It would be easy to feel intimidated playing No. 1 singles in the Eastern Pennsylvania Conference.

Fortunately for Pleasant Valley's Jake Ammermann, he isn't easily intimidated.Despite having no formal tennis training, Ammermann earned the top spot in the Bears' lineup this spring.That was the good news.For some players, that might have also been the bad news.But not for Ammermann.The Pleasant Valley sophomore welcomed the opportunity to go against a lot of the best players in the area and some of the best in the state.The Eastern Pennsylvania Conference has a strong tradition of talented, professionally-coached tennis players. That combination has produced a plethora of skilled players over the past decade.Ammermann embraced the increased level of competition that comes with the territory when you're playing No. 1 singles in the EPC.Instead of being intimidated, Ammermann was motivated."Moving up to No. 1 singles was a big jump," Ammermann said. "I knew I would have to be at my best almost every time I stepped on the court if I was going to even have a chance to win."But I loved that feeling. I knew I was going to be facing a lot of really good tennis players, but that just motivated me. It didn't intimidate me." Ammermann exceeded almost everyone's expectations this season.A year ago, playing No. 3 singles, he compiled a 10-8 record. This year, despite the jump to No. 1, he still found a way to post a winning record during the regular season, going 9-8.Ammermann's play this season at the top of Pleasant Valley's lineup earned him the 2017 Times News Player of the Year award."Jake is a very competitive kid and that's something that served him very well playing No. 1 singles this year," Pleasant Valley coach Mark Allison said. "I thought Jake did a great job last year, making the singles lineup as a freshman and winning 10 matches."But at a lot of schools, the difference between the No. 1 and No. 3 singles player can be quite drastic, so I really didn't know what to expect this season. I can't tell you how impressive it was for Jake to make that jump and still have a winning record. I'm really proud of how he played and how he competed."Allison said that Ammermann played some of his best matches against the best competition."Jake really got fired up to play the best kids," Allison said. "Playing in the EPC, he faced a lot of really talented players."But he never backed down and never seemed overwhelmed. He played some of his best tennis against the really elite players."Ammermann said that although he wasn't able to beat any of the top players, those matches helped him develop his game and gain confidence.This past regular season, Ammermann was 0-6 against players who ended up earning seeds for the District 11 tournament, but went 9-2 against everyone else."Playing against the best helps make you a better player," Ammermann said. "My goal was to learn and improve every time I stepped on the court."I think playing outstanding competition definitely helps you do that."Ammermann didn't have to look far to find some outstanding competition when he was growing up.After being introduced to the sport by his parents at a young age, most of his tennis time prior to high school was spent competing against his father, his mother, and his older brother Erik. Erik is a 2015 Pleasant Valley graduate who played No. 2 singles his senior year and also teamed with Jon White to earn a District 11 Class 3A silver medal in doubles that season."I never had a formal tennis lesson. I'm basically self-taught," Jake said. "I probably started playing with my mom and dad when I was in third or fourth grade and just learned by playing them."As I improved, I started playing against my brother, which really helped take my game to the next level."With two years of high school tennis still ahead of him, Ammermann doesn't plan on that current level being his finishing level."I have a number of things I want to work on with my game," he said. "My backhand is something I definitely want to improve and I'm going to work on a better second serve."I have a lot of room for improvement. Playing against the competition helped me realize the areas where I needed the most work. I'm already looking forward to next year. I think I can be a much better player."If Ammermann continues his improvement, maybe some day intimidation actually will play a role in his matches. But it will be his opponents feeling intimidated when they face him.