"Bulldog Tennis isn’t Rebuilding, it’s Reloading!

When I came in this year as the new head coach for varsity tennis, I really didn’t know what to expect. I was familiar with the top players I inherited going into the season, but there is so much more to “Team Tennis” than the talent level of the top players. I needed to discover the personalities of the players…who plays well with whom, who are the “fighters” (the players who refuse to lose), who has team spirit, who is the most coach-able, who are the “projects”, etc. Let’s just say I was pleasantly surprised!

What a great group of athletes. I can’t wait for practice to hit with the team. We are carrying 22 varsity players…11 boys and 11 girls. Only 18 can play matches on any given day, but they all have been able to gain valuable match experience over the course of the season. We will have a strong base going into next year.

This is the year, however, that could go down in Bulldog history. Former head coach, Jane Rockwell, supplied me with a great foundation to work with. I had an elite group of players to build around. Dustin Pierce, Mikka Nostdahl, Abby Helander, Piper Wahlin and Justine Clawson have the ability to win at any level. Add to them two newcomers, Ben Hardy and Kevin Kirby, and Sandpoint suddenly can compete with anyone. I just needed to find a compliment to this group to round out a powerful team…maybe even a State Champion.

I wasn’t disappointed. Even though we spent the first half of the season practicing in the gym (thanks to the great North Idaho Spring weather this year), I could see the potential of this team while we practiced hours and hours of volley drills at the net. By the end of the “Gym Season” we had some of the quickest hands in the state. The team has put their volleying talent to good use over the course of the season and have won many matches because of their quickness at the net.

With the season nearing its completion, it will be fun to watch how far we can progress at the State level. I expect great things. I know our top players will do well, but it is the balance of the team that will determine our fate and I do have faith in them! Meranda Carter, Susan Williams, Sophia Meulenberg and Jesse Cobb have been workhorses for us. They have played and won through injury, rain and cold. Crystal Clark, Brittany Claffey, Kyenna Jensen, Roxanne Imeson and Azumi Smith have all posted big wins during the season.

On the boys side, Rob Carne and Jackson Bussard have been a great compliment to our top 4 players. These two have been almost unbeatable. Steve Gavin, Ryan Novak, Mike Berg and Nik Thorell have all had big, consistent wins and battle each other every practice to gain spots on the final District roster. Add to these players Dash Kamp (who got a late start due to his National Snowboard competitions) and we are very tough to beat.

The State Championship is May 15-16 in Boise and I predict Sandpoint will be well represented!"