The Monte Vista girls’ tennis team recently placed second at the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) North Coast Section (NCS) tournament and placed fourth at the United States Tennis Association (USTA) Northern California (NorCal) tournament with the help of one of their team captains, Maddy Park.
Park, a senior, first started playing tennis in fifth grade after her dad introduced her to the sport. After tennis lessons with her dad and at various summer camps, she acquired the skills to be a member of the varsity team all four years.
During tennis season, Park practices with the team as well as with her personal coach, for a total of eight hours a week. Despite this time commitment, she is still motivated and effectively balances both tennis and schoolwork without being overly stressed.
“For me, sometimes I procrastinate because I worry about not being able to do assignments well,” Park said. “So [it helps to] just sit down, recoup, and break up tasks into manageable chunks.”
The support from Park’s team has also helped to motivate her. The players have an encouraging dynamic with each other, and during tournaments, they always stay until the last match to cheer each other on.
“On a team, everyone has their own strengths and weaknesses, but we all learn to embrace them together,” Park said. “It’s always helped that captains each year have been supportive of players.”
As one of the team captains, Park has the responsibilities of helping lead practices, working with players to improve their technique, and setting up for matches with her fellow captains.
“[Being captain], I get to help set the tone of working hard, being positive… and that your mentality is everything. You have to be confident in your game and in yourself,” Park said.
She has adopted this mentality and applies it especially during challenging tournaments. During Park’s junior year, she competed at the East Bay Athletic League (EBAL) tournament with her partner in tiebreakers. The high pressure environment forced Park and her partner to stay focused, but they persevered and ended up winning the tournament.
Despite her success, Park is still trying to find new ways to improve. Whenever she loses a match, instead of getting discouraged, she responds to it constructively.
“Losing itself doesn’t bother me; it just lets me know what I need to change when I’m playing. In that way, it motivates me,” Park said.
Park will continue refining her skills and playing tennis recreationally for the remainder of her senior year and after she graduates. During her four years on the team, she has helped to build an encouraging environment and has confidence that the players will continue to be supported.
“[After I graduate], I hope that the [future] captains will [maintain] a positive dynamic that includes all people.” Park said.
