Tennis tryouts have arrived, Students prepared for season

      Tennis season has arrived and quickly, the first day of tryouts began on March 1. Students have been putting in work to make sure they show their best work. 

     Whether new to playing or playing for a while, some athletes like junior Elisabeth Holmes says that she is “excited but nervous,” about tryouts and the season. 

     Senior, Solomon Brundridge, has been “playing tennis for a long time, and [he know[s] [tryouts] are always the most exciting days because you get to meet all the new people playing tennis, and you get that nostalgic feel while playing,” Brundridge says. 

     Athletes like freshman Olivia Snodgrass say they try to push away all the nerves.  ”I am looking forward to games and the opportunity to make new friends.” Similarly, ninth grader Emma Clayton adds, “I am looking forward to hanging out with my friends[,] being able to play, and also being able to cheer on my friends.” 

     Brundridge comments, “[he is] looking forward to beating [his] rival, Sean Gibbons [senior at North Harford].”

       To play well, coaches say the students must practice their skills many times, “I practice with my dad, sometimes[,] I go to the Jarrettsville courts and then sometimes I go to the high school courts to practice,” Clayton says.

   Freshman Hannah Arnold says, “When I practice, I do it so often, so that I am confident that I can do it.” Holmes has been preparing by “going to the tennis courts once or twice and I have been working on conditioning a little bit.”

     As you practice you get better on your skills, “I feel that I have gotten really better on my forehand and my backhand because before I could not even really hit the ball,”  Clayton comments. 

     Snodgrass feels that she has “done really well serving while practicing.” Holmes says, “I have a pretty good forehand and my serves are not too bad and I got a lot of work last season.”

     Even the best players also have things that they need to work on, Brundridge says, “I can improve on my backhands, when I play my backhand is definitely the weakest part of me and that is usually always the reason I lose.”

     Snodgrass feels that she can improve on her “hand eye coordination,” and Holmes comments, “I can improve on “my backhand and making sure that everything stays in and does not go out.” Clayton states that she “need[s] to work on [her] serves and hit them harder.”