Junior Player Spotlight: Lily Castka, Eastern Athletic Club Blue Point
Absence oftentimes makes the heart grow fonder.
Lily Castka began playing tennis when she was six years old, inspired by her older cousin Abby, who Lily has looked up to as she has grown up . She then joined group programs at Eastern Athletic Club in Blue Point, and her tennis journey began.
When she was in second grade, Castka suffered a setback, as she broke her elbow, which sidelined her from tennis for quite a while. It was a blessing in disguise though, as during those painful months she realized how much she loved tennis, and how badly she wanted to get back out on the court.
“As soon as I was finished with my recovery, I started taking private lessons so I could catch up and make up for the time I missed,” said Castka. “That really sparked my love of playing, and inspired me to want to play as much as I could, beyond just taking part in groups. It really made me want to get better and put more work in.”
She did just that, committing to play six to seven days a week at Eastern Athletic, and signing up to play more tournaments.
“Lily is someone who has always been open to development, and trusting the process, and her family has been supportive of that as well,” said Dylan Roberts, Castka’s coach at Eastern Athletic. “She understood that there was going to be ups and downs, and has always put a lot of trust in me and what we do here. I think being able to have an open dialogue, especially when she was younger, has been incredibly important, and she’s a great listener who is always looking to soak up as much information to give her a better opportunity to succeed.”
That has paid dividends as Castka is now a nationally-ranked player. She is one of the best players training in Eastern Athletic’s programming and has recently begun competing in more national level tournaments to gain more experience and continue to test herself against top players.
“It’s been a lot of fun,” she said of competing on a larger scale. “I never really thought about playing in national tournaments when I was younger, but it’s been a great experience, being able to meet new people and compete against new players. I love traveling and making new friends, it’s probably one of my favorite parts about playing these events, so I’ve been enjoying it a lot.”
Castka has also been a key factor in the success of the Bayport-Blue Point girls’ tennis program, helping to elevate her team to heights it had never reached before.
The Bayport-Blue Point junior has been an integral part of the Phantoms lineup since she was in middle school, and for the last four seasons, her team has been the Suffolk County Small School Champions.
And last season, for the first time, they captured the Long Island Championship to qualify for the New York State Championships, also for the first time in program history. In the Long Island final against Cold Spring Harbor, Castka fought back from 0-3 down in the third set to win at second singles and clinch the title.
“I took a couple of deep breaths on that third set changeover, and told myself to just get every ball back into the court, and wait for my opportunity to put balls away, but not rush it,” she said after that win. “I told myself to get one game and start from there. Once I was able to get that game, I could feel the momentum, and took it point-by-point.”
While the Phantoms would come up short at States, it only adds more motivation for the group.
This fall, Castka will remain a team leader, and moves up to the first singles court, where she and her teammates are eager to continue progressing as a program, which means winning another Long Island title, and competing for the state title once again.
“I’m extremely proud of our team because of all the work we put in during practice,” said Castka, who also won the Section VIII-Division III singles title in 2024. “The environment that everyone creates together makes it so enjoyable. We’re just trying to take it one match at a time this season, and we’re just focused on trying to do our best every time we go on the court.”
Being a tight-knit group can make a player feel comfortable when on the court, and can provide an extremely important support system for a player. Castka has found that not only at Bayport-Blue Point, but has felt that at Eastern Athletic since the first time she began playing there more than a decade ago.
“It’s like a whole other family,” she said. “The environment is so welcoming, and I love it there. That’s why I have stayed all these years. I’ve been going there after school for a long time, and it’s another home for me. All the coaches have been so supportive and helpful.”
It isn’t just the comfortability that Eastern Athletic has provided for Castka, but also the level of coaching. When she was in eighth-grade, she began training primarily with Dylan Roberts. In those few years, the two have formed a coach-player relationship that has paid dividends, and the fruits of its labor is showing.
“He’s really opened my eyes and shown me what real tennis is,” Castka said, explaining how Roberts has really guided her on how to construct points, and helped her better understand tactical tennis. “He really helped inspire me, and find my love for the game. I wouldn’t be where I am now without everything he’s done for me.”
With two years remaining in her junior tennis and high school tennis career, Castka is excited for what lies ahead in her journey. Her goal is to continue improving and be able to play at the collegiate level.
“Every time we train and practice, or go to matches, we’re always learning how to compete better. Whether that’s a better routine before or after the match, it’s about making sure she is ready for all that can happen in a match,” added Roberts. “We are also sharpening her weapons, and understanding how and when to dictate properly. I think it’s a big thing to not be passive and reactionary, but instead be proactive on the court, whether that’s your presence or your level of play. And those are things we are working on to take her game to the next level.”
