“It may seem like tennis is boring, or that tennis is an easy sport, that no one really knows or cares about it but it’s really like a cool sport. It’s hard, you have to put in a lot of effort and hard work to play tennis because it’s one-on-one. Mostly not team-based… if you’re not playing high school it’s mostly singles. It’s just really hard and I feel like not enough people understand that.” – Andre Bautista, Captain of Enloe Men’s Tennis. 

Despite over twenty students showing up to tryouts, it seems that men’s tennis is not only untouchable by their opponents, but also by their peers. Regardless, they’re beyond ready to tighten up their rackets for the upcoming games after starting the season strong with wins against Wake Forest’s team on March 2 and Roseville’s team on March 6. 

Tennis is a sport that can be played with a team but ultimately, unless it’s doubles, a player is on the court alone. It can be a daunting task not relying on anybody but yourself and your wits, but fortunately, a team is not just the people but the spirit as well.

The tennis team encourages each other on the field, no matter their skill level and experience,in order to motivate their teammates and boost their morale during intense matches as each member tries their best not only to win for their own personal gain but for the team as well. 

Whenever they’re not on the court, they’re a family going out on dinners after victories as they indulge in the sweet fruits of their labors (literally and metaphorically). They also invite each other to the gym and support each other academically, as a strong body also needs a strong mind pushing them to the limit.

“Since it’s my senior year, I’m just hoping to play the best I can to make it to the states with the team. Because this is our best team yet. I want to try to push this as hard as we can for my last year at least”

The team’s captain Andre Bautista always does everything in his power to make sure his team is performing the best it can. From maintaining a positive attitude and creating an environment where everyone can thrive, to doing smaller tasks like stringing the team’s tennis rackets, to supplying balls and various other equipment. 

“‘I’ve been coaching football for twenty-five years and got out of it because my father became ill and I had to help to take care of him. When he died a couple of years ago I’d decided to start coaching golf and now tennis just to sort of fill in, help out with the athletic program because it is a huge time commitment and a lot of people don’t want to take on these days. … For the team I want everyone to be a team and want them to play, want the players to play at the best of their ability, and to push each other to make each other better. So far I’ve been pleased. I think everyone really came out and did that.”- Coach Simpson 

There is another member of the team that does not play on the field but still is a vital part of the team. It is no one other than Coach Simpson. Despite it being his first year of coaching tennis, his previous experiences coaching certainly make it seem like he’s been with the team since the beginning. Being diligent with the team making sure they keep up with their fitness and practices and of course winning matches. Just in the last two weeks, he managed to set up four matches all ending in victories.

As stated before, the team has the major goal of making it to the state championship, and with their track record so far, it looks less like a pipe dream and more like the future for the Enloe Men’s Tennis. Don’t miss out on their path to victory and support them to let the team know the Eagles are with them at every step. Like any other sport, there is more to tennis and while anyone can pick up a racket not everyone can or willingly dedicated themselves to the sport.You need great stamina and endurance, flexibility, agility, power, mental fortitude, technique, and strategy. It’s important to remember the hard work players go through for their sport regardless if they’re being watched or not. Let’s do our best to make sure these talented tennis players know we see them and their incredible commitment to Enloe Men’s Tennis.

Visit maxpreps.com to see their upcoming games!

“Every win is special. Every competition is special. I challenge everyone, whether it’s my students or players on my team to make themselves better. There is always room for improvement.” – Coach Simpson