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After Conley Raidt’s family moved to Nashville when she was 7 years old, her mother searched for sports activities for Conley and her younger brother.

She couldn’t find a summer soccer class, so she signed them up for tennis lessons. Once the first day arrived, they all climbed into their black Volkswagen minivan and headed to the courts.

Five-Star Junior Conley Raidt Has Committed to Tennessee
© Contributed Photo

“I was screaming and crying the entire way there because I hated the idea of going to tennis,” Raidt said. “My mom told me she almost turned around but she had a gut feeling to let us go and do this one time. If it was terrible, she would have pulled us out of it.”

Her maternal instincts were right on target. After only a few swings from Raidt, it was apparent she had potential.

“The coach asked, ‘how long have your kids been playing tennis?’ and my mom said ‘Uh, 15 minutes,’” Raidt said. “Right away it was just a fun activity that we could both do and that is kind of how it all started.”