To girls’ tennis captains and juniors Kylie Nguyen and Leanna Roman, fostering a close-knit community for their players is a key component of the team’s success.
To perform well, teamwork is a must in tennis, whether the game is a singles or doubles match, according to Nguyen. Even in a singles match, being part of the team motivates players to achieve more in competition.
“Most of the time, tennis is known to be an individual sport,” Nguyen said. “You have people playing singles and rarely doubles. I think being on a team definitely is a different environment, and it is ten times more fun. It feels like you’re playing for a reason, playing for the team and not just for yourself.”
Because of the strong bond between its players, girls’ tennis has improved incredibly throughout the years, according to Nguyen.
“So I’ve been on this team for three years, including this year now, and from my freshman year, I’ve seen people on my team—they’ve grown as individuals, they’ve matured so much and they’ve achieved so much,” Nguyen said.
In addition to cultivating a unified community amongst the players of the team, being courteous to everyone involved in the tennis family, not just the players, is crucial, according to Roman.
“We value respect a lot, to our coaches, to our peers, to our parents watching,” Roman said. “We respect our name, our Portola name, when we wear our uniforms, our sweaters. Respect is a big thing for us.”
Nguyen and Roman are excellent leaders, according to head coach Natasha Schottland. They are both looking forward to winning CIF this year, adding on to their triumph as undefeated League champions.
“I’m really proud of how we’ve developed into a family so fast,” Roman said. “As captain, I think I do well in incorporating everyone in every event that we have, whether it’s warming up on court, whether it’s out of game. Everybody’s included at the team bondings.”
A few activities the girls enjoy doing to strengthen their team bond are having karaoke nights, eating team dinners after game days, and fundraising together, according to Roman. These shared experiences help the players become closer to one another like a family; such closeness within the team shapes the support and encouragement from its players.
“I think they do a good job showing their leadership skills on the court by working hard at practice, being competitive in matches, and then off the court by cheering and encouraging other girls,” Schottland said. “They’re top players, and so the girls look up to them. Both of them are looking to play in college, and that’s a motivating factor for the rest of the team.”
