Netting Success : University’s Carsten Hoffmann Has Gone to the Courts to Help Ease the Transition From West Germany to Irvine

At 12, Carsten Hoffmann didn’t like his parents’ idea of moving the family to the United States from its native West Germany. He didn’t want to lose his friends, the family’s 16th-century home or the Leistungzenterum --the tennis center where his talent was being developed.

But when he woke on his first American morning, Hoffmann saw something that suddenly brightened his outlook on living in the United States--the 5 a.m. sun shining in his eyes. In West Germany, 5 a.m. meant only darkness. Here, it would mean much more tennis time.

Five years later, Hoffmann has become a ray of light on the boys’ tennis team at University High School. A senior, Hoffmann is starting his second season as the Trojans’ No. 1 singles player. University, 3-0 in nonleague matches, is the top-ranked team in Orange County.

Hoffmann’s transition into the American life style was fast-paced from the start. When he left Ladenberg, a beautiful medieval town of 12,000, his life revolved around school and tennis. The latter involved the same Leistungzenterum where Boris Becker trained and often played with him.

Master-planned Irvine was another world entirely. Fortunately for Hoffmann, tennis courts are a part of it.

“The first morning after we arrived here,” said Franz Hoffmann, Carsten’s father, “Carsten woke up real early, went outside, then suddenly ran back in asking for his tennis racket. Somehow--without knowing a word of English--he met a (UC Irvine) student outside our door. She didn’t know a word of German, either, but the two of them were suddenly off in the car to the tennis courts. It was so amazing. He figured how to communicate ‘play tennis,’ and they were off.”

Indeed, Hoffmann learned to communicate quickly. His father had taken a position as a professor in UCI’s biology department, and the family lived on campus, allowing the boy to learn about the American life style firsthand.

He received help from many UCI students with whom he became friends. Tennis became the medium for many of his relationships.

“At first he’d wait by the tennis courts, hoping students would rally with him,” said Hoffmann’s mother, Heidi. “But after they saw how good he was, even though he was 12, they’d come to our house to see if he would hit with them.”

The campus friendships soon traveled to other courts. The UCI women’s basketball team “adopted” him. The men’s crew befriended him.

Unfortunately, Hoffmann didn’t have the same ease befriending his junior high classmates. Many teased him about his German accent and his clothes, which lacked the more popular labels. He felt frustrated with what he considered to be American immaturity and hoped that high school would be better.

Everything changed his freshman year. With tennis courts for his proving ground and a varsity letter on his jacket, Hoffmann became a popular student.

Hoffmann played No. 4 singles, which at the time was the final singles position. (Current rules allow three.)

Said Coach Gary Sisel: “In our first match (against Rolling Hills), Carsten came up to me and said, ‘Coach, my legs are shaking. I’m so scared.’ He was. You could see his skinny legs just shaking.”

That was three years ago, and Hoffmann’s prematch jitters have been calmed by a quiet confidence and a powerful serve. His legs are no longer skinny, but strong and very quick--evident in a fast-improving serve-and-volley game.

Last season, Hoffmann was defeated in the Sea View League only by Corona del Mar power Mike Briggs in the league individual final. The Trojans lost to Miraleste, 13-5, in last season’s Southern Section 4-A semifinal.

Hoffmann spent a good part of his summer preparing for his senior year. He has a record of 8-1, and his goals include winning the section 4-A team title and defeating Briggs--or whomever else--for the Sea View individual title.

“Carsten will do whatever it takes to improve,” Sisel said. “But more so, he does whatever he can to help. He’ll get out and paint the courts and posts or whatever you need to get things done. He exemplifies what makes this team successful--taking what you have, and doing all you can, the best you can, with it.”

Hoffmann said that although he’s not sure if he’ll remain in the United States after he finishes college (he’s considering UC Irvine), wherever he goes he’ll bring a great deal of learning experience with him.

“In Germany, everyone was for each other (on the tennis courts),” he said, speaking without a trace of a German accent. “Here, it took awhile before I fit in, but once I did, I’m very happy about being here.”