The popular TV series, “The Game of Thrones” has been described as a chess match with the winner gaining the right to sit on the king’s throne.

The game of tennis is similar to a chess match in that a player moves to a zone on the court in strategic anticipation of where she believes her opponent will strike the ball.

Jim Thorpe senior Tara McLean was outstanding in all the zones this past season - hitting winners in the forecourt, from the backcourt, on the baseline, and at the net.

McLean’s versatility led to a tremendous season on the court and helped her capture the 2022 Times News/Lehigh Valley Health Network Tennis Player of the Year award.

McLean first picked up a racket when she took part in a winter tennis camp while in kindergarten. She improved her skills each year before entering Jim Thorpe High School four years ago.

A dislocated knee cap sidelined her from playing her freshman season. She bounced back from that thanks to a dedicated conditioning regimen that involved running and legwork exercises which also improved her mobility on the court. At the same time, she worked hard to improve the fundamentals of her game until she ultimately became a fixture in the starting lineup during her sophomore season.

“I played double my sophomore year, but we didn’t play a full season because of COVID that year,” she said. “But even though the season was impacted, I tried to continue to work on my game as much as possible.”

That hard work paid off as McLean jumped to the No. 2 singles position as a junior.

Under the tutelage of then first-year coach Sam Lux, McClean finished her junior singles’ season with an excellent 12-4 record.

“Tara is a student of the game,” said Lux. “She understands where to hit the ball against her opponents, and she has awesome timing with her ground strokes.”

McLean won the Jim Thorpe Coach’s Award for effort and energy on the court following that season and this fall earned the team’s No. 1 singles position.

Going up against everyone’s top player can sometimes cause a regression in a player’s won-loss record, but not McLean’s as she once again finished with a 12-4 singles record. She also had a 4-0 regular season mark in doubles play for a total of 16 victories. In addition, McLean qualified for the District 11 Tournament in both singles and doubles.

“Tara was solid in her play on every area of the court,” said Lux. “She also hit the ball much harder this season, especially with her forehand which was the strongest part of her game.”

Lux said that the most improved part of McLean’s tennis skill set is her ability to stay focused on long rallies - something that was evident against this year’s competition.

One of her signature wins - one that she called her “best win of the season” - was against an opponent from Pen Argyl.

McLean won the first set 6-4 before dropping the second set 7-5. In a 10-point super tie-breaker to decide the match, McLean fell behind 6-2, but rallied and eventually won the tiebreaker 12-10 to get the dramatic match victory.

But McLean didn’t just shine in singles play this season. In doubles, she combined with Hailey Trine to accomplish a feat that had not been done in 30 seasons at Jim Thorpe High School - making it all the way to the District 11 doubles’ quarterfinals.

McLean credited coach Lux for much of her individual success and the Olympians’ team success this year. “He was always encouraging, and brought a lot of positive energy to the team,” said McLean. “He helped take my game to a new level.”

McLean’s outstanding season capped one of the best careers in the history of Jim Thorpe girls tennis.

Despite missing her entire freshman season with an injury, she finished her Jim Thorpe career with a combined 38 singles and doubles wins - putting her in second place on the school’s all-time career victory list.

McLean credited her father - former Jim Thorpe assistant tennis coach Denny McLean - for a lot of her success in the sport.

“My dad introduced me to the sport, worked with me throughout the years to improve my game, and win or lose has always supported me,” said McLean.

McLean also thanked her sister Christy - the 2020 TN/LVHN Tennis Player of the Year who currently is playing tennis at Lock Haven University - for helping her refine her game.

While McLean credited and thanked her coaches, teammates and family members for her success, it’s her steadfast dedication and hard work was a huge factor in her success.

Because despite having a large part of her first two high school tennis seasons wiped out by circumstances beyond her control - a freshman injury and a sophomore COVID season - McLean never let it get her down.

That ability to overcome obstacles and win on the tennis court leaves her well prepared for the future when she will be challenged to win at the game of life.