Think about your favorite team. What made it so good, the skill? The people? The coach? Or was it the thing bringing you all together? Many teams have their own quirks and special qualities. Millard South’s boy varsity tennis team had their own flair that made them different from others this season. All 10 team members were seniors. It is rare to have an entire varsity team full of one grade level. The fact the team was all seniors is a special thing for this team and is something you don’t see in the fall season when most teams are set with many juniors as well as the occasional sophomore.
“It was special. We had a lot of great moments. Got one last time, with the senior guys. It was a good time to be with every single person. I wouldn’t share that time for anything else,” senior Zachary Stoj said.
“I feel like I’ve gotten to know the guys a lot better. I knew most of them were coming out this year. Yeah, I like all the people on the team,” Stoj said.
Not only did this senior team provide a layer of comfort, but also it provided an extra level of competition for those involved.
“There was definitely a lot more competition for like spots in the team because everyone was seniors, it was everyone last year playing. So you had to definitely practice a lot harder in order to keep your spots and stuff,” said Senior Issac Thomas.
This leads to the question of how does this shape a team to succeed. The answer is in the season that just ended this fall. The tennis team had a significant amount of wins this season. Tennis coach Rodenburg wrote, “From the beginning, any success we had was because of the team. They were team champions at our first tournament, the Lincoln High/Lincoln Northeast Invite”. To list a couple of achievements, senior Julian Chantiam was 1st place at #2 singles, Chastin Fredericks and Noah Haakinson were 1st place at #1 doubles, Caleb Schmidt and Isaac Thomas were 2nd place at #2 doubles, and Kaleb Teply won at #1 singles that contributed to the earned success of the season.
Success as a team is great but also comes in the form of personal achievement as well.
“My favorite part was getting a summer revenge on Westside. I played a guy who beat me last year on the court,” Thomas said. “This year I beat him 8-3 so I was pretty proud of that.”
More personal achievements came from success at state. To compete at state is a tremendous accomplishment, and to place is an achievement many underclassmen dream to achieve and the upper-class work for. At #1 doubles, the team had State medalists Chastin Fredericks and Noah Haakinson. There were the 10-seed and pulled off some great upsets to finish 6th.
Although a senior team is special in its own way, it leads to wonder about the future of the tennis team after the class of 2025 graduates
“It’ll definitely be weird for the coaches and the players next year half an all brand new ladder for varsity,” Thomas said. There is no need to worry. For those looking for some advice to improve tennis, there is some advice for the next year.
“It can be picked up real easy. It’s tough to master but anybody can go out there and get on a court. I had a lot of fun. Still with that, I’ll probably play it up until I’m 80,” Stoj said. “I would say to just push past like the initial stage. Not really knowing what you’re doing or not knowing how to hit the ball. I was terrible and then I think about the difference from my first to second year, comparing that alone was crazy,” Thomas said.
Overall this tennis season was truly a special experience for those part of the team and for those leading it. So when addressing the best team debate, it’s important to regard the trait that brings together all the players as a motivator. For the Millard South tennis team, it was a combined strive for a good final season.
