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Mark Barton is taking his tennis talents south of the border in the fall.
Published Jul 18, 2025 • Last updated 2 hours ago • 2 minute read
Stratford District secondary school graduate Mark Barton will take his tennis talents to Minnesota’s Bethany Lutheran College in the fall. (Cory Smith/Beacon Herald)Article content
Mark Barton is taking his tennis talents south of the border in the fall.
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The 19-year-old Stratford District secondary school grad will compete for the Bethany Luther College Vikings while studying kinesiology.
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“I’m super excited for it,” he said. “I wasn’t expecting it because I just started playing tournaments and got a rating.”
His path to get there was an unlikely one.
“My tennis journey has been shaped by hard work, discipline and a constant drive to improve,” he wrote on a recruiting site. “I’ve competed in provincial tournaments and at OFSAA for the past three years, achieving consistent success, but I know there’s always more to learn.”
Barton’s first time on the court came eight years ago, when he was in Grade 4 and won a Stratford Tennis Club membership as part of its Optimist Junior Tennis Day.
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It was one-and-done for Barton, and he stepped away from the game. He didn’t play again until Grade 10, when he joined the high school team.
He “fell in love with it.” The atmosphere, the challenges and the struggles all felt right.
“You can’t blame anybody else,” he said. “It’s all you out there and it’s such a tough mental sport.
“I wasn’t nearly as good back in Grade 10. I had a backhand, no forehand, good serve, but I kept working on it, and every year I just got better. I love playing at the Stratford Tennis Club.”
Schools took notice after Barton, upon creating an online rating profile, stepped up his Ontario Tennis Association U18 tournament schedule last summer and fall. He picked the Minnesota-based NCAA Division 3 school that had two men’s players receive conference recognition following the 2024-25 season.
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“I just made (the profile) for fun, and all of a sudden I got all these offers,” he said. “It’s pretty cool and wasn’t expected.
“It’s good competition. I wasn’t expecting to do that well.”
Barton’s game has taken off in the last three years. He still possesses a pinpoint backhand, strong serve and a soft touch at the net. His forehand is coming around.
“I’m still working on it, but it’s better,” he said. “It’s not as much of a weakness.”
The results remain impressive.
He made it to the provincial high school championships this spring with doubles partner Liam Benton and won a men’s ‘A’ singles title last weekend at the tennis club, where he works as its pro. Barton wants others to have the same passion for the game as he does.
“It’s awesome,” he said. “I’m out here every day. It’s just been like that the last three summers.”
Barton’s collegiate goal is to refine his game and “do well at individual tournaments.” If he does that, maybe win a conference award as the top rookie.
He’s not only willing to put in the work, but he’s embracing it.
“Tennis is almost impossible to perfect,” Barton said. “There’s always something to work on and tweak and get better at, and that’s what I love about it. Spend endless hours and still have something to work on.”
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