After going to state, the boys tennis team thinks about what a successful season they’ve had, and how the freshmen on the team helped them get it.
“Well, having them on our team has helped us make it yet to another final four,” tennis coach Ben Loeb said about having freshmen Brian Baker and John Swift on the tennis team, “which is amazing.”
The RBHS boys tennis team competed in the final four MSHSAA state competition on Thursday, May 29th, at Cooper Tennis Complex in Springfield Missouri.
“My experience being on a varsity team as a freshman has been great,” Baker said. “We all want to win so badly and represent Rock Bridge in a positive way.”
This ambition runs throughout the team, as Bakers teammates share a common interest and experience.
“It’s really humbling to be a part of a team like this,” Swift said.
The boys tennis team has showed its dedication and eagerness to win, having won their 13th consecutive district title.
Although new to the high school experience, freshmen do not seem phased by the new environment or young age.
“I think age doesn’t have much to do with the team’s success,” Baker said. “We would be just as successful if the freshmen were older.”
The maturity level of the team does not resemble age, members of the team agree.
“Both of them [Brian Baker and John Swift] came onto the team with a lot of experience, but have also learned a lot throughout the season,” Loeb said.
There is always more to learn and improve on, the members of the team seem to agree upon.
“Playing with people that really care about the sport and want to work hard every day has rubbed off on me and I find myself working harder than I have ever before in practice and in matches,” Baker said.
The tennis team won’t let something like age stop it from reaching success.
“What matters is how hard we work and how much we want to win,” Swift said.
No matter what the age of the player, they all have something in common. They are willing to put in the effort to make their dreams come true.
With the help of the varsity freshmen Brian Baker and John Swift, the team is close to victory and the goal of winning the state competition is in their reach.
“We all want to win so badly, and we all want to represent RBHS in a positive way,” Baker said.
