Sports seem to come easy for Madison Hoffmann.
Already a known quantity in basketball and soccer, the Grayslake Central freshman picked up tennis in the fall and quickly turned into a quality doubles player.
The 6-foot Hoffmann and freshman Kate Wondrasek went 23-0 at No. 4 doubles, helping the Rams win the Northern Lake County Conference regular-season and tournament titles.
“There’s no limit to her future in tennis,” Grayslake Central tennis coach Chuck Lawson said. “She’s so athletic and just learns so well and fast. I’m hoping she will stay with tennis.”
Therein lies the challenge for anyone who coaches Hoffmann.
Her commitment to basketball and soccer — and her talents for those sports — have led to scheduling dilemmas, which might push her to make a tough decision in the future. She’s juggling high school soccer and AAU basketball this spring.
“My schedule is really busy, but we make it work,” Hoffmann said. “The coaches are really flexible. I’ve not missed any soccer games, even though we travel a lot in basketball.”
Grayslake Central soccer coach Keith Andersson is thrilled to have her.
“She’s an all-star in all of her sports,” Andersson said. “She just picked up tennis this year because she wanted to do it; she’s got a cannon for a serve. We thought we were going to lose her to track, so we were so happy because she’s got such a great attitude, is such a great team player and is so unselfish.”
Making choices could be difficult for Hoffmann, whose favorite sport can depend on the time of year.
“I love whatever season that I’m in,” she said.
During basketball season, Hoffmann was a do-it-all player for the Rams (13-17, 11-3), averaging 10.1 points, 7.4 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 2.6 steals and 1.1 blocks. She was named all-conference and drew comparisons to Illinois State sophomore forward Kate Bullman, who is widely considered one of the best players in Grayslake Central history.
“Madison led the team in scoring, rebounding, assists, steals, blocks and double-doubles with six,” Grayslake Central girls basketball coach Steve Ikenn said. “She quickly became our best all-around player and the person other teams looked to stop. As the year progressed, Madison also became a great defender who could play inside and outside on offense.
“We played a tough schedule and had a lot of illness and injuries, but Madison was the one constant, playing in all 30 of our games. She took on a lot of responsibilities, especially for a freshman, but she met every challenge head-on and had a great all-around season.”
After Hoffmann scored three goals in a 5-5 tie against Grayslake North on Thursday, Andersson marveled at her soccer talent. Hoffmann, a midfielder, leads the Rams (4-4-1) with eight goals and has six assists through nine games.
“Madison plays like she’s a senior,” Andersson said. “She bounces off people. Girls bounce off her. She has such great composure with the ball for a freshman, and for somebody who is my height and close to my size, she’s amazing. She weaves in and out of people and sees the field well.”
Grayslake Central senior goalkeeper Piper Gallaher, another three-sport standout and a Loyola soccer recruit, raved about Hoffmann’s potential.
“She’s a stud,” Gallaher said. “I played basketball with her. I always thought I was a good athlete, but I might have gotten one-upped by a freshman. Lately, she’s been growing into soccer a lot. Being young, she still makes some freshman mistakes. But I’m excited about what she can do. She’s going to be a tank.”
To Hoffmann, the future is full of boundless opportunities.
“My main goal is to play college basketball, maybe even college soccer — I’m not sure yet,” she said. “I love both sports. … Tennis is fun too.”
Bobby Narang is a freelance reporter for the News-Sun.