Tennis

Haakon Scheibler’s feet leave the ground as he puts all his body weight into his serve.

The Cascade Tennis Team has shown a lot of grit and determination this year. They started out the year by spending multiple hours shoveling snow off the tennis courts and many hours practicing their strokes and serves in the gym. After about two weeks of practicing in the gym, half the courts were finally clear, and the team was able to get out of the gym and onto the courts; just a week before their first match. Since then, they have had to deal with rain, and late spring snow, kicking them off the courts and back into the gym again.

Even with tough weather, the tennis team has been quite successful so far, with a league record of three wins and only two losses! This year, many new students have joined the team and have contributed to the team's success more than they had anticipated. Freshman, Caden Peterson, decided to try out for tennis this year. This is his first year ever playing on a tennis team. Setting his sights high, he stated, “My goal for this season is to win one match.” He has exceeded his goals by already winning four matches. He is not the only new player who has exceeded their expectations and helped to contribut to the whole team's success. With three more matches, and a district tournament in Chelan left in the season, the tennis team hopes to extend its winning streak, and even make it to the state tournament.

Even though it is always fun to win, that is not the main focus of this team. Coach Hassinger or “H” stated, “I started coaching because I love the game of tennis and I love being around students. I want to help kids reach their potential. I really enjoy watching kids get better. I also really enjoy being around such awesome young adults.” This shows how much Coach H wants the players to have a good time and get better. He also stated, “By the end of the year, I see my team getting better! I see them working through problems, I see them communicating with everyone. Who knows, the sky is the limit with these guys!” Coach H does an excellent job of spreading positivity throughout the team and establishing an uplifting environment.

Sophomore Jasper Bard stated, “My goals are to make new friends, get more people involved and get better,” as well as, “my favorite part of tennis is the great sportsmanship of all my teammates and opponents.”

The team captains also play a role in establishing a great environment, especially for the younger players. Senior Chase Runions said, “I’m a captain on the team and it has been really fun to help the younger players improve their game and confidence on the court the same way previous captains helped me.”

This season, the tennis team welcomed many new faces and a couple of old ones. From freshman that have never picked up a racket before, to seniors that have played all four years of high school, the team has a wide range of skills. Senior Chloe Palmer Godsey said, “I started playing tennis freshman year because I wanted to try something new. Now as a senior, I am team captain.”

Freshman Caden Peterson and Sophomore Jasper Bard both stated they wanted to continue to play for the rest of their high school career. Jasper stated, “I hope to make it to state as a senior.”

With only three matches left, and the district tournament in Chelan, the tennis season is coming to an end. Senior Chase Runions is making the most of his final season, he is number one singles on the team as well as team captain. Chase stated, “This season a lot of players on our team have a good chance of progressing through league and districts and maybe getting to state. I’d love to place at districts and even get to state if I can.” Let us wish the seniors a great final season, and we will be looking forward to next season for everyone else!