Blue Devil Athlete Spotlight: Linda Kim Yeboah (Girls' Tennis)

Born in Ghana, Africa, current LHS girls’ tennis player Linda Kim Yeboah has moved around a bit.

“I lived in Leominster for about four years then I moved back to California for two years,” Linda said. “Since my parents are split, I have lived in Massachusetts, Connecticut, New York and California.”

Here at LHS, Linda, now a junior, has settled in nicely with the tennis team, starting the sport during her freshman year.  

“I got introduced to this sport by my uncle in Los Angeles when I went and visited him for a couple of days,” Linda said.  “Then we went to the park and we started hitting a couple balls and I fell in love with the sport ever since.”

“What I like most about tennis is that you can use your own style to play and there is no right or wrong way to play and I can add my own style to the game,” Linda added.  

Linda said the LHS tennis team is a great group to be a part of.  

“What I like most about being a part of a team at LHS is that the team always has great bonds,” Linda said.  “There are wonderful people in this world and it's amazing to be able to be friends with them.”

LHS girls’ tennis coach Daryl Robichaud said Linda has been a large part of the early success of the girls’ tennis team in this COVID-shortened season. 

“From the first day of tryouts it was evident that she had dedicated herself throughout the past two years since we had last been on the courts to improving her strength, stamina, athleticism and court presence,” Robichaud said.  

 

“She has now developed the ability to script out points in order to force her opponent to play to her strengths while capitalizing on their weaknesses,” Robichaud added.  “This is a large, yet substantial jump in the development of top-level tennis players.” 

 

Robichaud also said Linda’s enthusiasm is infectious. 

 

“She leads by example without being ostentatious,” Robichaud said.  “She is a feared and respected opponent.”

 

Linda is also one of the leaders of the team.  

 

“Her teammates have obviously recognized the commitment that she has made to the program as selected her to be a tri-captain during the 2021 campaign and did so with the highest percentage of votes on the team,” Robichaud said.

 

Linda said she has learned a lot from coach Robichaud.  

 

“What I have learned from Mr. Robichaud is that throughout life, kindness can get you a long way,” Linda said.  “There is never a day that you need to give someone negative energy and Roby shows that to me everyday for the past three years that I have known him.”  

 

After high school Linda wants to study psychology, and that’s just the beginning.    

 

“I love making people laugh, feel like they are worthy and I want to change the world and make it a better place for everyone,” Linda said. “I also want to be a motivational speaker just like my father Emmanuel Ofosu Yeboah.  He won an ESPN award for courage and I want to be able to make him and my mother proud in the future.  I didn't grow up with a lot but I would also love to give back to my community because they helped me to become the person I am today.”

 

She also hopes to play tennis in college.

 

“I hope I can play tennis during college,” Linda said.  “The sport is amazing! I hope I can meet Serena one day she is a role model.”

 

Here at LHS, Linda is the treasurer of the Black Heritage Club and she also has played basketball for three seasons.   

 

“I also volunteer when I can, during the pancake breakfast for freshmen and sophomore year,” Linda said.  “I am also running for class president for senior year.  I want to bring more light into the school.”

 

Linda said a lot of her teachers here at LHS have made a positive impact so far.  

 

“I have a lot of teachers that I have admired throughout all my three years at LHS,” Linda said. “Ms. Duffy, Mr. Biggs, Mr.Mooney, Mr.Robichaud, Mr.Oxford, Mr.Curtin, Mrs.Blais, Mr.Davis, my teachers from culinary, Ms. Comeau, and even some of the janitors.  There are a lot of teachers who have done a lot for me and these are the ones I will never forget.”

 

Outside of school, Linda attends church, the Presbyterian Church of Ghana.

 

“I also love to dance, and sing, and hang out with my friends and share laughs,” Linda said.  

 

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