With spring in full swing, the Maverick tennis team is back in season. The spring season, however, has distinct differences that bring a new set of challenges to overcome. With districts coming up, each player must try to reach the top of their game while balancing their schoolwork at such a busy time of the year.
During the fall season, the tennis team plays weekly matches at the end of the day against another school. Whichever team wins the majority of the 19 matches is the winner of that match. During the spring season, however, tennis players compete in all-day tournaments at different locations from their teammates. While students still compete for Emerson, these tournaments are individual competitions rather than team ones.
“I would say fall is harder because you’re already tired from a whole day of school and then you’d have to go play a match,” Varsity Captain Malishka Patnaik, 11, said. “However, spring is more taxing on people because you play more matches in a day and have to spend the entire day at a site.”
In order to prepare for these tournaments, the tennis team spent their off season from the middle of October to the beginning of February improving their strength and stamina through a mixture of fun activities and difficult workouts.
“I find it important to step away from our traditional practice schedule…as there is a lot of value in cross-training and avoiding burn-out,” head tennis coach, Neil Grobler, said. “Our team participated in fun off-season contests like capture the flag [or] a soccer game…while incorporating strength and conditioning two times per week in the weight room.”
Competing in the most difficult 5A Texas district means that every aspect of play is important for the team. While physical fitness is crucial for players’ performance, tennis is much more than just a physical competition.
“Tennis requires a lot of mental strength and sometimes it’s hard to overcome a lot of mental blocks during a match which can result in you losing a match,” Patnaik said. “So overcoming mental blocks just required a lot of practice and patience and understanding that tennis is not a game of perfection.”
The weather, however, has not made this an easy task for the Maverick tennis team. Texas’ spring weather is notorious for its unpredictability and lack of cooperation.
“Rainy days means lots of choppy match-play, delays and sometimes cancellation,” Grobler said. “Those are the toughest days for both players and coaches, as the level of competitiveness and focus has to be turned on and off throughout the day.”
Despite these challenges, team members have been performing well in difficult tournaments. During a recent tournament, JV tennis player, Rakshan Kaartikkeyan 10, took home 1st place in boys singles.
“We have had just two “retirements” during a tournament due to cramping/injury,” Grobler said. “That low number is a direct reflection of the hard work our players are putting in day-in and day-out.”
Varsity will compete in districts April 28 and 29 while JV will be playing on May 1. With these big tournaments drawing closer, players look to continue their hard work and consistency for an opportunity to advance to the regional competition.
“I know the potential and capabilities of our team, so my expectations are set accordingly,” Grobler said. “They are hard workers, talented players and great kids.”
