Three years ago, picked up a tennis racquet for the first time. Now he is the No. 1 singles player at . Costello appears to have a bright future in the sport.
“I just got this new coach who is really good, and he’s taught a lot of solid junior players," Costello said. "Right now, I’m just trying to go pro and see how well I do. You never know."
Costello was introduced to the sport while hanging out with a childhood friend.
“It started in ninth grade when I came out and watched my friend who I had known since third grade," Costello recalled. "He was on the tennis team, and I just saw them practice. I was like 'This is fun.' It sparked a flame.”
From there, Costello starting taking lessons, and he was already working his way up the ladder at Venice High when an unexpected turn of events occurred.
“My family moved to Arizona for a year," he said. "Going to a new school and not knowing tennis players and having to start over with friends was tough, but I met a few people and they helped me through it.”
Costello has since returned to Venice, and for coach it was a welcome sight, given that his team is full of young players.
“I don’t have a whole lot of non-beginners on this team, so to have a kid like Ryan is great," Chew said. "He has a lot of experience, and he’s been our consistent No. 1 this whole year.”
Off the court, Costello keeps himself busy through the Church of Jesus Christ of Ladder Day Saints.
“I go to church a lot and help out there," he said. "They are also well connected with the Boy Scouts and I’ve been with them since I was 11. I did a bunch of camping trips and volunteer work with them.”
In just three years, Costello has gone from a beginner to the best player on his team. In three more years, who knows how far he will go?
“I’m going to try to make it on the [professional] circuit," he said. "I love tennis so much, and I want it to be a big part of my life. If it doesn’t work out, I can always play in college, but I really want to try to make this work.”
