When a member of the girls varsity tennis team hit their forehand stroke to the other side of the court, the ball zoomed past the opposing player, landing exactly on the edge of the doubles alley, securing yet another point towards their match win.
Success has become the standard for girls varsity tennis this year, finishing with the most wins out of all the other fall athletics programs.
The team won seven of their ten matches, and two more ended in a draw. Besides their hard work, what contributed to this success was their coaching, team leadership and their overall group dynamic.
Kaur has been on the team since her freshman year, and is one of three captains this season, along with fellow junior Clover Graves and senior Nathalie Jansky. She and her fellow captains’ leadership help the team grow, both on and off the court.
“I think us captains are great at confidence boosting. Sometimes when players get nervous about the team we’re playing, our job is to remind people that we are a great team regardless,” Kaur said.
Mia Steinwurtzel, a senior on the team, notes how the positive traits the captains hold have contributed to the team’s success. “The captains have been really great at motivating everybody but also keeping everyone calm at the same time. They are all really emotionally intelligent,” Steinwurtzel said.
The team remains close outside of practice from their planned outings, as well as their overall dynamic and connection as players.
“During the season, our team went downtown to Climbing Wolf to bond. At the end of the season, we went out for a hibachi dinner, where we recapped the season’s success,” Steinwurtzel said. She continued, “Even without scheduled plans, we still connect with each other. There was one day where an away game got cancelled, so we just talked and spent time together instead. Honestly, the bonding started during preseason.”
Looking back to the season, besides their improved skill, Interim Head Coach Will Cheng notices improvement within the team’s dynamic.
“Even though tennis is an individual sport, knowing that the team is spending time with each other and showing up for each other during practice just makes everyone better,” he said.
The team’s overall goal is to keep this successful rhythm of wins and teamwork next year. “We want to make sure we are just as determined and focused, as well as keeping this winning pattern for next year with constant improvement,” Kaur said.
