plays with the same experience, Turpel said.
Rooney said she adjusted to competing against older players mostly by playing up a level at USTA events.
"I'm not mean, but I'm not going to let people push me over," Rooney said. ". . . I tell myself not to be afraid of them. It really doesn't matter who you're playing. You have to think you're playing no one."
As of Aug. 2, Rooney was ranked number one in New England in Girls 12 singles and number one in Girls 14 singles. But she is not focused on rankings.
"I really don't care about what I'm ranked right now,' Rooney said. "I just care about getting better. When you get older, that's when it counts."
Rooney said she also has learned by watching players like Vierra and Aiello and by playing against them.
"They're both really good role models because they work hard, focus, and are challenging players," Rooney said.
Vierra understands the track Rooney is on. She also played at Thayer Academy in middle school, but when it came time for high school, she chose to join the Evert Tennis Academy in Boca Raton, Fla., to help develop her skills. She was an elite soccer player and also played basketball. When she gave up team sports, she was ready to give her time fully to tennis.
As of Aug. 2, she was ranked number one in Girls 18s and number two in Girls 16s, but held the top spot in the division in July.
Playing in a couple of age groups helps a player improve, she said.
"It kind of shows you where you stand mentally and physically," Vierra said. "The more mature you get, the better your composure. . . . You don't want to win every match in a blowout. You want to learn."
Vierra said she is nervous about her first year of public high school, but the experience will help her prepare for a more traditional academic setting at college. She will be a junior at Norwell High this fall.
When it comes to playing sports at Norwell, she is undecided if she can balance the time.
But returning home also gave Vierra an opportunity to rekindle old friendships. She has gotten to know Aiello again, and both were in California last week for a national tournament.
They often come across each other and at times have had to play against each other.
"You just have to forget about it," Vierra said. "If something tough happens on the court you leave it on the court."
And while playing against a friend may be difficult, Vierra also has had the chance to appreciate Aiello's skills.
"She has a beautiful ground stroke," Vierra said. "Every shot she hits is really smooth. It's just pretty to watch."
Aiello will be a senior at Milton Academy. In 2005, she was selected a Globe All-Scholastic after she helped Milton capture the ISL title. She also has been a New England Prep School Association champion and been a member of the Milton varsity since seventh grade.
"She is a hard-working kid," Jara said. "If you ask her to do 10 push-ups, she'll do 50," he said.
Aiello said she has recently begun to play more national tournaments in hopes of earning a scholarship. While performing in front of college coaches may seem stressful, Aiello said it is all a part of the game. And she has learned from watching those who came ahead of her.
"I think that comes with any sport," she said. "You have to like pressure to play sports, but it's definitely manageable."
Monique Walker can be reached at mwalker@globe.com. 