Known for being played with a maximum of two teammates on a court together, the boys’ varsity tennis program carries out what it means to be a team.
Over the years, long-time Head Coach Scott Gilbert has built a program centered around character, emphasizing sportsmanship to separate his group from other schools.
“We shake hands as a team after every match, which might sound fundamental but other teams don’t do this,” Gilbert said. “Regardless of who we play, whether they’re way better or way worse than us, we act the same.”
He believes that this is a key foundation for postseason success. While some other schools instruct their players to argue every call, Gilbert is committed to ensuring his team has strong values while on the court.
“I think that above and beyond winning, how you act and how you treat other people is going to stick with you a long time, more than any one win or one loss,” he said. “Who you are as a human being matters.”
Experienced players and captains Drew Harris, Owen Kuehnle, and Nick Schweitzer echo Gilbert’s philosophy and look to enforce a meaningful culture in their final season.
“Sportsmanship is one of the keys to being a complete athlete,” Kuehnle said. “Even if you win and you’re a complete idiot, that’s arguably worse than losing and doing it with compassion.”
Schweitzer adds a similar perspective.
“You have a lot of respect for players because tennis is a pretty hard sport. Not everyone is going to be great,” he said. “It kind of helps you with your game, knowing that although you may be losing, at least you’re being a good player.”
While sportsmanship is the lead focus of the program, players celebrate camaraderie while playing an individually focused sport. Several players highlighted the importance of having a positive team atmosphere.
“Unlike football or basketball, tennis is not super hyped up,” Schweitzer said. “When you’re on your own, it’s comforting for every player to have a crowd and their team supporting one another.”
Kuehnle agrees that tennis is “a tough sport mentally, especially in singles,” and values his teammates’ dedication to creating a cohesive team.
The support is displayed by the roster built around the captains, with Harris and Schweitzer adding experience as doubles partners, who finished in the top 12 two years ago. Returning seniors Theo Becker, Tyler Claeys, JR Engelland, and brothers Max and Miles Marijanovic look to lead the new freshman and sophomore talent to another deep sectional run.
After finishing second in the conference the past few years, the team moved from 2A to 1A, giving them a more direct path to state. The team relies on its established culture as they face a new slate of opponents.
A matchup against last year’s 1A state champions has just been the beginning of several tests ahead.
An important group of quad matches against Deerfield, Stevenson, and Fremd on the horizon this Saturday will also serve as an early benchmark.
With sectionals and state in mind, the team is confident that their sportsmanship and culture will carry them through a challenging season.
