The Selma High School tennis team recently won the California Classic Tennis Tournament. Being one of the largest tournaments in the state, they got the opportunity to show and prove their efforts to the sport.
Coach Casarez strives to show the players just how good they are, as well as giving them exposure to tennis players outside of the district. They get first-hand experience to see the skill and experience of others.
“We recently watched a friend of mine’s son play in Clovis, he’s probably the top high school player in the Valley. Penn State, Harvard, UCLA all want him to play tennis,“ said Coach Casarez.
The players learn from experiences like these, as they get to see the skills of other players, and can pick something up from seeing someone else play. Afterwards, the players were inspired by the great plays of others and went on to knock out Mt. Whitney High School in the final to win the California Classic.
During practices they focus on bettering their overall performance on the court in order to not miss out on any points. Seeing that most high school players don’t play up close to the net, Coach Casarez also focuses on teaching them these skills so when it comes to play they will have that advantage.
“When at practice I focus [on] the little things,” said sophomore Carlos Bravo.
”Like instead of trying to improve everything all at once and expecting an overnight miracle where I suddenly improve, I focus on my serves or playing at the net.”
Despite the inconsistent weather recently filled with rainy days, they still found ways to practice off of the courts.
“Like the girl’s team during bad-air quality days last year, the boy’s team will practice inside,” said Coach Casarez.
“We’ll actually hit indoors, watch films, lift weights and do a cardio workout.”
The team had lost some players as they had other interests, but the team continues to work their best together in order to achieve their goals.
“My games have gone great so far, I primarily play with my partner, Michael Casarez, in doubles matches,” said Carlos Bravo.
“Though yes, our win to lose ratio is a bit funky, playing with a good friend of mine outweighs the feelings of losing tenfold.”
Coming up soon is the “Bears Championship” on April 1st & 2nd. It is hosted by Selma High and will be one of the two adult tennis tournaments hosted by Selma High School.
“Our top players gain a huge amount of experience playing against adults,” said Coach Casarez.
Several of the adults who are participating are former high school and college players, and some currently play USTA (United States Tennis Association) matches. He hopes that their players will take this as a great learning experience and can perform better in the high school leagues.