High school senior says pandemic drew her to varsity tennis and to mentoring younger players

In remarks captured in the meeting transcript, a student and high school senior said she took up tennis during the COVID-19 pandemic, worked her way onto the varsity team and now helps train younger teammates. "During the pandemic when I was stuck in the house for a while, tennis was really the only safe sport with social distancing," the student said. "So my dad and I picked it up, and I fell in love with it. I joined the team unmodified, and I just kept playing, kept training, working hard, and joined the varsity team, and I guess the rest is history." The student said the current roster includes a wide range of ages and experience levels, from freshmen to seniors, and even an eighth-grader who she praised as "amazing" and "so nice." "As soon as I joined the team, she was so welcoming," the student said, adding that the mix of ages has allowed seniors to mentor newer players. She described singles play as a personal, mental challenge: "I'm out there on my own being a singles player, so I really have to be reflective and self evaluative with my strokes." The student said that being part of a group of people who are "also very passionate" about the sport motivates her to attend practice and improve. The remarks in the transcript are discussion only; no formal action or policy decision is recorded. The student noted she is a senior and said she hopes to "leave a legacy of good vibes on the team" when she graduates.