ITALIA'S GOALS ARE LOFTY, BUT SHE HAS THE GAME : BUCKLEY SOPHOMORE TO PLAY FOR SECTION TITLE.Byline: Bill Schlotter Daily News Staff Writer Buckley Buck·ley , William Frank, Jr. Born 1925. American writer and editor known especially for his caustic, polysyllabic wit. School tennis standout Khushchehr Italia has a big game and big dreams. ``I'm I'm Contraction of I am. Our Living Language Speakers of some scattered varieties of American English sometimes use I'm instead of I've or I have in present perfect constructions, as in a very aggressive player,'' said the 15-year-old sophomore and two-time Delphic Del·phic also Del·phi·an adj. 1. Greek Mythology Of or relating to Delphi or to the oracle of Apollo at Delphi. 2. League singles champion. ``I like to go for big shots.'' Italia hopes her biggest shot will someday some·day adv. At an indefinite time in the future. Usage Note: The adverbs someday and sometime express future time indefinitely: We'll succeed someday. Come sometime. place her on the Olympic tennis team of her native India. ``We moved here when I was almost 5,'' Italia said. ``I'm still an Indian citizen, and I plan to - well, I hope I can - play for India in the Olympics Olympics Sports medicine An international competition among (traditionally) nonprofessional athletes trained in a particular summer or winter sport, which is held every 4 yrs in a selected city. See Paralympics, Special Olympics, World Medical Games. .'' Time will tell whether the dream becomes reality. But as Italia prepares to begin play Saturday in the Southern Section individual tournament at Westlake Country Club, her coaches aren't ruling it out. ``With the progress she's made in the past few months, she might very well play professionally one day,'' said teaching pro Bill McClain, Italia's coach at the L.A. Fitness Center in Woodland Hills. ``I think she will probably be very good.'' Italia has the desire to excel, McClain said, and the willingness to put in the practice time. ``She's a real hard worker,'' he said. ``She pushes herself.'' Buckley athletic director Athletic director (commonly, "athletics director") is a position at many American colleges and universities, as well as in larger high schools and middle schools, which oversees the work of the coaches and related staff involved in intercollegiate or interscholastic athletic Dan Gilmartin has seen the drive, too. ``She takes tennis very seriously,'' Gilmartin said. ``She's constantly playing tennis.'' High school tennis can be a tedious affair at times for players of Italia's ability. There is a much higher level of competition to be found in junior tournaments, and some top young players forgo playing for their schools. Not Italia. ``Buckley is the best school I've ever gone to,'' said Italia, who has a 3.6 grade-point average at the Sherman Oaks campus. ``So it's nice when you can give something back to your school.'' Besides, Italia says there is more to each match than just winning and losing. ``I'm always out there to work on something,'' she said. ``I always go out there with a goal.'' Italia's immediate goal is to do well in the Southern Section singles tournament. She qualified for last year's event, but had to miss it to accompany her family on a visit to India. Later in the year, her play was hampered by a back injury that kept her sidelined 2-1/2 months. But since her recovery and since joining McClain four months ago, she has made further progress at refining refining, any of various processes for separating impurities from crude or semifinished materials. It includes the finer processes of metallurgy, the fractional distillation of petroleum into its commercial products, and the purifying of cane, beet, and maple sugar her game. ``Recently, everything has kind of come together,'' Italia said. Italia is a serve and volley The introduction to this article provides insufficient context for those unfamiliar with the subject matter. Please help [ improve the introduction] to meet Wikipedia's layout standards. You can discuss the issue on the talk page. player with a hard shot she is learning to control, McClain said. She also has good speed and loves to come to the net, he said. She has lost just four matches this season and recently won a prestigious juniors tournament in Pasadena and placed fourth at another in Carmel. Italia has seen many of the top touring professionals play in Southern California Southern California, also colloquially known as SoCal, is the southern portion of the U.S. state of California. Centered on the cities of Los Angeles and San Diego, Southern California is home to nearly 24 million people and is the nation's second most populated region, - and she is not intimidated in·tim·i·date tr.v. in·tim·i·dat·ed, in·tim·i·dat·ing, in·tim·i·dates 1. To make timid; fill with fear. 2. To coerce or inhibit by or as if by threats. . ``I've seen their games, and I don't think they're that far from where I am,'' she said. ``I know I can get up there - I just don't know Don't know (DK, DKed) "Don't know the trade." A Street expression used whenever one party lacks knowledge of a trade or receives conflicting instructions from the other party. how long it's going to take.'' But she remains realistic about achieving her goals. Though she is very serious about wanting to play in the Olympics, she is even more intent about earning a college scholarship. ``I see her playing on a very good college team,'' McClain said. Italia believes it will soon be within reach. As in tennis, she says, life's opportunities go to those who seek them the hardest. ``Tennis isn't about how good your shots are,'' she said. ``It's about how mentally focused you are on the court. I go out there every time with a sense of wanting to win and wanting to reach a goal.'' She seems well on her way to reaching many of them. CAPTION(S): Photo Photo: Buckley sophomore Khushchehr Italia aspires to be an Olympian for her native India. Evan Yee / Daily News |
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