Despite injury, operation

Gabriela Demose succeeds in tennis

Tennis player Gabriela Demose was interviewed by Young Saint Louis.com more than five years ago. Then, she was 12, ranked No. 1 in her age group and having her first shoulder problems.

Gabriela Demose

Now, she's a senior at Lafayette High School, survived successful shoulder surgery, won the Missouri big school girls tennis championship and has earned an academic/sports scholarship to Drake University.

In the years between interviews, Gabriela played with pain, eventually had to have a shoulder operation and even won her first national tennis title while serving underhanded.

Gabriela's now is 17 and heading to her final semester at Lafayette. This summer, she'll play in national tournaments to give her a feel whether she's good enough to turn pro.

Concerning the last five years, "I never stopped playing tennis even when I was in pain. Several times I wanted to but I knew I wanted to play collegiate tennis."

Gabriela credits tennis for a lot of her personal development during her middle and high school years.

Gabriela (center) on the winners stand at the 2007 Missouri Girls tennis championships. Others were (l) Rachel Stuhlmann, 2nd, and Michelle Kedzierski of St. Josephs, 3rd.

"It helped me develop a good work ethic. It also helped me become more independent," she said. "It's also given me some notoriety; people know who I am. And I like that."

Also, she said, "I like to meet people. Playing in tournaments helped me to get to know people around the country."

One of the people she got to know in her middle school years was Kirby Bridges of Omaha. "I knew Kirby from playing in tournaments. We paired up when I won my first national title, in doubles with her in Omaha," Gabriela said.

That was one of the tournaments where she had to serve underhanded. The pain in her shoulder was so bad she couldn't use her normal overhand serving motion.

During her sophomore year, she finally had rotator cuff repaired with surgery.

She had trouble with her shoulder for quite some time. But, the family put off the operation until Gabriela's bone structure had matured. Sometimes, if repairs are too early, further growth can interfere with healing.

Gabriela made it to the Missouri big school tennis tournament as a junior. But, she lost to Michelle Kedzierski of St. Joseph High School, who won the title as a freshman.

However, last fall, Gabriela beat Kedzierski and went on to win her own title. "I got a little revenge. It was a really tough match," she said. Kedzierski finished third behind second-place winner Rachel Stuhlmann of Webster Groves.

(YSL.com has interviewed both Gabriela and Michelle earlier. Gabriela's first story was in July, 2002; Michelle's in September, 2003. To read, go to Past Stories at the top of the home page and click on the appropriate month and year.)

Gabriela was the first girls state tennis champion for Lafayette. She also was the first champion from a St. Louis public high school. St. Louis has been strong in girls tennis but the champions came from private schools.

Since the girl's tennis season is in the fall, Gabriela's high school career is over. She said she'll be playing in independent tournaments this spring and summer.

Then, while at Drake, she said, "I'll play in minor International Tennis Federation tournaments that mix amateur and pro prospects." Under international rules, she doesn't risk her college eligibility by playing in such meets.

To stay in shape, Gabriela is getting specialized conditioning with Chris Mileski of the Sports Enhancement Group in Chesterfield. That workout center plans individualized exercise schedules for different types of athletes.

Asked about a tennis career, Gabriela said, "Pro tennis is awfully hard. But, we'll see."

However, she has a Plan B. She plans to major in business while at Drake University. "My scholarship at Drake was part academic and part sports," she said. Gabriela is a member of the National Honor Society at Lafayette.

Gabriela's favorite subject in school is history. "I really like American history," she said.

She said her repaired shoulder held up well during the fall tennis season. "It's 100 per cent now and I haven't had any pain for some time," she said.

But, she admitted, during the rehabilitation after the surgery, "I'd get frustrated and get down on myself."

Gabriela said the individual nature of tennis can have a downside. "It can be lonely, especially when things aren't going well," said.

About her trip next year to Drake University, she said she's excited. "I really like Des Moines. The school has a tremendous indoor tennis facility. And the school is in a good athletic conference (the Missouri Valley Conference).

Gabriela's story shows how hard work and perseverance