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ALANA HAS TALENT, DRIVE TO GO VERY FAR
by DEREK J. LARIVIERE, TIMES CORRESPONDENT , St. Petersburg Times
"She has a tremendous love of the sport," John Downey said. "She could be on the court for four or five hours and still not be satisfied. She is the type of girl who sleeps with her racquet."
Originally from Bulgaria, Alana was adopted by Don and Gail Whiting at almost age 2 and weighed only 16 pounds. The Whitings own the Whiting Insurance Agency in Spring Hill. Their daughter had always shown signs of athleticism - signs they both wanted to support.
Alana went from gymnastics to Tennis a few years ago and very quickly caught the bug. The fact that she has been identified early as someone with potential is the result of the growing popularity of youth Tennis in Hernando County in recent years.
"I honestly believe players in this area like Alana would have never been discovered (before)," Downey said. "The players are here, and someone just had to go and get them."
It all started for Alana when her older sister, Alison, who now rides horses, was getting lessons from the Downeys. Alana asked her mother if she could try it.
She surprised everyone. At only 60 pounds, she was soon among the area's biggest hitters. Downey compares her current abilities to those of a high school player.
This year, Gail Whiting removed her daughters from West Hernando Christian School and took on the responsibility of homeschooling them. The sacrifice was worth it, she said.
"I just wanted to have more time with them," Gail said. "It afforded us a lot more opportunities during the day so the kids could spend time on their activities."
Five days a week, Alana works toward her many goals on the court. Whether it is during her regular lessons at Delta Woods, Junior Team Tennis at Nature Coast Technical High School or tournament preparation at Bud McKethan Park in Brooksville, she keeps her sights set on her ultimate goal of becoming a state-ranked player by next season.
Ultra-competitive, Alana will play in her second tournament on Oct. 3 at Countryside Country Club in Clearwater. The event is a junior singles rookie tournament designed to get her feet wet, Downey said. In her first tournament in July, she won three doubles matches in Lakeland.
"I think she'll do really well because I know, physically, where she's going to be at," Downey said. "We need to find out where we stand mentally. It's all about teaching her to keep her emotions in check and not be her own worst enemy."
By January, Alana and her supporters hope she has gotten some attention on the state level. From there, she will compete in major events across the state, starting a big-time schedule that could propel her to more accomplishments.
From trainers to friends and her parents, almost everyone acknowledges that Alana is just scratching the surface of her potential.
She makes it clear: She is shooting for the stars.
"I told myself over and over," Alana said, "that I won't stop until I beat (Maria) Sharapova."
FAST FACTS
Alana Whiting
Age 10
Homeschooled, Grade 4
Born: Silistria, Bulgaria
Resides: Spring Hill
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