Boys’ tennis slams into season

By Anthony Ta

Boys Tennis swings into the 2017 season with a new roster, new opponents, and an enhanced focus on working towards qualifying for CCS (Central Coast Section).
Conditioning for Boys’ Tennis began on Nov. 21 of last year, and it lasted for two weeks.

During that time, the team experienced a significant increase in players.

The more experienced players, like team Captain Ryan Tran, were able to utilize their year(s) worth of leadership experience in better running the two weeks of preparatory work. This ultimately had a positive impact on the team as seen in their successive victories. It opened the door for a more effective training set to whip the new players into shape for the upcoming series of matches. Conditioning consisted of running, arm and leg workouts, drills on the tennis court, and the team essentially “did everything.”

“Conditioning was very hard, but it helped condition us to be the tennis players we are today,” explains Junior Varsity player Tony Le.

Being in Division A, the team will face many adversaries along their journey towards CCS. In the last season, their score of 4 wins and 10 losses, as well as complications with the attendance of good players, resulted in the team not being as prepared as they anticipated. This inevitably led to their downfall as Boys’ Tennis did not make it into last year’s Central Coast Section.

Having said that, the new roster is said to bring on new opportunities and may be the key to making their shared goal a reality.

“This year we have a lot of good players and they will show up, so we will do well,” confidently beams Team Captain Ryan Tran.

Their first game was held on Feb. 28 against Leland High School. The players came out with a win against the school with a score of 4 to 3, and later went up against Evergreen Valley High School, only to lose with a score of 0 to 7.

However, the team recovered quickly from that loss and ended up beating their next two opponents: Willow Glen with 7 to 0 and Branham with 5 to 2. The team later lost to Westmont High School 3 to 4.

“Our match against Westmont was close, and it was an important match because there is a chance that either Westmont or we will be third seed in CCS. Unforunately we ended the day with a loss,” expresses Varsity player Ryan Nhin.

As the season continues to progress, the team remains optimistic in their abilities and stays locked onto their hopes for CCS. The team’s cohesion grows better day by day, leaving them with a stronger kinship to support one another in their own personal and group endeavors.

“We just cliqued and there was no problems with communications,” states Nhin.

The season may have just begun and there are plenty of games to be played, but one thing is certain for Boys Tennis: they will continue to work hard and achieve the goals they set out to achieve.

Tran hopes to inspire his players through his leadership and experience in the sport.

“I started playing tennis in 4th grade,” recalls Tran. “I decided to join the team as a means of exercise and stress relief, but of course, simply because I think it’s fun!”