Gabriel Sabarre is a senior on the HHS tennis team, who has played on the team all four years of his high school career. 2 years ago, in Sabarre’s sophomore year, the tennis team had over 25 members playing on the team. This year, however, only two people showed up to the first day of practice. Sabarre says despite the uncertainty, the common goal remains the same.
“I think we have a group of kids that have never played tennis before, so [there is] a lot of new potential, a lot of new curiosity about the sport and how to play it. But mostly, it’s a drive to get better overall”, Sabarre said.
The team needs at least six members in order to be allowed to play competitively in VHSL play. Thanks largely to Sabarre’s efforts, the number of people continued to grow each day at practice, starting at two and swelling all the way to the required six. Sabarre is grateful that his persuasion methods were effective.
“I think a lot of it was that my teammates were benevolent enough to be able to help me because it’s my senior year and I love tennis. And so I think a lot of them joined with that in mind, giving me a platform and a team to come together and play. So I’m really grateful to everyone that’s playing”, Sabarre said.
In addition, there is some uncertainty at the coaching position, as the team currently has an interim coach in Mr. Gillenwater, but the team hopes to get the position filled soon. Despite the uncertainty, Sabarre and the rest of the team plan to treat it as a minor speed bump, and continue business as usual.
“Currently we have a temporary coach. We have Mr. Gillenwater, and he’s really doing great for everything that’s been coming up. This is new. We’re trying to get the position filled. So I think we’re in a period of uncertainty, but soon we’ll be better. It’ll be great”, Sabarre said.
In addition to getting better at his own craft, Sabarre also plans to be a leader on the team, as he has by far the most experience of any player. He plans to make it a priority to maintain that balance of leadership and perfecting his game.
“I hope that I’m able to successfully incorporate how I play into how my teammates play. You can’t play tennis by yourself. You have to have two people to play tennis. So as I grow and learn how to play better, my teammates will grow alongside me”, Sabarre said.
Despite all the narratives swirling around the team, Sabarre is maintaining a high confidence in both himself and his teammates, as he plans to play against other schools’ number ones.
“I think I have a very high confidence that we are going to get better this season. We have a coach lined up that is going to be new and great for our team because we are also new at the core. And so I have a very high confidence that we will get much better and possibly win everything. For me personally, I really want to build that confidence over time. and really commit myself to learning how to play tennis better and how to be a leader for my team”, Sabarre said.
Overall, this tennis season is sure to be a learning experience for a lot of people, with Sabarre leading the pack. For now, though, Sabarre and the rest of the team are more than happy to settle into the underdog role, hoping that a season that began with just two players might end with something much bigger. Take it from Sabarre himself:
“We’re the underdogs. We are going to fight and we’re going to try our hardest to win. And when we try hard, it’s going to be fruitful”.
