This year’s boys tennis season officially began in late February and with it, a whole new experience as well. With new faces on the team and opponents faced, the boys make sure to be team players and keep optimism in their back pockets.
“We’re doing better than last year, but I think it’s still a tough season,” Omeed Kargahi, a senior in Humanities, reflects. “ We got better, but most of our opponents also got better. So I’d say we stand a shot at, you know, moving far, but we still have a lot of practice to do.”
Most recently, they faced Fairfax and crushed it with a 7-0 win. It’s no secret that the boys’ dynamic is harmonious both on and off the court.
“I’d say the best part of being on the team is the practices at the end of the day. It’s like five o’clock, you’re just playing with your friends after school, and it’s pretty fun,” Omeed adds.
Quality time with teammates is definitely not taken for granted on this team. Humanities junior, Mario Puga, expresses the enjoyment that comes from spending time with his teammates. “I think an often overlooked aspect of bonding in the team is talking while we’re waiting in lines for the warm-ups. We usually don’t get to talk because tennis is such an isolated sport where it’s like you’re on two opposite sides of a big fence,” Mario shares. “I started playing with Timani and Eliam [and] it was a beautiful experience.”
This season, Mr. Garcia stepped down from being coach and Mr. Gaiter took over. Gaiter had been coach of the girls’ tennis team for a while now but had never coached the boys team.
“It feels the same as coaching the girls. I thought it might feel different, but, you know, as I’ve come to realize, coaching is just coaching,” Gaiter explains.
As the new coach, Gaiter reflects on the season so far. “We lost a couple of close games that we could have won. It would have made a huge difference. But we’re hanging in there right now,” he reveals.
The substitution has been a big one for both the coach and the members. Players have varied opinions over the implemented changes to the team routine.
“It definitely has been a roller coaster because of the new coaching. It’s been a good season. We’ve had our ups, we’ve had our downs, but we’ve stayed strong as a team,” Mario notes.
Timani Tyson, a junior in CAA, also shares similar feelings. “The biggest adjustment I think I’ve made was to learn how to be calm and take constructive criticism, it was the same with Garcia, but I feel like with Gaiter it’s more prevalent.”
The team members admitted tennis is a very complex sport that requires a lot of dedication and commitment. Each member has a specific routine or ritual before a match in order to prepare mentally and physically.
Timani has a set to-do list before a match to get him in the zone. “Mentally, I remind myself that I’ve had multiple games before and I listen to music,” he shares. “Physically, I make sure to stretch really well and eat a good meal before I get on the court.”
Omeed sees eye to eye with Timani over what’s important before a match. “Usually I try to get a good night’s sleep. I try to eat a good breakfast and a good lunch, and drink a lot of water throughout the day,” Omeed describes. “[I] make sure my water bottle is filled up, and try to be in a somewhat positive head space.”
During matches, players have plenty of time to think and over analyze their performances. It is incredibly easy to obsess. Fortunately, the boys have methods to overcome this internal madness.
Omeed’s method consists of staying in the moment and grounding himself. “I just try to tell myself [to] calm down and just, try and focus on the ball other than everything else,” he says.
Differing from Omeed, Mario says he tries to disconnect from the moment. “I’ll drink water or something to just clear my mind and reset. Because it is a lot of pressure especially when you’re being analyzed.”
With that in mind, the team is doing great so far and is managing to stay on top of it all. Noah Valmonte, a sophomore in Humanities, is having a lot of fun his first year on the team.
“I think everybody on the team is pretty good. We’re going to make it to the championship this year.”
