Girls Tennis
On Wednesday afternoon I met with 15 of the girls tennis players along with Coach Wendy Cooper and Coach Paul Whitmore. Head Coach, Paul Whitmore has been coaching for 31 years around the state and started the Boys and Girls Tennis programs at Spaulding High School.
And by the way, today happens to be his 70th birthday!
"I can still beat players who are 20 and 30 years younger than me," joked Coach when asked how he felt about his big day. Coach Cooper still plays a lot of tennis so I volunteered the two of them to have a challenge match should we play this season...
The girls first talked a little about the remote learning experience and said their personal experiences differed by class. Some thought the workload was less while others in AP classes said it is very challenging. Coach Whitmore teaches 7th and 8th grade and he said the the online teaching as been more work for him. Like softball, everyone said testing is very different.
Last season, the girls finished 4-9 but return a lot of players. Their two captains are seniors Grace Cooper and Megan Pike. Other seniors include Alyssa Cestone, Josie Rinaldi, and Charlotte Christo. They also return a number of juniors with 3 years of playing experience and could potentially have a top 5 player in the state with freshman Oziera Ahmad. With all the returners and potential newcomer, the team is geared up to make the tournament in 2020.
The Tennis tournament...
Tennis is a sport that does not follow the NHIAA rule where 70% of the division teams earn a playoff spot. In tennis, they only play an 8 team tournament so making this is a huge accomplishment. A number of the girls spoke about taking lessons this winter and training during the off-season to make this top 8. Emma Record, Grace Cooper, Megan Pike, and Lindsey Hepburn all said they took lessons and played this winter. My guess is there were others who were too shy to speak up! The coaches were extremely pleased to hear how many girls played this past winter.
Some of the girls have been trying to get outside and run during the down time. Coach Cooper ordered a tennis ball trainer that they can use solo in the yard for her and Grace. The coaches and players all really hope to play some sort of season this spring. They plan to do a boys vs girls team day if they can and all really look forward to getting out there as team. Regardless, they've formed some strong bonds and according to Coach Whitmore, "This is a sport you can play for the rest of your life."
Play or not this spring, these girls have built friendships and have learned a sport that will last a lifetime.
Next up is Boys Lacrosse on Friday. Stay safe and healthy!
And by the way, today happens to be his 70th birthday!
"I can still beat players who are 20 and 30 years younger than me," joked Coach when asked how he felt about his big day. Coach Cooper still plays a lot of tennis so I volunteered the two of them to have a challenge match should we play this season...
The girls first talked a little about the remote learning experience and said their personal experiences differed by class. Some thought the workload was less while others in AP classes said it is very challenging. Coach Whitmore teaches 7th and 8th grade and he said the the online teaching as been more work for him. Like softball, everyone said testing is very different.
Last season, the girls finished 4-9 but return a lot of players. Their two captains are seniors Grace Cooper and Megan Pike. Other seniors include Alyssa Cestone, Josie Rinaldi, and Charlotte Christo. They also return a number of juniors with 3 years of playing experience and could potentially have a top 5 player in the state with freshman Oziera Ahmad. With all the returners and potential newcomer, the team is geared up to make the tournament in 2020.
The Tennis tournament...
Tennis is a sport that does not follow the NHIAA rule where 70% of the division teams earn a playoff spot. In tennis, they only play an 8 team tournament so making this is a huge accomplishment. A number of the girls spoke about taking lessons this winter and training during the off-season to make this top 8. Emma Record, Grace Cooper, Megan Pike, and Lindsey Hepburn all said they took lessons and played this winter. My guess is there were others who were too shy to speak up! The coaches were extremely pleased to hear how many girls played this past winter.
Some of the girls have been trying to get outside and run during the down time. Coach Cooper ordered a tennis ball trainer that they can use solo in the yard for her and Grace. The coaches and players all really hope to play some sort of season this spring. They plan to do a boys vs girls team day if they can and all really look forward to getting out there as team. Regardless, they've formed some strong bonds and according to Coach Whitmore, "This is a sport you can play for the rest of your life."
Play or not this spring, these girls have built friendships and have learned a sport that will last a lifetime.
Next up is Boys Lacrosse on Friday. Stay safe and healthy!
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