Yorkville tennis star playing with one arm and lots of heart

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Longtime coaches believe Cal Stillmunkes, the 17-year-old Yorkville High School tennis captain, is the first state tennis qualifier in IHSA history to compete with only one arm.

It’s a remarkable feat when considering how integral two are in this sport that not only requires strength and agility but incredible balance. Which also means Cal has had to compensate and improvise in order to play against other high-level prep players.

Cal’s swing, of course, also singles him out in a game where athletes almost always use both hands. But making adaptations has been a way of life since birth for this tall, slender kid, who credits parents Kerry and David Stillmunkes for “teaching me everything they can teach me,” while also acknowledging his own independent streak has helped him “learn a lot on my own.

The way it was explained to me, two-handed tennis is power-based, which produces a topspin on the ball. Because Cal doesn’t have that ability, he has to rely on an underspin, which most two-handers have a difficult time hitting.“Everybody we play is amazed by him,” said Yabsley. “They may first see him and feel sorry for him but end up in awe of him. He’s so competitive … it’s mind-blowing.”“He has to think harder, quicker and smarter with one arm,” said Stott.

 

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