Waveland – home to Parker’s very own high school tennis team. The Waveland Park Tennis Courts are located two and a half miles away – a 10 minute drive.
Senior Danni Kaplan is one of this year’s girls Tennis team Captains. “The tennis season has been good,” Kaplan said. “We have done pretty well this season and are continuing to improve.” As of September 23, the varsity team’s record is three and three.
Kathryn Cattafesta is this year’s girls Tennis Varsity Coach. “The season is going well,” Cattafesta said.
Despite efforts to play more matches, the weather has been an issue. “Unfortunately, we have had several rain outs, so some matches have had to be rescheduled,” Cattafesta said. There are more matches to come the rest of this fall season. “JV has played four matches and varsity has played seven matches,” Kaplan said.
Lia Bahri, a sophomore on the JV team expressed frustration in the lack of JV matches. “We were supposed to play four more matches, but all of them got canceled because of the weather, and sometimes they only end up being varsity matches,” Bahri said.
Along with a lack of matches, Parker tennis also struggles with lack of support from peers and parents. “Having tennis courts not on site is not ideal. We are fortunate that Waveland is very close to Parker and easy to get to, but it is hard when trying to get fans to come to our games,” Kaplan said.
“It doesn’t make sense. It’s not at Parker. It’s not convenient. Most of the time parents don’t even come,” said Louise Hall, a sophomore and JV tennis member.
The students and coaches feel that the lack of support of the tennis team affects their performance. “This has really made it hard on the girls, as they feel like they are not supported,” Cattafesta said.
“If people are motivating you and cheering you on, you are more likely to play better because you have something to play for. Support affects the team,” Bahri said.
“It can be discouraging at times to not have as many fans as some of the other teams, and I do think that has to do with our tennis court location,” Kaplan said. “Although it can be disappointing to not have support, our team tries to lift each other up. Parents come and cheer, tennis players cheer on their fellow teammates when their match is over, our coaches support us, and we root for our partners.”
Cattafesta, who was the JV coach last year, is this year’s Varsity Head Coach. The support of coaches is also important to the morale of the team. “[the coaches] are really committed to the team and care about us succeeding in tennis,” Bahri said.
“They are really vocal during matches and practices,” Hall said. Along with the support of the coaches, the teams’ positive energy helps to combat the lack of support from students.
“The tennis team is resilient and we lift each other up before games. I always feel supported by my teammates and love their positivity, especially when I am not playing my best or having a tougher match,” Kaplan said. “The team feels bonded this year, and we have great comradery and positive energy. I have loved being a part of the tennis team.”
