On the road again

Senior J.J. Cramer took a roundabut path to get to Penn, but as captain of the men's tennis team he has found a home There is a running joke among senior J.J. Cramer's friends and teammates that he does not have an address because he has lived in so many different places in his lifetime. But Cramer has found a home at Penn, where he is preparing for his final season on the men's tennis team as its captain. Born in Boston, Cramer began playing tennis at the age of three. Using a racquetball racquet, he would return balls as his mother tossed them to him. Soon after, with a real tennis racquet, Cramer began playing at a club with his father and practiced on his own by hitting against a wall. It wasn't much later that Cramer was already handily defeating his father. By eighth grade, he became much more serious about his tennis and decided to enroll at a tennis academy in Florida, where he boarded. But Cramer's layover in the Sunshine State was not a long one. After only four months, he transferred to a different academy in North Carolina. At that second school, he played with several highly ranked juniors and worked with top coaches after classes for over three hours each day. While Cramer was moving up and down the Atlantic coast, his parents left Boston, first setting up residence in Houston and later in New York City. Like many nationally ranked juniors, Cramer did not play high school tennis, choosing to focus more on his own game and playing USTA-sanctioned tournaments. Cramer was the No. 1 ranked doubles player in New England for three years and was among the top 10 nationally one year. In singles, he was nationally ranked every year he played juniors. Cramer's best finish was a top 12 place at a major national tournaments in the 18-and-under division. Cramer looked at several options for college, but after several visits to Penn and discussions with coach Gene Miller, who was recruiting his first class ever for the Quakers, Cramer decided that Penn was the place for him. "I wanted to go to a school that I felt was in the top 25 academically, and I liked what the coach was doing with the tennis program," Cramer said. "Penn seemed to be right for me both in terms of academics and tennis." Having passed on high school tennis, Cramer's biggest adjustment was adapting to the team competition. "Tennis is an individual sport, and I had never played tennis for a team," Cramer said. "I learned that it takes a lot more than just giving your three hours of practice." In the fall season of his freshman year, Cramer played No. 5 singles for the Quakers, but quickly advanced through the ranks -- moving to No. 1 singles by the spring. However, Cramer struggled to compete against the more experienced players in the country, as he suffered losses to top-ranked players. He was demoted to the No. 3 singles spot, where he stayed until tearing a ligament in his ankle, causing him to miss three weeks. Cramer returned for some of the Ivy League matches and completed the season at the No. 5 position. He also contributed in doubles playing at the No. 2 position. He called his up-and-down freshman season a good learning experience. Cramer, who has chronic shoulder problems, was again injured in the fall of his sophomore year, but came back in the spring at No. 6 singles and No. 2 doubles to go undefeated in the region at both positions. At doubles, he earned second-team all-Ivy honors and was ranked No. 9 in the region. The year was also highlighted by two victories over Ivy League foe Yale, whom the Quakers had not defeated in several years. His junior year, although somewhat disappointing in the Ivy League, was highlighted by victories over San Diego State and Penn State. Cramer continued at No. 2 doubles, but moved up to No. 4 singles. This season, Cramer has put individual goals aside, in the hopes of leading Penn to a successful season. Many of the other Ivy League teams have lost their top players while the Quakers return the heart of their lineup. "We have a legitimate shot at the Ivy League title," Cramer said. "Our goal should be to win the title and make the NCAAs, and we should not finish any worse than second." At the end of this year, when his college days are over, Cramer plans to spend a year playing professional tournaments. But the psychology major, who does not expect to make a living off of his tennis play, hopes to move into the sports management field or work for an international tennis company. The boy who moved around from place to place as a child will leave Penn after this year, but he will have left his mark as a great player and leader.