When it comes to the 2024 boys tennis season, the Wolverines will be the team to beat says coach Kyle Loring.
Loring has been coaching the Wolverines Boys Tennis Team for six years now,
“Tennis is a sublime game that can be played by anyone with a racquet and that can be won by any combination of skill, strategy, or good old-fashioned hustle,” he said when asked what he loves about the sport, adding that it offers nearly immediate opportunity for redemption . “Within seconds of chunking a ball into the fence off the racquet frame, you get a chance to hit the next ball cleanly off the strings for a cross-court winner. I’m really fortunate that the school has invited me to coach.”
Loring said that one of things that keeps him coming back to coaching is how “incredibly rewarding to be able to contribute my knowledge of and passion for tennis to the guys who come out for the team. We consistently have respectful, motivated youngsters out there, and I enjoy being part of those crucial years when they are starting to become independent thinkers and young men. And, of course, it keeps me current on the latest slang.”
This year the team consists of ten athletes, including seniors Myles Posenjak, who has played every year throughout his high school career, including a shortened first year when there were not enough players.
“He makes difficult shots look easy (and occasionally easy shots look difficult, I’m pretty sure on purpose) and has a knack for good aggressive play to finish off a point,” Loring said. Phoenix Daily joined last year as a junior and immediately made an impact on the team. Loring says “His unorthodox style belies his dogged ability to keep the ball in play, assisted by his quick and extensive court coverage.”
A recent addition, Niko Salas, who according to Loring, “has brought levity to the team as he works on reshaping his swings for consistency and power.”
Whether new or returning players, Loring reports they are improving by leaps and bounds. Juniors Finn Graham and Liam Copley are starting to find their game.
“As our team captain, Finn leads by example with his quest to improve and his desire to hit as many balls as possible, with the next better than the last,” he said. “You can see the results especially in his sharp groundstrokes. Liam sets aside his calm demeanor to pound a heavy serve that increasingly lands in the service box and functions as a weapon.”
From the basics like footwork and watching the ball to more advanced techniques like court positioning or a slice serve, the team will be working on a variety of skills.
Goals for the team this season are to improve and reach their potential while enjoying the game. If they put in the time, the results will follow, one solid swing at a time.
“Ultimately, my goal is for my players to be able to beat the guy coaching them,” Loring said. “We continue to face two related, longstanding challenges, inexperience and a lack of tennis teams in our league.”
None of the schools in the Friday hare an athletic league has a tennis team, so they have to scramble to set up matches with other schools in the region that already have mostly full schedules within their leagues.
“It’s tough, but we’re starting to get more of those matches as we redevelop relationships with those programs,” Loring said. Oct. 2 is one of those days, and it will be held at the Friday Harbor High School courts for those wanting to stop by and cheer them on.
