For the past four years, the boys tennis team has won the conference. The varsity boys tennis team has started preparing for another great season.
Coach Zachary Horn said, “We have a pretty good run going on, we have won Conference the last four years, and everyone works hard, and everyone gets along pretty well. It’s a good group of guys. So working together is a common goal.”
The team as a whole works well together. Being friends on and off the court.
“Our team works incredibly well. Everybody’s good friends, everybody’s nice and supportive, and able to inspire each other,” said the previous year’s singles three player OH junior Jake Doornbos.
When asked how the team works together, OH senior player Nathen Wentzell said, “Really well compared to all the other teams we see. I think we are a lot closer than [they are].”
Tennis is a widely known sport played outside on a court. Unfortunately, due to the weather conditions, it has been hard for the team to practice outside.
Horn said, “Right now, when the weather cooperates, we are working on challenge matches. So they are going to find out [what position] they are going to play, and then we are also working on making sure we are conditioning, getting in shape, and kind of improving our strokes in our court strategy.”
Regardless of the poor weather, the varsity tennis team has worked hard in its off-season to prepare for another season.
When asked how often he practices during the off-season, Doornbos said, “Almost every day, it’s very important to keep your skills honed.”
“Definitely a lot more off-season work going on, in the past it’s been a lot of guys that play for three months and take some time off, but a lot of off-season work [from] almost all of the guys that are playing varsity this year,” said Horn.
Each player interviewed is practicing weekly in order to keep their skills and carry them on to the new season.
“I’ve been playing tennis for nearly four years. I started right before my freshman season,” said the previous year’s doubles player OH senior Reyhan Tanovic. Confidence helps the players focus on their games throughout the season, but there’s always room for improvement.
“I feel confident in my skill because I’ve gone to conferences the past three years on varsity for doubles two and three and one,” said Tanovic.
Tues. Mar. 31 will be the first game of the season at Plainfield Central, where the players will demonstrate all the hard work they have put in throughout the past years and the offseason.
I am a junior staff reporter and Socials Editor for 42Fifty. I love art and music! You can contact me by emailing 42Fifty@sd308.org and my putting my name in the subject line. We welcome comments on our articles and feekback on our publication.
Hello! My name is Jessica Bellah and I'm a senior and this is my first year on 42Fifty Staff. I serve as a staff reporter and the Opinions Editor. I am also an editor for our school's yearbook, The Reflector. You can contact me by emailing 42Fifty@sd308.org and putting my name in the subject line. We welcome comments on our articles and feedback on our publication!
