As the flowers start to bloom again and the snow starts to melt, spring sports are also starting to come to life. Varsity girls tennis, under the instruction of coaches Mr. Ober and Ms. Pena, made a strong entrance to the season by beating undefeated schools.
So far, the team has won three of their four matches. Most recently, they also beat Kingswood-Oxford 5-4, who were up to that point undefeated. Number #1 player Norah Zhao ‘27 says, “our team has great potential and we can definitely win a good amount of matches.”
Varsity girls tennis welcomed a new Assistant Coach for this spring season, Coach Pena. Even though she is new, she has found ways to connect with the players: “I think they want to know me as much as I want to get to know them… there’s a bit of empathy and kindness that maybe wouldn’t exist if I wasn’t new.” She’s seen growth in the players already and has been able to help coach them effectively, even though tennis is more of an individual sport, which means that coaching is not one size fits all.She addressed the differences between coaching a team sport which she coaches in the fall (girls varsity soccer), and a more individual sport like tennis. Asked what the team practices to improve their game, Coach Pena replied, “Tennis is an individual sport so you’re not really doing drills that help a team dynamic or help with game flow, instead you’re trying to refine the technique and tools of each player and coach them on how to use them.”
Coach Pena, who recognizes the importance of mental health both in and out of sports, has found that when players communicate what they need and are feeling, and learn how to manage emotions, they play better. “Tennis is a very mentally exhausting game, and it can be the difference between a win and a loss.” The match against Kingswood-Oxford was a very mentally and physically exhausting match, but the girls were able to persevere, in part because of what Zhao described as the team’s “good energy.”
The season is still far from over and the team will continue to have challenging matches (including against Founders League schools like Hotchkiss and Choate), but their hard work and supportive vibe should continue to serve them well.
