Prep girls tennis preview: Snohomish’s ‘self-made’ player

When Katri Shields joined the Snohomish girls tennis team as a freshman, she wasn’t completely dedicated to the sport.

“I played No. 2 junior-varsity exhibition doubles,” she said. “My matches didn’t even count (toward the team score). There were probably three people in the entire program that were lower than me. I didn’t take it all that seriously.”

The following year, Shields made the varsity squad and qualified for the 3A state meet in doubles with teammate Kiana Akazawa. Last season, the duo returned to the state meet, where they placed fifth.

Entering this season, she’s entrenched as the Panthers’ No. 1 singles player. She’ll be a strong contender to win the 3A Northwest District tournament in doubles, and hopes for a top-four finish at May’s state meet. She’s attracting the attention of college coaches.

Yes, Shields has come a long way in four years with her tennis game. But for that rapid improvement to happen, she had to be open to the possibility of it happening.

“I got to the point where it was easy for me to accept losing,” she said. “It was hard to realize that when I did win, it wasn’t just because (my opponent) was having an off day. I never saw myself as a person that could win at stuff or be better than someone else. I thought, ‘Well, she’s played longer than I have, so she’s better than me,’ so it was OK to lose. That was the hardest thing to get past.”

Thanks to a lot of work at the Snohomish High School courts and Edmonds’ Harbor Square Athletic Club, Shields eventually found her confidence.

“Even when I had success, I wasn’t confident in my success,” she said. “I didn’t think it was important. My coaches spent a lot of time convincing me what success feels like.

“Tennis clicked for me when I realized I liked it. Through playing tennis, I discovered that you can find comfort in something that makes you uncomfortable. (My success in tennis) has given me the (confidence) to do other things that I didn’t necessarily think I’d succeed in. The only way to go is up when you think you’re already at the bottom.”

While Shields is certainly an aggressive player, she prefers to analyze her opponents and figure out how to take advantage of their weaknesses.

“She started out as a baseliner, and now she’s an all-court player,” Panthers coach Dick Jansen said. “She’s comfortable playing from anywhere on the court. Her racket skills have improved tremendously.

“She’s a self-made player. She’s surprising herself in a way. She loves the battle. That’s something that’s come to her. It wasn’t there her freshman year.”

Shields probably will attend either Gonzaga University or Bard College, an NCAA Division III school in Annandale-on-Hudson, New York, where she could continue her tennis career.

She’s open to the possibility of studying music in college. She played violin for about 10 years and is a member of the Snohomish High School choir.

“I used to be part of an orchestra, and I did private lessons, but I stopped playing (violin) in the past year,” said Shields, a “big fan” of musician Allison Krauss. “(Music) is my way of escaping reality. I like doing something that consumes my mind and takes a lot of effort. I thought the violin would be a cool instrument to play because it’s not that common. I like how I can create something beautiful if I put in the effort.”