Hitting the Target

Blaire Bradford, Staff Writer
August 31, 2010
Filed under Sports

With a hard-hitting loss to Mansfield High School, followed by a win to South Hills, Summit tennis has started off their season with a 1-1 record. Although it is just the beginning of a long, competitive season of intense matches, Summit has already proved to be potentially superior to last year’s squad. After losing over 19 matches last year, the Varsity Tennis team is prepared to climb back up to the top by changing their game plan.

Eric Tran, a returning varsity player, is willing to push through any setbacks that are holding back his team. His dedication to the sport has earned him a spot at captain, where he plans to successfully lead the team from warm-up stretches to Regionals. The squad’s main goal going into this season: Aim high in practice, so your performance makes a difference when it’s game time.

“We need to input everything that we achieve in practice, into what we do in the match,” Tran said. “Practice how you play, ya know.”

Practice is definitely a change in the game plan this season. Tran and senior Stephanie Bello both agree that fitness is a weakness on the court. It is also certain that Coach McDonald, their “nutritionist and conditioning” coach, has the answer for it. Even Bello, the girls’ Varsity #2 player, believes that overcoming lack of fitness and working harder in practice will produce lots of W’s on the charts.

Before a match, Tran prepares by pumping up to a “game music” playlist on his iPod. Bello, clears her mind of everything but tennis until she is relaxed. But the team’s preparation relies mostly on Summit’s tennis coaches and their outstanding knowledge of the game. Props go to head Coach TJ Planas for developing his team for a potentially successful upcoming season. Stephanie Bello has already seen improvements in her game because of her coaches and trusts that listening to them, along with perfecting her strong backhand will keep her on top this year.

“Coach Planas has always told me to focus on being consistent in order to get better,” Bello said. 

Winning, however, is not all up to the coaches. The team needs to discipline themselves first, in order to gain the mindset to “pull out” matches. Another goal for this season: Be mentally strong; don’t let up. Bello believes that petty things like a player’s mind being in disarray could possibly hold them back.

“Just do exactly what you did in practice,” Bello said, “don’t get frustrated when its time to play. Just be confident.”

There is no need to wish them good luck. The team is willing to perfect their skills and attitude toward the game to win. The excitement of this season revolves around one challenge: to win district.

So be ready for a new and improved Summit tennis team to tear up the court and respectfully earn what’s ours.