FDR has the best tennis players in the world! Now maybe I’m biased, because I am from FDR, and the tennis players are like brothers to me. However, these successful Cougars accomplished a lot, including the fact that they made it to the playoffs. When asked about their success, and what led to their great year, Ms. K the coach of the Tennis team said, “It’s honestly all about having fun, and not focusing too much on the numbers. When you don’t focus on winning, you win either way; by having a good experience or by winning.” She also adds, “It was a good season and although we lost in the playoffs, we know we had fun and that’s all that matters.” Overall, we can conclude that Coach K thinks her boys will come in stronger than ever next season, and she believes that they have grown together since the beginning of the season. 

What is really important about our tennis players is the fact that they treat each other with unconditional respect, and have each other’s back no matter what. Tennis players have grown so much as people while playing, to the point where they stopped stressing over the upcoming games. They treated the competition as something unimportant, and they put having fun as their top priority. Maybe this is the recipe for ultimate success? 

Qijin Huang, or Q as his friends and teammates like to call him, is senior, a singles 2nd, and a beast on the court. He treats tennis as “therapy,” since he says that the only way to unwind for him, is through exercise and sports. Q has previously been on the Table Tennis team and the Badminton team. Having lots of experience with racquets, led him to try to play tennis. To describe this season, Q went on to say that it was a, “good experience for him,” because he learned how to play tennis fairly quickly, as well as make new friends. Qijin also adds that every player on the team has a skill needed for success in tennis, which is why he wasn’t nervous when going to his first playoffs match. Qijin is planning to go to Cornell next year, and wishes to play for their sports teams, preferably the Tennis team. If not, he wants to try clubs and extracurriculars. He advises every student at FDR to do the same. Being involved in the community will bring, “ unforgettable experiences,” he says. 

Another great player from the tennis team is Ismael Gonzalez, playing as a second doubles. Being only a junior, he has been on the team since his freshman year. He believes that tennis is one of his favorite sports to play. His dad in fact, used to play tennis, and taught Ismael how to play during his younger years. He, therefore, recalls and associates tennis with family bonds and a place to be yourself without the fear of being judged. Ishmael considers this season to be better than the last season, due to having a better team who understands each other. When asked about whether or not he’ll join the Tennis team next year, he eagerly answers that he will, and also advises anyone with great skills in tennis to join him next year to play against other schools!

FDR has lots of great teams, each showing its uniqueness by presenting their skill and winning against other schools. The Boys Tennis team did not disappoint this year! They turned their positive vibes into lots of wins. Good job Cougars! Congrats on a great year!