FARMINGTON -- Senior Samantha Troilo has a message she wants to convey to younger students coming into Farmington High School.
Success in high school athletics is not dependent solely upon having talent and skill. She offers as an example her own high school tennis career, which wrapped up this fall highlighted by signing a national letter of intent Oct. 12 to play tennis at Lindenwood University at Belleville, Ill.
"You don't have to have talent, you don't have to have skill, you just need a work ethic," Troilo said in a Nov. 16 interview. "If you're willing to go out there for open court, if you're willing to just get anybody, no matter if they're good or not, to hit with you; you can do it."
Troilo said she came into high school tennis with no skill and no talent, but like former NBA All-Star and Olympian Doug Collins, who made himself quick when coaches said that couldn't be done; Troilo channelled her passion for tennis into an on-the-court performance. There were times Troilo couldn't find anyone willing to hit a tennis ball back and forth with her, so she improvised, hitting against the wall of the former Marvin's IGA on Main Street across from the high school campus. First-year Farmington coach Denver Holt said Troilo's greatest asset is her work-ethic. Although she had more tennis experience, she remained teachable, a trait Holt admires.
"She's one of the most coachable kids I had," Holt said.
Holt would tell the team they were doing a drill, then watch Troilo take the lead in making sure his instructions were carried out. Holt was the third different tennis coach Troilo played for in high school, but instead of showing frustration with the break in continuity, Troilo demonstrated senior leadership.
"I kind of asked her to help me out for the most part," Holt said. "I put a lot of responsibility on her. She helped me out a bunch."
In her mind, Troilo was rehearsing the experience as preparation for a potential secondary job once she obtains her goal of getting an early degree in Elementary Education and becomes a teacher.
"I dabbled a little bit in coaching," Troilo said. "I kind of want to come back and take his spot in a couple of years. So, he has come competition."
Troilo isn't wasting time. She is contemplating early graduation from Farmington High School in December, then picking up some Northwest Arkansas Community College credits at the Farmington campus in the spring. She already has passed college-level Math courses above what she will need. Holt said that is one thing he loves about Farmington High School, "giving kids those opportunities to take those college classes."
"Not all schools can offer that," Holt said.
Troilo will pace herself and does not plan to start college in the spring -- although she plans on having a leg up.
"Hopefully, being very close to being a sophomore in college by the spring," Troilo said.
One of Troilo's favorite subjects is creative writing. Her mother, Staci Troilo, is the author of several works of fiction. Troilo is working on her own book, titled Misfortune, of which she has completed 52 pages of her goal of about 150.
Holt describes the college scholarship as icing on the cake for a dedicated tennis player.
"It was tremendous opportunity," Holt said. "It's always nice to see a kid with Sam's work ethic to get an opportunity to further her education while playing the sport she loves."
Early in the tennis season, from June to August, 16 colleges had expressed interest in Troilo. That number has grown to 65 as of Nov. 16. Troilo recalled the excitement of receiving notice of the scholarship offer from Lindenwood.
"When I got that email from that coach, I was so excited," Troilo said. "(Lindenwood tennis) Coach (Eric) Sturgis said, 'Give me your ACT score and send me your transcripts and I'll let you know within a week."
Sturgis worked out funding where Troilo's expenses were cut by $13,000.
"I went from paying $25,000 to $12,000 and it can still go up to $2,000-a-year more if I raise my ACT," Troilo said.
For her part, Troilo wants to live up to her family name. Her family immigrated to American from Italy in the late 1800s, leaving most of their possessions behind and staking their future on their work ethic.
"I was raised with all these people, who had nothing; and they went and worked and made something out of themselves," Troilo said. "I go into things trying to live up to the name my family's made for themselves."
Sports on 11/30/2016