The Lewis Cass girls’ tennis team is ready to return after a great season last year. After finishing with a winning record and winning their second sectional title in three years, the girls are ready to get back out on the court and do what they do best. The girls lost two seniors on varsity last year (Erika Johnson and Addison Ousley) but still have some strong girls playing. With five out of the seven girls on varsity playing during the off-season, and four playing year-round, the Lady Kings are ready to show off their hard work. Senior player, Abbey Hileman, hopes to win another sectional title like last year. Mr. Hurst, the head coach, also has goals he would like the team to work towards. 

     Mr. Hurst has multiple goals he wants the girls to work toward every season he coaches. Although Mr. Hurst is competitive while playing, he still manages to recognize what playing a high school sport is really all about- enjoying time with your team and enjoying the sport. “We work to improve skill-wise and mentally throughout the season. The hard work the girls do is to prepare them for a tough sectional at the end of the season. Plus, we can’t forget that we want to have fun and remember to enjoy the game of tennis and time with the team!” Since tennis is a sport you have to be strong mentally, Mr. Hurst works to improve the mental game of his players every season. Improving the mental game will be especially important this upcoming season because of the new conference Lewis Cass has entered- the Three Rivers Conference.

     Changing conferences brings new teams to face throughout the season. The girls will have a very full and busy season with twenty-two matches in two months filling up their schedule. When asked about how he was feeling playing new teams, Mr. Hurst said, “The new schedule creates a lot of unknowns as we face teams we have never played before.” Facing new teams your senior year can be a little frightening, but Abbey is not worried at all. “I honestly am not worried about playing new teams. I do not normally scout before a match. I normally come and play the game. So, while we are facing new teams, my mental game will not change.” This mindset will definitely help Abbey as she faces new unknowns during the upcoming season. 

     Mr. Hurst is looking forward to coaching the girls for yet another season. When asked his favorite thing about coaching girls’ season, Mr. Hurst said, “I always enjoy the girls on the team. Everyone has a great attitude and makes it fun to coach each year!  I can do without the weather though!” If you happen to play a spring sport, you know what weather Mr. Hurst is referring to. Other than the weather, Mr. Hurst enjoys playing a sport he loves with his players, where he can give them the opportunity to grow as an individual and athletes. 

     Be sure to stay updated on how the Lady Kings do throughout the upcoming tennis season. They have worked hard during the off-season and are ready to show their new and improved skills. Good luck to the Lewis Cass girls’ tennis team and head coach, Mr. Hurst!