Forever Pirates -- Jaime Sabate
Our first of two Forever Pirate tennis features comes from former men's tennis player Jaime Sabate, who played for the Pirates from 2015-17.
I am honored to have this opportunity to share my story as a Forever Pirate.
Tennis has always been there for me. I would say it led me to who I am today. My passion for the sport began when I was 6 years old when my dad introduced it to me. I remember playing on old, cracked courts in the Philippines and from that moment on, I knew that this would be the sport that I would forever love.
My family decided to migrate to the United States when I was 14, and I knew it would be a tough transition for me. It wasn't easy to move to another country, but I knew my parents wanted what was best for me and my siblings. As I entered Fountain Valley High School, I decided to join the tennis team because tennis was something I was familiar with and passionate about. From there, I was able to make friends and slowly adjust to the culture and life in the U.S.
When I was a senior in high school, I thought about playing tennis at a collegiate level to see where tennis could take me. I didn't know where to go ... all I knew was that I wanted to play at a collegiate level after high school. My parents wanted me to stay as local as possible, so I made a list of schools that met that criteria. Left and right, I was researching colleges and trying to find the best school that not only had the best education, but also a great tennis program. I narrowed down my options and found Orange Coast College to be the best fit. OCC was at the top of my list, so I decided to go there.
I was 17 years old when I first entered OCC and the transition from high school to college wasn't easy. I had a hard time during my first year as I was one of the first in my family to go to college in America. I was trying to understand how college worked since it was very different from high school. In my first year at Orange Coast, I reached out to the head coach for the men's tennis program. Coach Chris Ketcham was very helpful as he told me what I had to do in order for me to join the program.
I was excited and happy when I got onto the team, but I decided to redshirt my first year. Coach Ketcham stressed the importance of being a student first and an athlete second, so I used that time to get a feel of what college was like and got to know more people around school. I was able to find my group of friends on the team and they helped me get through a lot. I can't thank them enough.
I played two years at OCC and it was the most incredible experience. One of my favorite moments was qualifying for state in doubles with my partner, Kendall Harris. I had the pleasure being his doubles partner and enjoyed every bit of it. I have enjoyed playing tennis with him ever since and he became one of my close friends off the court. My parents fully supported me when I played for OCC and I am blessed to have them. I am so thankful for their sacrifices and for all they've done for me and my siblings. Without them, I would not know where I'd be right now. Thank you, Mom and Dad!
After playing two years for OCC, I decided to stay another year to finish up my classes. I took my time at OCC as I tried to find what I'd like to do in my future career. I think it was the perfect school for me to figure out what I wanted to do after finishing my associate degree. I needed time to grow and I could say my experience at OCC has shaped me into the person I am today.
I have transferred to Long Beach State with the help of the counselors at Coast and I'm currently finishing up my undergraduate studies there. Although the school does not offer a men's tennis program, they offer a club tennis team which I play in and am part of. I guess you can say that no matter where I go, tennis will always be there for me.
I've created a lot of memories at Orange Coast and made many connections. Whenever I go back and visit, it feels like home. From time to time, I stop by the tennis courts to catch up with Coach Chris and even play a couple of sets here and there with the new players. I am glad to see how the tennis program has progressed since I left. I'm forever grateful to OCC and it's staff, especially the athletic department. Special thank you to my coaches: Coach Chris Ketcham, Coach Kevin Springer, Coach Pat Wright, and Coach Mac for the lessons you've taught me and for all the experiences.
I am proud to say that I am a FOREVER PIRATE!
