As spring comes along, new beginnings are marked, including the 2025 season for Selma High’s boys’ tennis.
Coaching tennis for a total of 16 years, Dan Casarez will be guiding the boys for this upcoming season. So far, the team has been playing preseason matches to prepare for the regular season.
“I’m impressed with everyone,” Casarez shares. “The returners seem eager to perform before they graduate. The freshmen bring very good, fast serves.”
With a current preseason record of 2-2, Casarez is planning to keep the boys motivated with a trip to Fresno State, where the team will watch Division I players compete at a tournament.
“Because we have just two seniors,” he explains, “and several returning players, alongside freshmen from Abraham Lincoln Middle School, I hope to finish with qualifying to the team playoffs.”
The tennis team has many goals for this season, including personal goals. Casarez hopes to qualify for playoffs, while players are working in a disciplined manner to enhance their skills.
“I would like to improve on my accuracy,” stated freshman Rayhan Jhutti, who has played for a year and a half.
Another one of the team’s players, junior Davian Castillo, who has been playing tennis for four years, wants to improve his footwork and his mental game. Alongside his own goals, he hopes that the team improves as a whole to make a run in the playoffs.
With playing a sport, there also come challenges that vary from player to player, such as time management and maintaining focus, but it’s important for players to find different ways to persevere.
“Most of the challenges I face are mentally,” stated freshman Rogelio Arreguin, who has been playing tennis since middle school, “but I break through them by getting support from my teammates and coach.”
Despite these challenges, all players hope to pursue tennis in the future, playing at college level or higher.
Unlike other years, the tennis program has changed, with the game’s atmosphere becoming more competitive. To prepare for this, the team now has five season matches instead of three and is playing against higher-division teams.
