Northview's Emily Newton to play tennis at Auburn

Northview tennis coach Josh Parrish said Emily Newton is the “hardest working athlete” he has seen in his days of coaching.

That trait has paid off.

Newton has developed into one of top tennis players in the country, earning a high ranking among junior tennis players in the South.
She also has earned a scholarship to play collegiately at Auburn.

The Northview senior inked that scholarship Thursday in a ceremony at Northview’s Media Center.

“It is a dream come true,” Newton said. “I have been waiting for this opportunity for about four years, and I’m thrilled.”

Newton also had interest from Alabama and LSU, but she said Auburn was a better fit.

“The campus overall and the tennis program were exactly what I wanted in a college,” Newton said.

Newton’s resume is a heady one. In junior tennis, she won the Southern 18s title, finished third at nationals and won a national title in doubles with Emily Lauten of Marietta, Ga.

That strong play has earned her a No. 14 ranking in the South among 18-year-olds.

In addition, Newton won the Class 6A No. 1 singles title at Northview last spring, finishing the season undefeated. It was the first singles state title by a Northview girls tennis player.

Parrish said hard work is what separates Newton from other athletes.

“She is the hardest working athlete — and that includes football or anything else that I have coached — that I have ever seen,” Parrish said. “She wakes up every morning and works out then goes out and hits in the afternoon every single day.

“It is truly her life, and she loves it. She deserves everything she gets.

“If we had 50 of them like her on the football team, we will be doing good. Boy or girl, she is the hardest worker I have seen.”

For Newton, signing a scholarship is the latest step since first picking up a racquet at the Dothan Country Club when she was 10.

“I just started taking lessons and loved it ever since,” Newton said.

She credits a lot of sacrifice and love from her family as vital in her success. She is the daughter of William and Tracy Newton and has a younger sister, Ellen. She is also the granddaughter of Ellen Newton.

“My family has always been a great support, especially my mom, dad and sister,” Newton said. “My grandmother has been awesome through the whole thing. They have always pushed me and supported me.”

On the court, Newton said playing on the baseline and serving are her biggest strengths. She hopes to improve her volleys in college.
Parrish said the ability to move around on the court is another Newton asset in addition to serving.

“Getting her first serve in is her biggest strength,” Parrish said. “She is also quick, and she moves around. A lot of girls don’t move around the court much and have slow feet, but she does move around and is quick.

“That goes back to her hard work. The weight training helps her with all that speed and quickness on the court.”

Newton has high goals for her career at Auburn, quickly expressing her desire in one short sentence.

“To win a national championship,” Newton said.

She knows it won’t be easy on the college level.

“It will be different from junior tennis,” Newton said. “It is a lot stronger, and the girls are a lot better.

“It will be a lot of time and effort, but hopefully I will get up there, work hard and be at the top of my game.”

Newton is the second Northview athlete to sign a tennis scholarship to a major university in the last 12 months. Last fall, Harris Barnard signed with Alabama.

“It’s huge for Northview and good for the community of Dothan,” Newton said. “Hopefully we will have a few more to come.”