Despite the staggering ninety-degree weather, the blazing sun, and the large amount of time pulled from their busy days, the girls tennis team always manages to go out to practice for two hours from Monday to Friday. Their motivation? The team.
“Our team is so tight that every day at practice is a breeze,” states Melanie Paige (10). “All my teammates are so fun and loving, like we’re all sisters practically.”
This support that the girls give each other has helped them win many games, including their game against Oceanside, which ended as a rout: the final score, 18-0.
When the team isn’t playing tennis, they are usually found bonding in one way or another. Eunji Yoon (12) reminiscences on a time when the Varsity team ate dinner together after a game, saying that it was like they “bonded even more through food.”
While enjoying the practices and matches, the girls also help each other improve.
“My team and my coach motivate me to try my hardest during practice, since I perform just how I practice,” says Ashley Han (11). “Every single point counts during a match, so focusing on consistency and accuracy is essential to the game.”
Casey Zhang (10) adds how the members constantly cheer her on and push her to the highest she could achieve, and the humorous JV coach just helps her get better.
While tennis can be a difficult sport, the kindness and the support that the team members give each other help make the practices seem less tedious and the matches less difficult.
“Going to practice after a stressful day at school and being surrounded by fun and caring teammates just brightens up your day,” states JV Captain Shweta Patkar (11). “As a member of the Del Norte tennis team for the last three seasons, I think that being on the team is an enjoyable and rewarding experience. Throughout our season we play against some tough and some easy schools, but each match gives us something to learn from.”