By, Dagny Jones, Courtney Klein, Audrey Vago, and Evlin Nunes

The Seven Hills Girls Middle School Tennis Team has been undefeated for two consecutive years. How do they keep this up? Teamwork? Coaches? Skills? Parents? Do they feel pressure, and how much pressure do they think? In this article, we will be explaining how they keep this streak up. 

Teamwork

     Sarah Olowokure said her team supports her and is, “like the stem of her flower.” They have a very close relationship. They always support each other by saying kind things and complimenting, especially when some team members get stressed out before matches. Their team is always there to cheer them on and boost their confidence. ”It’s a very loving and caring environment,” said Neela Patel, one of the team captains. They also hang out after school together, and most of them all go to Harper’s Point, a tennis and swimming club where they go to a summer camp together and sometimes take private and group lessons together. Even though they are spread between two grades, their bond is unbreakable. Every person we have interviewed has said that their favorite part of being on the team is seeing their friends daily and cheering them on. 

Additionally, the tennis team does a lot together; they never like splitting into groups. The tennis team never leaves anyone out and constantly does everything together. Even in the van, they have group conversations and never exclude each other. Also, they do group activities and challenges when they are doing warm-ups. That tests their relationships and makes them better teammates.

    Lastly, the team has a ranking system called the ladder. Everyone is ranked, and if you want to move, you must beat the player one or two spots above you in a match. When team members don’t like their spots on the ladder, instead of getting mad in front of people, they don’t talk about it because they are very caring and know how it can affect their team’s feelings. Sarah Olowokure said, “The ladder doesn’t define your worth or how valuable you are.” This shows that their team is strong, supportive, and communitital.

Skills

  Being undefeated for two consecutive years is not an easy task. It takes a lot of dedication and hard work to accomplish this. Many girls practice a lot in their free time, usually at Harper’s Point. Also, they have many tips and tricks to make tennis easier. As Sania Ansari and Neela Patel said, “Good footwork, top spin, jump when serving, and decide where to place the ball.” They learned all their skills overnight; many have played for around seven years or more. But many started taking it more seriously in fifth through sixth grade. Also, as Sarah Olowkure said, “ As a tip, move towards the ball and do not mean do not run away.”  This is another example of some tips and tricks.

Coaches

    The girls on the team have a strong bond with their coaches. At practices, they want these tennis players to have fun in their drills while learning new skills; at matches, they encourage you to do your best; it doesn’t matter if you win or lose. During matches, if the players are struggling, they give inspiring pep talks to boost their confidence in winning.

Parents and Mental Health

Many of these girls have very supportive parents. “My parents will support me in anything I do,” said Neela Patel. Also, the parents watch their kids at all the games and drive them hours away for tournaments. These parents encourage these girls to achieve their goals and are motivating. “My parents are always keeping me on track and making sure I have fun and enjoy what I do,” said Sarah Olowokure. Also, Paloma has very encouraging parents, “My parents are super supportive and never make me feel stressed out. I love them so much.” Most tennis players’ parents are encouraging, helpful, and supportive of their kids.

Future

These girls want to continue in high school but have no wish to continue beyond that in college or as pro players, except potentially for a scholarship. Many believe that it’s either too much pressure, not wanting that to be their source of income, or having other goals to do for the future.