On Aug. 8, Emerson High School’s varsity tennis team began their fall season. Led by head coach Neil Grobler and assistant coach Maegan Kaderka, the team practices throughout the week in order to prepare for their matches against opposing schools.

A regular day of tennis practice starts off with stretching, a jog around the tennis courts, and several minutes for the players to warm up their hits. After that, the tennis team spends the rest of their period doing specific practices and drills that their coach picked out in order to improve a specific aspect of their play.

“I dedicate a lot of time to the sport and it allows me to work on the things I need for matches,” varsity tennis team captain Malishka Patnaik, 11, said. “It also allows me to improve my skills.”

Each week, the Maverick tennis team plays against a different school. Individuals may play in both doubles and singles matches. Each win counts for a point, and the team with the most points is the winner.

“I enjoy how the sport isn’t time-oriented and only ends depending on the match you play,” Patnaik said. “You have enough time to make a comeback … if you fight it out, you can end up winning after a three hour long match.”

Due to this aspect of the sport, tennis requires its players to work on both their physical and mental endurance.

“Tennis teaches you a lot of different life lessons, and it’s an individual sport, so you learn how to handle stress really well,” varsity tennis player Nihit Sapre, 11, said.

Despite the pressure that the players sometimes experience during their matches, they look for ways to celebrate their hard work with each other.

“We do a lot of fun stuff together; like after games we go and eat out,” Sapre said.

In addition to keeping up old celebrations, the tennis team has new coaches this year who have started some new traditions with the team.

“We have a little plushie we call Major the Maverick that we give to the player of the match, and they get to hold on to him until our next school match,” varsity tennis player, Isaac Kim, 11, said.

While tennis matches may be played individually, the team is brought together by a similar goal: to improve their skills, become better players, and to have fun.

“I’ve made incredible connections with my other teammates and I just enjoy … being able to have that close group of people I can connect with involving the sport,” Patnaik said.

Such connections to their peers are important in providing the support for each other that they need to succeed.

“Maybe a surprise to some, but Frisco Independent School District is the toughest high school tennis district in the state of Texas…but, we wouldn’t have it any other way,” Grobler said. “As the saying goes, ‘iron sharpens iron.’”