The Kaiser Tennis Team recently competed against the Kahuku Tennis team at the BYU Hawaii campus in a close match. Tavin Lee clutched up in an overtime game, with the final score being 17-15. The Kaiser team was able to close out another win, securing themselves as strong competitors amidst the other schools.
The Cougar Varsity Tennis Team is large compared to those of other teams on the island. Comprising 26 boys and 14 girls, the team makes a strong showing in matches against other schools. Maximilian Tobin, a Junior Tennis player believes that the team is at a very high skill level. “I would say that the top fourteen or so Varsity boys could walk on at most schools on the island.”
The Tennis team has a unique ranking system that differentiates itself from other sports here at Kaiser. Players compete with each other for higher rankings, and a better chance to compete in matches.
Tobin shared his thoughts on the ranking system. “This system makes it so only the best players on the Tennis team get to play. And while that’s good for our performance, only the top eight and top fourteen are able to consistently play in matches.”
In order to move up in the ranking system, the players challenge one another in matches to take their spot. Preliminary rankings are determined during preseason, and a second rearrangement of the rankings occurs at midseason.
However, the Kaiser Tennis team doesn’t let the ranking system divide them. “If I lose to one of my teammates and move down in the rankings, I don’t feel angry at them,” said Junior Tennis player Coen Blake. “They played better than me in the match, so it’s my fault that I lost to them.”
The Kaiser Tennis team is looking to end their season with strength with OIA Champs and States coming up in their future.
The Tennis Team tries hard to maintain a strong community. “The team has a lot of team bonding activities and events,” said Tobin. “The upper level players, we’re all friends, …and the Freshman also hang out a lot as well. I think that this really helps us work through whatever differences we might have with each other. If we’re playing on the same court, we’re…friends.”
The Kaiser Tennis team is looking to end their season with strength with OIA Champs and States coming up this week.
