The JHS boys’ tennis teams has high hopes for their upcoming season. After many close meets last year, they are prepared and determined to work hard and bring in more wins this season. Coach Joe Brooks and Assistant Coach Harmon Deal already have plans for the team’s success and are anxious to start practices.
Although the coaches are unsure as to how many players the team will have this year, they are hopeful that there will be some new additions, freshmen or otherwise. Combined with returning players, the season should be exciting and competitive. Practices will commence sometime in March, or as soon as the weather is nice and the courts are free of snow.
Last year, the boys’ season consisted of multiple meets that were extremely close. If they could win even just one more match per meet this season, their record could improve tremendously. Also, both coaches observed marked improvement of the boys’ strategies and skills over the course of last season. They are hopeful that this progress will carry over and continue into this season.
This season, Assistant Coach Deal suggests that the team focuses on improving doubles strategy, advancing overall fitness and footwork, and working more match-play into daily practices. Deal says that simulating match-play at practice is crucial to success because “usually each opposing team has a few stand-out, dominant players. The more experience we get with challenging opponents, the more we will develop our own game.” The biggest opponents for tennis tend to be Chatham Glenwood and Sacred Heart Griffin. Deal is “excited and hopeful” to make progress with the boys this year.
With hard work and development in fitness, technique and strategy, the JHS boys’ tennis team should have a winning season.