Twelve boys across seventh and eighth grade took part in boys tennis this year. Although the athletes didn’t know each other before, the boys quickly came together as a team. Throughout the season, athletes learned a lot and had great experiences playing the sport.
The boys started off an impressive season with an away game at ACS Hillingdon where they won most of their matches. However, eighth-grader Markos Glucksman remarked, “This was our first match which we should have won easily, but we struggled to remain calm if we were losing and lost a few games.” However, the boys quickly picked themselves up with a fresh new team and they went on to beat Egham’s team of only five players.
One of the harder matches the boys felt was the Cobham game on April 21. “We were not as serious as we should have been, but quickly got ourselves together” stated eighth grader Nick Lockhart. The boys tied, but collectively the boys and girls won.
Not only did the boys improve at the sport, but they strengthened and made new friendships during practice. “Every doubles game, when I would play with my partner, whether I knew them or not, I would play as if we had been mates forever,” stated Lockhart. Lockhart went on to state that he surprisingly got to know some seventh-graders as well. The boys would conclude each training session with a fun game which would include teamwork, cooperation, and leadership. “I enjoyed playing the quick games because we would have some banterous times and got to play the sport for fun, which is partly what tennis is about,” said Glucksman.
Overall, the players were proud of what they had achieved and their results were more than they had expected. The boys will travel to ACS Egham tennis grounds where they will compete in the LSSAs – the final tournament where all of their skills will come into play and be presented.
