The Season 2009 - Chapter Three

Racquets strings breaking every day, guys sweating through their shirts on August runs, nervous challenge matches against teammates you desperately want to beat for position's sake, quickness drills and forehand drills and service drills and on and on... this is the grind of the season's beginning. Different teams take to this part of the season in different ways, but I could tell that our 2009 squad was a bit tentative in its immersion into full preparation.

In the drills, the team searched for a solid leader, someone whose example could be followed, whose effort could be emulated. In the intra-squad matches, we struggled to play with intensity and effort for a whole set. In team situations, we looked for a vocal leader to challenge and encourage us. These things seemed to be in flux and in formation. We weren't sure who the leaders were, who our best player was, how good our team could be, or even how hard we were supposed to work.

As a coach, I'm sure I didn't make this any easier. Uncertainty ruled my mind as well, who would play #1? Mikey beat Seth, Ben beat Mikey, but then Seth beat Ben! And then doubles, Austin and Kyle at #1 doubles? But Kyle and Russell were undefeated together at JV last year... what if we put one of them at #2 doubles to make that position stronger? Should Mikey play doubles like he did in 2008, going 20-2, or is he ready to transition to a strong singles spot?

As these questions washed over me, our first match arrived. Northridge, up in Middlebury, the defending Regional champions. I was confident that we could put up a fight, and was hoping to see some of my lineup questions answered. We played really well, with Seth winning #2 singles, Ben challenging one of the best in the area at #1 singles, and taking leads before falling at both doubles positions. Perhaps, we had found the lineup? It was hard to tell, because Mikey had unfortunately cramped during his #3 singles matchup, and so I couldn't tell if he was going to be able to play singles as effectively as doubles or not.

So we changed the lineup and beat Goshen. Then we kept that same lineup and got smoked by Concord. Then we changed again and smoked Mishawaka. Changed again and beat Fremont. Starting with the Fremont match, we really settled on a lineup, and that certainty (along with the caliber of opponents) really got us on a role. In fact, after losing to Concord, we reeled off nine wins in a row!

During this time there were unforgettable memories. The Triton match will be one of my favorite matches forever. I spent a lot of time before the match preparing Ben Mast for his #1 singles match with Ben Montalbano. I was sure that if we won that spot, we'd win the match. But, though Ben executed brilliantly, Montalbano played some of the most incredible points I've ever seen coaching tennis. He ran down overheads, hit perfect lobs again and again, boomed some big serves, and showcased top-notch athleticism. I loved this match though, because it was one in which my coaching helped give Ben a chance.

But instead, the match came down to #1 doubles. The team sat on the grass behind the court, eating glazed donuts and watching "Our Heroes" go into a third set tiebreak. These are the best times, everybody in one place hoping for one thing. Austin and Kyle were probably the best at realizing that when the pressure is on, you have to be aggressive, and they were in closing out the tiebreak. Then we were onto the court to congratulate them! These matches are the ones that we should remember after the season is over...

These were good times with high expectations. I mean, we beat eventual Sectional champion Jimtown, without Mikey. We were beginning to think not only about a Sectional championship, but possibly making the 70% winning percentage plaque in the hallway, making the All-District teams, challenging the 2008 or 1999 teams as the best Bruins teams ever.

Admittedly, we were playing really well through this stretch of the season, but there was something still underneath. Like what rumbled through team camp in the summer, there was still a sense of something not quite clicking, that we weren't quite 100%. It started to come out here and there, in many different people. Some people worried too much about their own position and didn't revel in team wins, some people were overly critical of their own game, some people didn't push themselves hard enough, some people couldn't come to grips with the position they were playing. We found ourselves worrying far more than enjoying our play and our teammates.

As in the offseason, the only thing you can truly control is your effort. Teams that put in full effort, and then enjoy their teammates and their matches are the teams that are successful. You do the work in practice, and then play the matches. At times, I questioned whether we were putting in the full effort, and then whether we were enjoying our teammates and our matches. Ultimately, that's what makes an experience great.

But at 10-2, with a nine match winning streak, we were in great position. It seemed like a good time to challenge ourselves, to step up and take on the best competition, to really see what it meant to play at the level of Sectional champion or Regional competitor. With that, we got ready to hit the midway point of our season, and in early September we took on traditional tennis power Warsaw...