The Kaiser Soft Tennis team celebrates their final year together before the sport is replaced by pickleball. After years of dedication, teamwork, and countless matches, Soft Tennis hands over the torch to the rising star of the racket sport world: Pickleball.
A senior, Coen Blake, feels that the team shouldn’t be replaced. “I really enjoy the sport; Apart from being fun it’s also a good way to prepare for the full tennis season in the spring.”
Despite the looming end, the Kaiser Soft Tennis team has made their final year one to remember. The Varsity Boys have swept the courts, beating Moanalua and Kalani 3-0. With an undefeated record, 15-0, they secured 1st place in the OIA East Division.
The Varsity Girls have also been putting in the work this season, notching a solid 3-0 win against Moanalua. But perhaps the biggest highlight came from the doubles division.
“This is the first year we’ve ever had a doubles team reach cross-champs,” Blake says proudly. Cross champs is a tournament between OIAs and States where the top 4 doubles teams from across the island compete individually. “This tournament is very competitive and I’m very impressed that my teammates managed to make it,” adds Blake.
The decision to phase out soft tennis in favor of pickleball hasn’t been without controversy. While many acknowledge the growing popularity of the new sport, longtime players are struggling to say goodbye.
Senior and Pickleball Club Leader, Koa Tigley, sees both sides. “Pickleball has really become a global phenomenon.” The COVID-19 Pandemic marked the end of Soft Tennis, and the rise of pickleball’s popularity. “That’s when I started playing,” says Tigley. “It was a great way to exercise during lockdown… I think that the popularity spike is really what is making the DOE replace soft tennis… The pickleball club has almost 40 players this year, which is a much greater number than last year.”
The pandemic boosted Pickleball’s popularity, but it also took away one of the most exciting aspects of Soft Tennis. “One of the coolest parts of Soft Tennis used to be the Japan trip,” says Blake. “Soft Tennis has its origins in Japan, and Hawaii’s state championship would be held there. Unfortunately, that tradition never returned after the pandemic.”
“I’m sad to see [Soft Tennis] go. I love the sport. I can understand why some people might view soft tennis as excessive given how large the full tennis team is. But that’s why I love it: I actually get to compete during this season.
“The Spring Tennis is a lot more competitive, and Soft Tennis is, well, softer. The learning curve is much lower due to the ball moving slower, and the rackets hitting with less force.” Soft Tennis allowed some of the lesser skilled players to compete in matches, allowing them to build the skills and confidence that they can carry into traditional tennis.
As Kaiser High School says goodbye to Soft Tennis, the program leaves behind a legacy of teamwork, victory, and celebration.
“It was more than just a sport,” says Blake. “It was a team. A community. And we’re going out swinging.”
