Women’s Tennis Gears For SCIAC with Aggressive Training

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Author: Sant Kumar

With newfound enthusiasm and trust in one another, the women’s tennis team hopes to be ranked top three in SCIAC and top 30 nationally, according to head coach Linda Park.

Members of the team have not only changed the way they practice, but also their relationship to one another and their approach to the game of tennis.

Despite their different backgrounds, members of the team have come to see one another as family.

“We’re very diverse and we come from very different backgrounds and lifestyles. We find a way to come together as a team. We do a lot of team bonding activities. We go out to dinner. We also do off-campus stuff together,” Hailey Jures (first-year) said.

The more experienced upper-class players have embraced the family mentality and have done their best to make the newer members feel comfortable as the heart of the season looms.

Many of the new players have already come to recognize the efforts of the veteran players.

“Everyone was really welcoming and really involved. Team captains helped integrate the freshmen. We made a bunch of new friends on the team,” Jures said.

Though the team focuses on a sense of unity, they are also concentrating on becoming better players individually. Park has witnessed the team’s newfound enthusiasm for tennis and feels proud.

“The team worked very hard in the off-season. They were motivated and got out on the courts themselves.  They also trained with strength and conditioning coach Yamil Verde. So far this season, they have already improved significantly,” Park said.

Isabelle Ying (senior) agrees with Coach Park.

“This year the practices are more aggressive and the training is harder. Last year there was less training. As a result we’re off to a much better start this year. We’re all really looking forward to the season,” Ying said.

In 2010, the team finished its season with a 7-13 overall record and a 4-6 conference record.

This season, the Tigers hope that Coach Park’s new training regimen will improve their SCIAC standing and lead to a stronger team dynamic.

The players who are committed to the team have stayed on and continue to work hard. Though a few players left the team after training grew too rigorous, the remaining players see their departure as something that can be perceived as positive.

“The roster is smaller. The players who are committed want to be here. The practices are effective and efficient, and the players are getting better faster,” Ying said.

Though Coach Park wants her team to be the best in SCIAC, she also emphasizes the importance of doing well academically.

“I tell my players they are at Occidental first and foremost to get their degree and to excel in their academics. As their coach, I encourage them to not only succeed in the classroom, but to also excel on the tennis court. The most important lesson I try to teach my players is to work hard in all that they do,” Park said.

With only one game under their belt, the team has many more matches in which to make their coach proud.

Although they lost their first game against UC Riverside 0-1 on Feb. 5, the Tigers are determined to do better when they face off against the University of Redlands on Saturday, Feb. 19. 

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