The girls tennis team at Frontier Regional School will no longer have a mix of boys and girls on its roster. The Redhawks now have an official boys tennis team and their season is already underway.
The boys team started their inaugural campaign with a 5-0 win over Springfield International Charter School on Monday.
“We did really well overall and there was definitely stuff to improve on,” said Coleman Hartner, co-captain of the boys tennis team.
Hartner has been playing tennis competitively since the seventh grade, but prior to this spring he had to do so on the girls team. Now a junior, Hartner said he’s excited to be a part of the first boys tennis team in school history.
The roster is comprised of 14 players, most of them underclassmen. There are no seniors and only three juniors. The other captain is fellow junior Miles Keefe.
Although the Redhawks swept their opponent in their first-ever match – proving that they have what it takes to be successful – the goal for head coach Brian Campbell so far has been to simply evaluate what his players can do.
“It was good to see the players find themselves, get comfortable, adjust to their opponent and find their groove,” Campbell said of the opening match.
Campbell previously spent time as the head coach for the girls tennis team at Greenfield High School. He said his roster has a wide range of experience – some are long time tennis players while others hadn’t played until this season.
“We have a lot of athletic kids who are looking to try something new,” Campbell said. “Everyday’s a learning experience because it’s just about learning fundamental skills to go with what they already have as athletes.”
Although most of the players are new to the sport, as members of the Tri-County League North, the Redhawks are confident in their ability to do some damage.
“It’s Frontier athletics, so there’s high expectations,” Campbell said. “Even though it’s our first season, I feel like we have a good group of kids that can not just compete, but excel.”
Campbell said he tries to instill competitiveness in practice every day. Only seven players can participate in a match and the team has twice that number on its roster. That means that a starting spot is up for grabs at all times. To earn a spot in a match, players must give it their all during practice.
“It’s a competition every day for those seven spots and that just results in people getting better every day,” Campbell said.
Getting better is the ultimate goal for Frontier this season. With a brand new program and players who have never picked up a racket before, all they can do is improve.
“I think we’re working pretty well right now and I’m really looking forward to what’s to come,” Hartner said.
The Redhawks are slated to return to action Friday against Turners Falls.