We began the evening with a wonderful blessing courtesy of Mr Faulkner before a feast fit for our queens of the court. The families of Northwestern tennis again did a top notch job in preparing our pot luck dinner. The awards presentations began after dinner.
I first off thanked Coach Warren and the Trojan Club for all the support of the tennis programs at Northwestern. We are truly lucky to have such a wonderful athletic director who does a lot of things behind the scenes that don't get recognized. He also gives me a lot of flexibility in running the program the way I want to and is supportive of us in every aspect.
I also thanked Dr & Mrs Edwards for assisting the program with our new court numbers this year. Dr Edwards and I spent a couple hours putting them up around the courts back in September and they truly add a touch of class to our facility.
I also thanked the Surgical Specialists of the Carolinas as well as Rock Hill Radiology Associates for their support in providing us with financial contributions that made our new windscreen purchase possible. I believe that we have the finest tennis facility in the state of any program that has school courts. Without the financial assistance of these two companies, this purchase would not have been possible. If you run into Dr Schroeder or Dr Leonard, please thank them. But also, the funds from football concessions over the past two seasons was a huge asset as well so thank you to the parents who helped out back in September.
Our first player awards went to our non-letter winning players this year. This group allowed our team to have tremendous depth this year. Good teams in any sports have depth and it is my belief that this depth will allow us to be successful for many years to come. Congratulations and thank you to the following young ladies:
- Natalie Hageman
- Hannah Cramer
- Emily Cramer
- Randi Honeycutt
- Karlee Fox
- Caroline Herron
- Alexis Peddy
- Olivia Huckabee
Letters were then presented to the players who contributed to the varsity team this year in matches. This group's results on the court representing our team resulted in a team that again qualified to the state tournament in 4A girls tennis:
- Chandler Green (3rd Letter)
- Maggie Orr (3rd Letter)
- Betsy Creech (3rd Letter)
- Courtney Cox (2nd Letter)
- Lauren Cox (1st Letter)
- Emily Edwards (1st Letter)
- Hillary Tindall (2nd Letter & Captain Pin)
- MC Faulkner (1st Letter & Captain Pin)
- Erin Brooks (1st Letter)
- Mia Barber (Manager pin)
Individual awards were then presented to the girls as voted for by their teammates.
Most Valuable Player - The player who the girls felt was most valuable to our team on and off the court. This player made the biggest impact to our team during matches, on the sidelines, and in practice: Chandler Green
Most Improved Player - The player the girls felt made the biggest improvement in their game. The players could vote for who improved the most from the beginning of the year to the end or from last season to this season: MC Faulkner
Best Practice Player - The player who worked the hardest each day in practice. This player not only worked hard themself, but worked to make others around them better: Hillary Tindall
Coach's Award - I hand out an annual award to a player who is coachable in all aspects of the game. This player sets a great example to their teammates not purely by their ability, but mostly by their work ethic and willingness to learn. This is a player who makes every effort to execute strategies in their matches and learns from both their successes and failures to improve themself: Lauren Cox
I will certainly miss our seniors as they move on to their next great challenges in life. It has certainly been a privilege to get to know each of you. I do make a promise to my seniors that I will always be available to you if you need any further assistance in life, being letters of recommendation, networking, or any other advice I can provide. Most of all, I hope you stay in touch with the program and remain assets to us after your graduation.
For our returning fourteen girls, our future is bright at Northwestern. I encourage any of you that know of athletic 7th, 8th, or 9th graders to encourage them to learn the game of tennis. We have a strong core of sophomores that will be juniors returning next year along with one senior. The program needs talented younger players that are willing to take the time and put in the work that it takes to become a good tennis player. Please look to share your experiences with younger student athletes that can fill this role for us in the future.
I also mentioned what I expect as far as off season tennis work for our returning players. A pro player that I met over the past few weeks told me that she believes that the difference in a tennis match between two equal players playing at a high level will be decided by three factors:
1) Fitness
2) Quickness
3) Mental Toughness
In a nutshell, a good tennis player must be a great athlete. Take pride in becoming athletic and continue to work out with agility drills, jump rope, and quick sprints. Get some 1-2 mile runs incorporated into your workout as well. The player in better physical shape has an advantage
Mental toughness, in my opinion, is the ability to feel comfortable in seemingly uncomfortable situations on the court. I think the only way to get mentally tough is by continuing to put yourself in competitive situations. Whether you are in a league or travel to play in tournaments, match-play experience is crucial. If you play more matches, you will become more comfortable in match situations. Morgan Chumney from Fort Mill has played 85 (50-35) tournament matches over the past 12 months. It shouldn't be a surprise that she stays cool and calm on the court.
Also, in practicing during the off season I think that you should set a goal of the following:
1) Work with an instructor once per week, whether in a clinic or private lesson
2) Play a practice match against someone near your ability level
3) Play a practice match against someone slightly below your ability level
4) Compete in one tournament per month, or junior tennis leagues in the spring and summer
I am moving into the boy's season for the spring. I would like to see girls come out to participate in the boy's varsity practices. However, I do ask that if you plan to come practice with the guys, that you have a goal for practicing with us. If you are practicing for an upcoming tournament, let me know and you will have priority over girls that just want to practice for fun. Call, text, or email me before you come out so I can confirm we have 3 or less girls at a boy's practice (off-season maximum).
Good season Lady Trojans!
(L to R: Chandler Green - Most Valuable; MC Faulkner - Most Improved; Hillary Tindall - Best Practice Player; Lauren Cox - Coach's Award)
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