Freshman year usually feels like a beginning, but for Elk City’s Josie McConnell, it already feels like a promise in motion. She hasn’t played her first high school tennis tournament yet, but the hours on the courts, the late-evening practices, and the laughter with teammates are already shaping the kind of player and person she wants to become.

For Josie, tennis starts in the mind long before the first serve. She’s learned that confidence can be seen in a warmup just as clearly as in a final score. In a sport where there’s no place to hide, she understands that how you think is just as important as how you swing.

“Tennis has taught me that mindset is one of your most important tools.”

“Positive or negative, your mindset can determine the final score of the match.”

Her foundation as a competitor goes back even further than tennis. Growing up on the softball field with coach and teacher Denny Geno, she learned that perfection isn’t the goal, effort is.

“One particular saying that has stuck with me from him is, ‘There is only one perfect man who has walked on this earth, and that is Jesus Christ.’”

At home, her brother Wyatt is the steady voice she leans on. As a former high school athlete, he understands the pressure and thrill of representing a school and a town. He’s the one who tells her what she needs to hear, even when it’s tough to swallow, and that honesty fuels her growth.

Getting to step into Elk City’s tennis program, even as a newcomer, already feels special to her. She talks about her teammates as a group she can’t single out because each one brings support, on the court, in the classroom, and in everyday life. Representing Elk City, with its loud backing from classmates, teachers, and community members, feels less like a role and more like a privilege.

“If you hit the ball hard enough, they can’t hit it back.”

Her dad’s simple advice makes her smile, but it also captures her approach: bold, fearless, and determined to attack whatever comes next, one swing and one season at a time.