By Ben Markley
With winter sports wrapping up, the tennis season is just beginning. Glen Moser, tennis coach, said he was “extremely optimistic” about this year’s season.
“My only concern is health, especially for the females,” he said. “If we get healthy, we’re kind of right where I’d like to be.”
Members of the women’s team have faced injury issues, with some of them sitting games out and others being only recently released by their doctors for past injuries. However, Moser was confident the women’s team would heal up for a good season.
As for the men’s team, he said this year’s team should surpass last year’s success.
“The men have pretty good depth,” Moser said. “We’re pretty deep, deeper than we were last year as far as the team goes, and I think we finished 10th in the nation last year.”
Overall, Moser said the team members were functioning well as a team.
“I like the chemistry of the players,” he said. “They’ve been working hard.”
That hard work will be crucial against the unique competition the tennis team faces throughout the season.
“We’re about the only program here at the college, who competes against four-year colleges,” he said. “At least half of our schedule is against four-year colleges. Generally speaking, we hold our own. We’ve got some pretty talented kids.”
Despite tough competition, Moser has goals set high for his teams.
“Our first goal is always to make it to the national tournament,” he said. “[Women] have been going 28 out of 29 years, men 26 out of 29 years; that’s the big thing.”
Whether the team reaches that goal or not, Moser said the ultimate pay-off comes from watching his players grow.
“I think all coaches are competitive, and it’s just fun preparing for your opponent and watching your individual players and your team improving their game,” he said.
Contact Ben Markley, sports editor, at bmarkle2@jccc.edu.