Boys' Tennis Preparing for Another Strong Season

When asked how he became so great at his sport, former tennis great Arthur Ashe once responded, “One important key to success is self-confidence. An important key to self-confidence is preparation.”

Self-confidence has long been a staple ingredient for top tennis players, both amateur and professional. Finding that confidence isn’t always easy and certainly is not automatic, so as Ashe stated, preparation is needed.

That preparation is underway at West Deptford High School where the Eagles boys' tennis team is looking to duplicate the success it achieved during last season’s 19-3 campaign.

Four seniors have graduated from that team leaving a group of raw, yet talented, up-and-comers to find their way at the varsity level.

Sophomore Paulo Parente returns to the No. 1 singles spot, while former second doubles teammates Kai Narayanan and Steve Marchunt will fill the No. 2 and No. 3 singles slots, with the order still to be determined. The doubles slots are likely to be filled by a group of four players–Ethan Nichols, Brian Keane, Dan Semler and Mike McKendry–who each lack varsity experience.

Head coach Aaron Burr understands that it will take the lesser-experienced players some time before they find success on a consistent basis. He is hoping the three players he has returning can carry the load in the early portion of the schedule.

“My goal–and hope–is that in the beginning of season the doubles kids will get some coaching and playing experience and we will piggy back on the success of singles players,” said Burr. “The kids who move up to the singles spots will be all right. The key thing is that the doubles players realize they are on varsity now and not JV.

"They have to play to that level.”

So the preparation is underway.

Burr, like so many other high school tennis coaches, fills out his roster based on the results of challenge matches. For instance, if the fourth best singles player on the team wanted a varsity slot at No. 3, he could challenge the player currently in that slot, and if successful on a pair of occasions, would be awarded the slot.

This creates the ultimate competition between teammates and keeps each member of the team on their toes.

“The kids know the top seven kids make varsity and they know where they are at on the ladder,” said Burr. “They know if they are playing a kid above them there is a chance to move up and that creates the type of competition you get in a regular match.

"They definitely know what is at stake.”

Burr said each player handles climbing or falling a slot differently, but even in the case of the players who get knocked down, there is a team-first attitude.

“Some players do worse for a little while once they lose and others realize the other kid is better and we will be a (better) team and go forward and play our best at No. 2 or No. 3. Anyone who loses is upset, but they don’t want to have it continue and affect the season.”

The competition will be open through much of the preseason. The Eagles have three scrimmages scheduled over the next week and a half to get ready for April 1 when they open their season at home against Haddon Heights at 3:45 p.m.