Every game , practice , loss , and win , does not provide insight into the true impact of the tennis season . For many , tennis is not an easy sport . It requires concentration and a variety of skills . Through playing on the team , the boys were challenged and positively affected mentally and physically .
“ Tennis is a game that requires patience , a lot of focus , and concentration ,” said Christopher Lee , junior . Before Christopher played tennis , he frequently played online games and video games . However , after playing on the tennis team for two years , he reflected , “ Those types of activities don ’ t help you concentrate . As I played tennis , it helped me focus on more than just tennis - like school life and other areas in my life .”
When asked what each player can take away from the sport , Coach Evans stated , “ Patience with difficult circumstances . In terms of playing , it can be a really difficult sport . Not too many people know that tennis is just so frustrating because it looks like it ’ s so slow , or it ’ s not as exciting as some other sports .”
Christopher agreed with Coach Evans ’ comment that patience is crucial in playing tennis . “ Tennis has really tested my patience and has really helped me in the long run because it has taught me that I have to put in a lot of work to be good at what I want to do .”
Not only the sport improved the players ’ patience , it also allowed them to grow mentally . Coach Evans explained the game is “ difficult ... you have all of your thoughts processing so quickly ” and it forces the players to “ make the right choice and then be able to have the skill to control what you want to do .”
“ Tennis is a mental game that goes on ,” said Eric Lee , senior . He agreed his ability to focus got stronger after playing on the team .
In tennis , there is also an option to play doubles . This allowed the players to interact with their partners . “ Tennis is a sports team so there is a lot of collaboration between teammates . That was a huge merit that I could get from the team ,” said Justin Hong , senior . “ Tennis helped me to be more of a communicator because you definitely need a lot of communication between your partner .”
Jun Kwon , senior , said some qualities he got from playing tennis were staying motivated , never giving up , and always striving to be better . “ My motivation to keep going is to overcome failure .”
KAIAC CONFERENCE 1 st PLACE
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Top Row : Mr . Evans , Nathan Lee , Christopher Lee , Michael Ahn , Dongin Kwak , Joshua Kim , Mr . Pownall ; Bottom Row : Caelan Hodge , Eric Lee , Dash Lee , Rikumu Shigeta , Jun Kwon , Justin Hong , Joonyoung Yoo
KAIAC TOURNAMENT 1 st PLACE
Most Valuable Player Jun Kwon
ALL CONFERENCE Jun Kwon , Dongin Kwak , Eric Lee , Dash Lee
ALL TOURNAMENT Jun Kwon , Dongin Kwak
H o m e G u e s t 4 1 CI 3 2 dhS 1 4 CI 5 0 H HS 5 0 OAHS 5 0 OAHS 5 0 DHS 5 0 H HS
1 . Justin Hong serves the ball to start practice after warming up . After a short jog around the tennis court , the players usually practiced hitting the ball on the wall . 2 . Dongin Kwak does a forehand swing to pass to his opponent during an after school practice . A forehand swing is one of the most common skills used in tennis . 3 . Christopher Lee watches Jun Kwon play against OAHS . He holds up a sign to encourage Jun and also intimidate the opposing player . 4 . Dash Lee hits the wall by using a forehand volley . Players hit the ball using a forehand volley when the ball comes at body level .
5 . Jun Kwon , Dash Lee , and Dongin Kwak take a break while they have a short time in between games . During breaks , the players eat snacks and talk to each other about how
their games went . 6 . In order to smash the ball , Rikumu Shigeta uses a forehand volley during practice . By doing a forehand volley , players can hit winners . 7 . Christopher Lee volleys the ball by using a low backhand . A low backhand swing is useful when the ball drops right below the net . 8 . Caelan Hodge and Michael Ahn receive water from the tennis team manager , Nathan Lee , in between a match . The manager has to take statistics of each players and must be ready to assist players by preparing a first aid kit and water .
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