You step onto the court with the sun blinding you. Your hand is turning pale from how hard you’re holding the racket. You can feel the yellow-green tennis ball slipping out of your hand from sweat. You give yourself a mental pep talk as you walk up to serve. It’s the first day of tryouts in April, which are typically held in March, and you are thankful for a warm sunny day.

On April 8, CHSAA announced girls tennis team tryouts would be on April 26th, due to COVID-19 and being moved to the Season D category. This is more than a month after tryouts were typically held. 

“Our season would usually begin in March and last about two months, from the beginning of March to the beginning of May,” JV tennis coach Anna Gough said. “Now, the JV season is going to be three weeks long and varsity will be six weeks.”

The length of the season isn’t the only thing that will be affected, the size of the team will be impacted as well. In past years, there have been around 20 people on the JV team. 

“Tennis is a relatively safe sport but our numbers will have to change due to COVID. We don’t know the exact number yet but it’ll fluctuate based on CHSAA’s guidelines,” Gough said.

Even with all the changes to the dynamic this year, boosting morale should be no problem, in Gough’s opinion.

“I’m hoping that the seniors tryout this year will kind of lead that morale boost cause they’re wonderful to be around, they’re such peppy young women who really exude positive energy,” Gough said.

Even though the season will inevitably look different, this won’t stop girls from showing up on the courts for tryouts with the hope to make it onto this years team. Tryouts will end on April 28th with the first JV game on the following Monday.