As freshman year starts millions of social opportunities arise, such as making various memories and creating bonds that help develop and mature young students. This is also the time when students start participating in sports. 

Junior Ava Sheehan was looking for somewhere to fit as a freshman and found the Tennis community. Sheehan describes how her friend suggested tennis as a good outlet.

“I’m really here because of Kayla. I wasn’t even gonna plan on playing but she played and she told me to come out. So I just came out freshman year and picked up a racket,” Sheehan said.

This original friendship will blossom many more while adapting to an environment that is new and unusual and making the best of it. Sheehan describes the positives that Tennis brought.

“It’s made me make new friends. It’s made me open up to a different environment for a different sport,” Sheehan says.

Sheehan hasn’t been the only one to take advantage of the opportunity. Senior Sophia Miller has appreciated the connections she’s made through tennis as well. Miller describes the benefits tennis brought to her life.

“I’ve made some of my great friends here, especially with the coaches. They’re so loving, and they just want everybody to be happy and have a good time, which really helps,” Miller said.

High school sports can start off very stressful for some freshmen, but having an older figure to look up to can help with going through hard times and to keep composed against future obstacles. The tennis team has upperclassmen tennis players placed with underclassmen to serve as a role model and friend to look up to throughout the season. The team goes so far as to label them sisters after the season. Miller describes the bonding moments the team has outside of the sport.

“We like to do fun things like go out and have team bonding days and just have fun together while playing tennis,” Miller said. “We’ve gone to legacy and we’ve played volleyball together. We’ve had cookouts, pool parties, you know, the usual stuff.” 

Though the season has ended, the players will always remember the bond they made beyond the sport.