Many know of the Sequoit girls tennis team, but little know about the work they put in to have such an exceptional season. The team has gone through ups and downs this season, yet their skill and determination is presented from their countless hours spent on the court. Recently sending two girls down to state, the Sequoits have only gotten better.
Practices are similar to many of the sports people know and love, they consist of a warm-up, drills, conditioning and a breakout. Junior Nicole Kutcher who is on the varsity tennis team explains a basic rundown of what they do before their practice. When the team arrives at the courts, they start off with a warmup that consists of multiple brief drills.
“We usually start off four to each court and hit it back and forth and then eventually Coach D’Andrea will say something like south side up where the top and bottom sides switch,” Kutcher said. “And then we’ll do overheads and then we switch sides, so the other side of the court does that and then we just serve but that’s pretty much it.”
Not only is practicing the physical skills in tennis important, but many teammates on the Sequoit girls tennis team agree that practicing mental toughness is vital for success. According to How to Improve Your Tennis Mental Game, former national performance psychology manager Roberto Forzoni mentions various ways to get a stronger mental game in tennis, the main technique he explained is to help control anxiety in the sport. Something that Forzoni believes helps the anxiety is talking through various matches or scenarios so the player can be prepared for the uncontrollable. When an athlete does this, they will not get anxious when something happens outside of their control.
Aside from the seriousness, the Sequoit tennis team always finds time to have fun while bettering their skills. Many athletes on the tennis team enjoy the fun times practice has given them, such as junior Tessa Cook. Cook believes playing games during practice makes it entertaining, fun and more interactive for everyone.
“Every Friday we play games,” Cook said. “We practice every day except on Saturdays, we have tournaments, and then Sundays are off.”
With the constant improvement the girls have displayed this season, it has been proven that their efforts and techniques are effective. Whether it be the hardest drill or the team’s favorite game, practice will continue to be the most crucial element of tennis.
