Tennis teams prepare for season

Kayla Santos, Guest Writer

With winter coming to an end, the sun is starting to shine on the tennis courts just in time for the season to begin. Both boy and girl athletes have put an abundant amount of time and preparation during the off-season to be successful.

However, one question still lurks in their minds: Did they prepare enough?

According to journalnow.com tennis is not as easy as it may look. Although many individuals question the difficulty in “hammer a fuzzy ball across a net,” this action is quite hard. Tennis athletes are demanded to apply numerous amounts of time and energy in order to succeed in the game. At these measures, it is clear they must apply tremendous dedication to the sport.  

To some students the thought of this heavy commitment scares them away from the game.

“Tennis is the type of sport in which you’re either in or out,” says junior tennis player, Marisa Lombardi, “You can’t expect to do well if you haven’t practiced.”

Tennis players are then left to decide what they believe is the best tactic to improve their tennis ability and to shine in the season ahead. To better understand what areas are in need of work, they must reflect on the past season.

Captain of the boys tennis team, junior Tyler Nowakowski found that his team last year needed adjustment in numerous places. Nowakowski explains that his team had struggled mainly with their attitude towards matches and their footwork on the court.

“Last year, we went into matches knowing that we would lose (given the small amount of players on the boys team they had to forfeit their third singles) which dragged us down because we did not keep our heads in the game. Additionally, while most of the team has nice shots, we were not moving around the court enough to achieve our fullest potential as players. If we were able to make these improvements, we would definitely be a much stronger team this season,” says Nowakowski.

They may need to direct their attention on recruiting more players, so they won’t start each match with a disadvantage. Also the team, as in all teams, is in urgency to work on their own effectiveness as a whole and their cooperation among team members, in order to approach each match with more of a positive attitude.

Senior Sean Nugent from the boy’s team, expresses his craving for major improvement from the prior season. “To prepare for the season, I’m trying to get to the tennis club as much as possible to practice, and do cardio to build up my endurance on the court,” says Nugent, “This season is up in the air right now because last year was fairly rough, and I’m hoping the same troubles we had last year aren’t repeated.”

Nowakowski also explains how his dedication will certainly pay off. “To prepare for the season, I am playing every week at the tennis club, exercising daily, and maintaining a healthy diet,” says Nowakowski, “Our upcoming season might be another difficult one due to a small number of players, but hopefully we will get more participation and have a great season.”

Both teams must reflect on their past seasons to help guide them in what is required with adjusting the prior season and advancing as a team.

On the other hand, the girls team had experienced a different season last year. They had strived and conquered all the way to the semifinals. However, even though the girl’s team had succeeded in their past season, there is still room for improvement.

All the girls agreed they should express more support for each other. In the season ahead, teammates plan to watch other members of the team play their match once they finish their own. Also, the girls hope to add more team bondings throughout the season in hopes of lifting the team’s spirit.

Junior Mariana Goncalves is confident in her tennis ability, as she feels she will strive in the season ahead. “I’ve been practicing with my partner Emma and playing at the Ludlow Tennis Club multiple times a week,” says Goncalves proudly. “I’m excited for the upcoming season and I’m expecting it to be our best season yet. The team is looking strong, and we have big goals this year, so it should be a lot of fun.”

Second singles player, junior Dominique Alves is also assured in her preparation for the upcoming season. “To prepare for the season I’ve been taking private lessons and going to practice at the tennis club as much as possible,” says Alves, “I have only positive feelings about this upcoming season and I’m confident it will be our strongest season yet.”

Tennis pre-season is not all about the physical work behind it, it is also necessary to have a solid foundation with teammates. “I think our team is one of the best teams out there, we all get along really well and we help each other out by giving pointers and tips. Cooperation and teamwork are two important factors with any team, and our team has both of those,” adds Alves.\

Both the teams have high expectations for themselves to reach. Look to see the players on the court earlier this year than last. With a minimum of snow this year players will have more time to practice. Last year the teams didn’t get out until after their first match.