Senior Jimmy Olbrich, a dual sport athlete in hockey and tennis, has led his teammates through the hockey season despite overwhelming challenges. He has been on both teams since his sophomore year. During school, he is an active member of the warrior trade store. He is also a supporter of the girls tennis team and in the past year, he has helped to coach the JV team.
What got you interested in hockey?
My parents got me started playing hockey at 3 years old and I fell in love with it. My mom played hockey growing up, and they wanted to see how I would like it. I fell in love with the sport and I had a lot of fun since I started playing. I just wanted to keep getting better at it. It was one of the things they had me try, and I really enjoyed it. I didn’t know a lot about what I was doing then, but I improved with hard work.
What position do you play in hockey? What kinds of tennis matches do you play in?
I play Defense in hockey, and in tennis, I play 1 singles and I play in singles matches. I could relate my experience being a captain of hockey and a senior lead on the tennis team since I had to keep up the morale of the team. I made sure to stay positive going into the hockey season.
How do you prepare yourself for a game?
I listen to music and just focus. The day before a game, my mom makes pasta. It’s a go-to thing that I’ve always done. I zone in and focus in on the moment leading up to the game. In the locker room, we listen to music together over the team’s speaker. Sometimes, we had team dinners to get ready as a group for the game.
How does playing both hockey and tennis improve your abilities as an athlete?
Playing Hockey and Tennis improves my abilities as an athlete because they help me stay active on my feet, and to stay conditioned. I like to work out as much as I can, whether its going to the gym or working out at home. The hockey team does training off season, and during the summer the tennis team has a camp to get us conditioned for the season. It helps us work on all of our tennis skills. As a team, we spend time together which makes a stronger as a whole.
What have you gained from your time on the team?
I have gained many memories that will last a lifetime and learned many lessons. I learned how to be a leader of a group and to be able to fight through ongoing adversity. It might not be going your way, but you have to keep going and battle through. If something is not going your way you have to keep battling through. One of my favorite memories is from my sophomore and junior years when the team went up to Traverse City. It felt good to bond with the team. I got my first high school goal my junior year, and it was a big stepping stone for my hockey career.
What lessons from tennis did you carry over into the hockey season?
I learned leadership, responsibility, and to stay positive and keep going during your game. I tried to keep my team as positive as I possibly could especially when they got down on themselves. It is better to take the positives out of it and build from it. It helps me outside of sports because I feel prepared when something bad happens so I can shake it off and keep going.
What do you do to learn more about your sports in your free time?
I watch videos to see how I can improve on my skills with hockey and tennis. I’ll watch NHL college games for hockey. For tennis, I watch the big tournaments and I follow tennis accounts on Instagram and learn how to get better from professional tips. I watch Roland Garros, Wimbledon, and the U.S. Open when they come on.
How do you keep yourself motivated throughout the season?
I try to look at the positives and stay positive. I also look at the negatives and try to correct it to help better myself. As a team, we try to pick each other up. That’s the biggest purpose of the team. If one person makes a mistake, it is the team’s job to pick them up and keep them positive.
Is there anyone who motivates you in your journey as a hockey or tennis athlete?
My parents have motivated me through my athletic journey. One of the pro athletes I look to for tennis is Rafael Nadal, who stays positive when he works through his tennis career. He is always trying to work hard and get better. For hockey, I don’t focus as much on individual players, but I look at the teams I watch as a whole.
Will you continue to play these sports in college?
I will be playing ACHA D1 Hockey for Oakland University. I really liked their accounting and business programs. It’s a very nice area that will hopefully lead to internships. Also, it’s close to home so my family can come see my games and I can come home to visit more often.
