Boys' Tennis Has Incomplete Roster
Boys’ tennis team faces less opportunities as the team is left with only nine players.
By Saya Fujii
Boys’ tennis team faces less opportunities as the team is left with only nine players.
By Saya Fujii
While the girls’ tennis team in the fall saw their numbers significantly rise compared to previous years, boys’ tennis this spring is experiencing quite the opposite. The team entered the new season with a roster of nine players, up from just seven last year, instead of the full 10, meaning they are forced to forfeit one game in each match.
“Last year we had seven players so we had to forfeit both singles four and doubles three which meant we could only lose one match if we wanted to win the whole thing,” said Kevin Eliassieh, 11.
Although this year and last year’s teams could not fill out their rosters, the situation has been different in prior seasons.
“My freshman year, we had the opposite problem where we had too many players (18) for a team. A lot of the new players weren’t able to play games that year, and decided not to come back during sophomore year. We haven’t been getting many new players, and the current team is mostly returning juniors,” said fourth year returning player Andre Arante, 12.
Tristan Bright, 11, feels that the decline in interest for tennis in recent seasons could be attributed to the lack of attention being given to the lesser-known sports.
“Part of the problem is that it is not promoted enough. I feel that football and some of the other sports draw too much attention at Pioneer. They need to be fair to all sports,” said Bright.
Eliassieh also feels that interest in other school sports is taking over, leaving a sport like tennis in the dust.
“Last year, we had the same problem. I think it’s because tennis isn’t that popular for guys since they’d rather play a sport like football, basketball or soccer,” said Eliassieh.
Compared to other athletic programs, boys’ tennis has not had their information as readily available through social media outlets and school announcements.
“Other sports will have preseason meetings and a lot more publicity leading up to the regular season. It would be cool if we had a summer camp where interested people could try out tennis without having to commit to joining the team in the middle of the year, like what football does with conditioning,” said Arante.
Head coach Seth Hein felt the hits that the team took as a result of having an incomplete roster.
“Having a small team does have its advantages but not having a full roster makes it challenging. We’re always one match down going into matches without contest. It was frustrating last year when the best players couldn’t play in their best positions,” said Hein.
Although there are clear disadvantages that come with this situation, the team has learned to push through adversity.
“With an incomplete roster, I use it as a reason to put effort into my games because every win counts now that we’re down,” said Aidan Douglas, 10.
This setback has cost the team valuable matches as well as a full roster, but they have done their best to bring all they can to the court. Hein feels that the group is close-knit and competitive, taking notice in their work ethic.
“The players have taken upon themselves to practice during the offseason. I give them kudos for that. We’ve set a team goal this year and we’re looking to complete it and finish the season strong,” said Hein.
“Last year we had seven players so we had to forfeit both singles four and doubles three which meant we could only lose one match if we wanted to win the whole thing,” said Kevin Eliassieh, 11.
Although this year and last year’s teams could not fill out their rosters, the situation has been different in prior seasons.
“My freshman year, we had the opposite problem where we had too many players (18) for a team. A lot of the new players weren’t able to play games that year, and decided not to come back during sophomore year. We haven’t been getting many new players, and the current team is mostly returning juniors,” said fourth year returning player Andre Arante, 12.
Tristan Bright, 11, feels that the decline in interest for tennis in recent seasons could be attributed to the lack of attention being given to the lesser-known sports.
“Part of the problem is that it is not promoted enough. I feel that football and some of the other sports draw too much attention at Pioneer. They need to be fair to all sports,” said Bright.
Eliassieh also feels that interest in other school sports is taking over, leaving a sport like tennis in the dust.
“Last year, we had the same problem. I think it’s because tennis isn’t that popular for guys since they’d rather play a sport like football, basketball or soccer,” said Eliassieh.
Compared to other athletic programs, boys’ tennis has not had their information as readily available through social media outlets and school announcements.
“Other sports will have preseason meetings and a lot more publicity leading up to the regular season. It would be cool if we had a summer camp where interested people could try out tennis without having to commit to joining the team in the middle of the year, like what football does with conditioning,” said Arante.
Head coach Seth Hein felt the hits that the team took as a result of having an incomplete roster.
“Having a small team does have its advantages but not having a full roster makes it challenging. We’re always one match down going into matches without contest. It was frustrating last year when the best players couldn’t play in their best positions,” said Hein.
Although there are clear disadvantages that come with this situation, the team has learned to push through adversity.
“With an incomplete roster, I use it as a reason to put effort into my games because every win counts now that we’re down,” said Aidan Douglas, 10.
This setback has cost the team valuable matches as well as a full roster, but they have done their best to bring all they can to the court. Hein feels that the group is close-knit and competitive, taking notice in their work ethic.
“The players have taken upon themselves to practice during the offseason. I give them kudos for that. We’ve set a team goal this year and we’re looking to complete it and finish the season strong,” said Hein.