I have been playing tennis for seven years now, and it is by far my favorite sport, but I hate going to practices. Unlike last year, the bus picks us up everyday at Parker, and everyday I wish I wouldn’t have to go on that bus. If you’re wondering what happened last year, the buses barely came to pick us up, and often when they did we were sharing with none other than our rivals, Latin. Despite the fact that I don’t desire going on the bus, the buses are on time now, and are quite nice. Even when we didn’t have a coach, at least we had a limo bus.

The atrociousness did not end with the buses, and continues to trickle into our practices. The warm ups and rallies are fine, and allow us to prepare. But we are really preparing for nothing. Our practices are too lenient, with pretty much no structure. Often times, our varsity coach, Amy Roberts, leaves me to decide what we are doing for practice, despite the fact I am not the captain. I don’t want to speak for the team. Our coach is not taking charge, and is leaving it instead in the air.

Before the new junior varsity coach Matthew Roffe came in, Roberts was running back and forth between the varsity and junior varsity teams. There were times in which I got no coaching or help the entire practice.

It also is not fun practicing next to Latin. Their practices have structure, and with five courts, there is a coach on all of the courts but one. The players are actually improving instead of worsening. The courts all have structured drills being played to help the players practice the techniques they will need in a game.

When I was in fourth grade, I went to a Parker tennis practice. I was practicing with my dad and knew the coach at the time, so he let me join his practice. I was able to do swing shapes with the girls and even hit with them. That was when my excitement for high school tennis grew. I loved tennis for several years and I was so excited to play for the school I had been going to since junior kindergarten. I did not know that I would have to be dealing with this many struggles.

The issues with the girls’ tennis team did not just start this year. Last season, the seniors would share stories about the previous Parker tennis coaches they had, and the times that they would yell and scream at the players.

We are not doing as bad as you might expect. We are (record) and have won a lot of tough matches. All this despite the coaching problems our team faces, to the point that Bobby Starks has once had to go to one of our matches at Lab. It was an act out of short staffing, and he was the only option available.

The most frustrating thing about all of this is that this would never happen to soccer or field hockey. They are way too popular, and are also sports that generate more interest from students and fans, making the possibility of their buses never coming, or losing a coach, very small.

I hope we are valued in the future, and are given enough support to achieve better success.