As fall comes to an end, so does the girls’ tennis team season. The team had their differences but pulled through for an exciting season.
The girls’ tennis team has a record of 8 out of 14 games for the season. In GMC’s the girls made it to the second round of first doubles and second singles, leaving with a score of 2-17. Even though the girls had a rough season, they still managed to pull through becoming one team. Natalia Sierra, a junior who plays first doubles with Shyarra Manalo states the hardest struggle for her was making new friends. She soon realized how close everyone got. Not only did the girls have a struggle finding new friends but they face multiple physical and mental struggles.
New Coach?
At the beginning of the season the girls received a new coach. They didn’t know how the coach would react to the team or how much the coach new about the sport. However Jessica Lee also known as Coach Lee, turned out to be inspirational towards the team and strive to make the girls better athletes . Even if she never knew about how to play tennis she made sure her team always tried their best in each game and pushed them to become better.
Brielle Pichardo returning the ball to the opposing team.
Not only were the girls nervous to meet Lee,but she was nervous to meet the new team. Lee was a runner which led to her wanting to be a coach of a new sport. She also knew how to push the girls to their limit. After Lee observed the athletes play, she had gotten an idea of how each individual does in the games. Lee saw some improvement what the girls can improve on for next year, some were their skills and techniques. The first game Lee thought the girls showed their true colors was the first match against Mother Seton. “This game showed how well the girls played together and how determined they were to win. The doubles represented the team and won 3-2.”
Challenges
Throughout the season the girls versed challenging teams. On the team you never saw someone beating someone else down. They always helped each other to better themselves. That support helped the team became one family. Aneri Kapadia the team’s first alternate said her hardest challenge was against Wardlaw High school which they lost 0-5. Even if they lost, the team used this as a way to better themselves. Alisha Bhujbal used Carteret to better herself. “Carteret was a hard team and the first time we lost to them, showed how I can better myself. The second time I played I still lost and that still gave me more motivation to better myself and focus on tennis.” The girls grab their motivation from the people they play against. They also can rely on their teammates to point out their flaws so that they can become a better player.
