Trojan tennis sees returning roster

With several players who have been actively working on their games, the Troy High School tennis teams have gotten a head start in the offseason.

“We have a lot of kids returning to hopefully have a great season again,” said Head Coach Milo Rogers,

“I think things will go well,” Rogers. said “It’s always good just to have the same guys and gals out that came out last year and decide to come out and have fun again.”

Their numbers are down a little, but that may just be a result of lower enrollment numbers overall, said assistant Coach Nancy Prieve.

The entire boys team is returning from last year, Prieve said. For some of the girls though, that preseason practice and conditioning from other sports should be even more of a help.

“The girls are pretty much new, but I think, some of them, they play other sports. So, they’re fairly athletic,” Prieve said.

Rogers said the teams had open courts on Tuesdays and Thursdays this past summer.

“Come down, we’ll turn the lights on, just a chance for them all to meet up at a certain time,” he said.

The open courts over the summer were set to fit between the Monday and Wednesday open gyms, he said.

With not many more than a hundred high schoolers to fill all the team rosters in any year, fitting between other time demands is something the coaches always have to keep in mind.

In spring alone, there are three sports for the girls and two sports for the boys.

“It’s real hard to field three girls teams,” Prieve said.

And with several multi-sport athletes, even in the offseason students may have to make choices between sports.

“In June they are usually doing basketball, because they go to a couple of tournaments,” Prieve said. “And so it is real hard when you do more than one sport (to find time to train).”

Yet, there are benefits to having players in multiple sports as well, she said.

“I think anything they do helps,” she said.

Regardless what other sports athletes play, just staying active helps with conditioning, Rogers said.

“And I think you get more confident,” Prieve said. “In the winter, you’re playing basketball in front of a whole gym, so I think you get more confident that way.”

Tennis can also help athletes through footwork and hand-eye coordination when they play other sports, Prieve said.

But for those who only want to play one sport or are worried about pressure in competition, tennis is a good option, Prieve said.

Fewer spectators and one-on-one competition makes it a good first sport for someone who hasn’t tried a sport before, she said.