Lessons in Love

The concept of “love” has many definitions in life, but in the game of tennis, the word “love” has a very specific meaning: nothing, nada, zilch, zero. Leading 40-love is so much better than trailing love-thirty, but whether winning or losing, love is often present. For Maple River senior Claire Langworthy, an integral part of one of the area’s top tennis programs, the ebbs and flows of a tennis match has become symbolic for a life that has also seen plenty of triumphs and heartaches. 

Despite being born without a complete left arm, Claire Langworthy now strikes thunderous serves and chases down shots to hit backhand winners. Playing both singles and doubles during the season, Langworthy is now playing in her 7th year with the team and explained her love of the sport. “I love the team, how it's like a very team-motivated sport, but it's also a very individual motivated sport. It's just kind of satisfying to be out there on the court hitting and just going back and forth, especially when you're playing against really good people. It's just you and that opponent. Nothing can help you but you.” 

Claire and Ann first experiencing the use of a prosthetic arm.

Peter and Ann Langworthy, having been through the adoption process with their older daughter Julia, adopted Claire as an infant, and even from their first encounters with their daughter, that independence became obvious. “Honestly, she was independent from the time we met her. She was 15 months old when we met Claire in China. One of the first days with her, she saw crayons on the floor, and she didn't want anyone to give them to her. She picked them up and put them under her left arm.  She knew how to grab which one she wanted, and she didn’t want anyone to help her. She would take marker caps off herself, and some of her first words were, “I okay. I do it!’”

With Claire’s "I can do it” attitude so obvious, her adoptive parents looked for ways to help give their daughter an opportunity to remain active.  “When Claire came home, we had no idea where to turn for advice on teaching a child with a limb difference how to physically do things like tying shoes. After a couple months, Wally Johnson of Mapleton called and asked if he could sponsor Claire to be fitted with a prosthetic through Shriners Hospital for Children-Twin Cities.  Wally spent many years driving little cars in parades as a Shriner to support children with limb differences.  We never thought that his work would hit so close to home. Without Wally and his wife, Joyce, we would have never made the connections that we now have at Shriners Hospital.” Even though their first impression of the Shriners were “old guys driving those cars,” it began a relationship with a new community beyond Maple River that helped Claire soar. “Claire was under two years old when she was fitted with her first prosthetic. We’ll never forget when we placed it on her, she looked confused at first and then began to smile after she picked up a toy with a bucket over her prosthetic and walked over to us. There wasn’t a dry eye in the room!” Very soon, Claire could not only be active but also gain enough dexterity with the device to even shuck a sunflower seed. With a typical prosthetic costing between five to $10,000 dollars, Claire outgrew or wore out several different models through the years, but with the support of the Shriners, especially Wally and Joyce Johnson, Claire had no limits to exploring her interests.

Soon Claire was transitioning from cartwheels to athletics, and after playing basketball and softball for several years, tennis became a passion. Claire’s introduction to tennis came from a suggestion from Phy Ed teacher and assistant tennis coach John Pfeffer, who pitched her on the idea. Both Peter and Ann look back at the encouragement given as a catalyst in her career. “I attribute so much to John Pfeffer,” Ann explained. “I remember John talking to us about trying to figure out ways to help Claire learn how to toss the ball and how she could hit it. He invested so much time into figuring out ways to accommodate the use of her arm and see her succeed.” The Langworthys credit John Pfeffer and Lea Zuern, both coaches for Maple River, and Karen Langworthy, an active community member and tennis supporter, for being instrumental in creating an interest in tennis for her.  During Claire’s fifth grade year, she’d join a vehicle-full of other young tennis players to get much-needed practice at an indoor facility in Blue Earth during the winter. Claire also credits these early years for her success later at the varsity level. “Coach Pfeffer really pushed me to go to camps over the summer and do things, and that's where everything started to really click. Doing repetition drills and having that heavy discipline really helped me improve.” 

Claire serving at a recent tennis match.

Like any athlete, Claire got out of her sport what she put into it. Her development as a varsity tennis player mirrored much of the success of the team, which for the past two seasons has been one of the top teams in the section. Without referees overseeing the game, the character of tennis players is often revealed in pressure moments, and so too is character revealed in Claire’s opponents. “I feel like I've experienced a lot of different kinds of things,” she began.”A lot of them are very positive things. Like, after a match, I'll go up to the net and say, ‘good game’. Sometimes my opponent will say something like, ‘you've really got good serves,’ or ‘you play really well.’ Sometimes they don’t say anything after the match, but overall, I feel like a lot of my encounters with my opponents have been very positive.” 

Claire’s early “I can do it attitude” certainly was further honed in a sport where the athletes stand or fall on their actions, choices, and excuses. Professional tennis players have been guilty of blaming their rackets, line judges, or distractions in the crowd for a bad shot, but Claire doesn’t feel as if her prosthetic has limited her in any way. “As I've been playing tennis, I honestly don't think it really stops me from doing anything other than maybe when I'm serving. I could, if I had a normal hand, get a more accurate toss or something, but I haven't really even experienced that kind of problem. Another thing would be backhands. I wouldn't have to learn how to do that one-handed backhand because the one-handed backhand is very different from how other players handle it. That is kind of a limitation for a lot of tennis players. I don't really think I've seen much of a hindrance from it.” 

Both Peter and Ann have seen a maturation from their daughter that goes beyond just the game itself. “Early this season, Claire was at Gustavus when suddenly the strap of her prosthetic came loose on her back.  She couldn’t play without it being adjusted.  All of a sudden I’m getting calls at work about how to fix the strap because I’m usually the one fixing it,” Peter explained. “I'm like, ‘Well, is it the strap? Is it the cable? What part of it is the problem?’” While Claire’s parents and coaches were scrambling to understand and fix the problem, Claire took the bull by the horns, went into the bathroom herself and figured out how to adjust her prosthetic before returning in the middle of a match to play.

Now as a veteran tennis player, most local players know Claire (and her formidable individual record), but that has not always been the case. “I remember Kennedi (Oliver) was telling me how she would overhear some people being like, ‘Oh, this girl's got one hand. Take it easy on her.’” Claire’s reaction: “Perfect!”  As Claire’s dad summarized those encounters, “there have been several matches ending in tears by opponents who didn’t believe at first that Claire was a strong, competitive tennis player.” 

While making your opponent cry is never the goal, sport and emotions often go hand-in-hand. In fact, Claire admits to shedding her own tears in a sport she loves. While she enjoys her wins, her losses can hit much harder. “Tennis is very much a mental game, and I can get in my head a lot, just like many tennis players who want to do well,” she admitted. Even so, she has found ways to overcome the issue. “I have gone to Tennis and Life Camp three years now at Gustavus Adolphus College during the summer.  While I was there, they had mental training classes, which was really helpful. I think one of the techniques that's really helped me is to always say something positive for every negative thing that you say for yourself.”

Some leaders are loud and others lead by example, and after methodically knocking down one obstacle after another, Claire has found herself in positions of leadership, influence, and inspiration for others. Peter recalled one such moment after a softball game. “It was the end of the game and we were getting the last bit of equipment out of the dugout. A girl from the other team came over specifically to talk to Claire, and just said, ‘I am so impressed.’ Claire was pitching that day. And I said, ‘watch this.’ I reached out and untied Claire’s cleats. Claire tied her shoe right in front of her. The girl was so amazed. Those kinds of reactions are always fun.”

Claire's service project for the Shriners Children's Hospital-Twin Cities.

Claire has also left an impact with Shriners Children’s Hospital-Twin Cities. As a member of Maple River’s National Honor Society, Claire had a requirement to complete an individual service project, so she chose to make blankets specifically for children spending time at Shriner’s Hospital. Having walked in their shoes, Claire has also become an inspiration for young people just beginning their own journeys. “Shriner’s is an extension of our family. They treat Claire so well, and they love knowing that she wears her prosthetic all the time.  Her prosthetist/orthotist, Becky Born, is someone who has seen Claire grow up and find her passions in life.  We owe so much thanks to Shriners Hospital- Twin Cities and to Becky for always being there to support Claire’s needs.

Along with NHS volunteer opportunities, Claire worked at Celebrate Me Camp where she put her indomitable personality on full display for young people dealing with their own issues and insecurities. She has gone beyond doing things she loves doing, such as tennis, and letting other kids know that they can do hard things in their own life if they just try. Even things like playing trumpet is something that has proven that she can accomplish anything she puts her mind to.

Claire showing her enthusiasm during Celebrate Me Week.

Having seen her daughter push through many obstacles in life, Ann feels the trait of determination not only helped Claire personally but also in how she deals with others. “Throughout the years, I know that if anyone has questioned Claire’s ability to do something, she’ll dig in and prove them wrong. She has grit, and she is determined.  Claire has been given the personality she has for a purpose, and we see the good in that. She's a great encourager, too. I think she gets that from being encouraged throughout her tennis career, starting with John Pfeffer all the way up to her coaches today. Nobody has given up on her. She might be frustrated sometimes, but she always figures it out and cheers on her teammates just like they have cheered for her.”

 For (most) Maple River athletes, a sports career often ends with a loss, and while her own elimination in the individual playoffs during her junior year certainly stung someone like Claire who loves tennis so much, her role as an encourager could be heard during each round of the run to the state championship match. “I think I play better when I hear people I know cheering for me. So when I’m not playing and I’m watching my teammates, hopefully they like it as much as I do because I’m going to be super loud.  I love screaming. So when we’re outside, I think it’s okay to cheer and scream!” 

Julia, Peter, Claire, and Ann at a recent family vacation to Hawaii, where Claire went skydiving (of course).

While tennis has given much to Claire through the years, when she does serve her last point in high school, whether up 40-love or down love-30, Claire does not expect it to be the end of tennis. “I definitely still want tennis to be part of my life after high school. I can’t picture myself without a racket. Right now, I’ve been in contact with a coach at a college that I'm possibly going to attend. The school that I'm looking at is really nice. It has my major in cybersecurity, a focus on faith, and of course, they have tennis on campus as well as a club tennis team in the town. Whether I play for the college or not, I just want to keep up my tennis skills and be part of a team with people who love tennis as much as I do.”  

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