Facing great challenges, including having to compete against five of the top eight teams in the state in their regular season, the varsity boys tennis team played exceptionally well this season. The team ended their dual match season with a record of 7-3.

Despite the challenges, Coach Jonathan Wendrick said the team “won more matches against these top teams than [they] ever have before, and the boys represented the team, the school and themselves well in the process.”

One of the biggest traits that helped the team stand against the best teams in the state was how they learned to face the challenge confidently.

“The biggest area of growth was their belief in themselves to compete against the best teams from around the state,” Wendrick said.

One example of this confidence in action was in the team’s match against Clarkston High School.

“Almost every court was a battle of two evenly matched opponents,” Wendrick said. Under these tough circumstances, despite the amount at stake because Clarkston was in Brighton’s regional, the team managed to stay confident and played their best. 

Although the match resulted in a 3-5 loss, it was still “a fantastic high school match and the most competitive match of the year across the board,” according to Wendrick.

Overall, the varsity boys tennis team had a very challenging season but played incredibly well. They faced off against some of the best teams in the state and held their own with inspiring confidence. Even when they lost, they always played their best.

For next year, the main advice that Coach Wendrick has is for the team to remember, as said by former Duke University basketball coach Mike Krzyzewski, “You can either lower your goals to match your effort, or you can raise your effort to match your goals.” In essence, the team will have to keep working harder to accomplish greater goals next year.