By Emma Gonosey
Staff Writer
To accommodate for the cancellation of the regular tennis season as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Costa boys and girls tennis teams have started a new tennis P.E. class, according to tennis coach Allen Yap.
According to junior and girls tennis player Mia Sampson, though the tennis teams’ practices have always been extremely organized, the new regulations have forced the coaches to change the traditional format by creating cohorts and implementing the use of masks. According to Sampson, creating a new P.E. class that follows strict protocols to accommodate for COVID-19 was a small challenge, as many new changes had to be made.
“Everyone who is in the class is separated into specific cohorts,” freshman Lily Mitchell said. “There are 12 people in each cohort, and both players and coaches are required to wear masks and stay six feet apart.”
According to Yap, both the players and the coaches have had to change the way they practice due to COVID-19, as fewer players can be on a court at once. However, the tennis team has been following the rules closely, and is still holding successful P.E. classes.
“[While it was] not too difficult to make these new changes, getting everyone on the same page and to adhere to them has been more tough… not in a sense that they don’t want to follow rules, but more so because it’s just so different from our normal practice set-up.” Yap said. “For the most part, the goal was to get everyone outside to play tennis and be part of a team… that’s the part that is most important.”
Though this is Yap’s first year being a head coach for the girls tennis team, this situation is completely different from anything the school has faced in the past. Yap worked with other coaches such as Joe Casuilli, Gianpaolo Vin Nacher and Mark Mcguire to create specific COVID-19 protocols so that the team is still able to practice.
“The protocols [include] wearing a mask while playing, balls marked with players’ initials, social distancing on courts and at [the] entrance, cohort groups of 12 students maximum,” Yap said. “Additionally, there is an administration staff monitoring the practice for compliance.”
In addition, the team’s “tryouts” were extremely different this year. While there was no official tryout for incoming players, new players were divided into their own separate groups in order to get to know their new teammates.
“Overall, I’d say the class is going well,” junior Jensen Ring said. “The COVID-19 procedures are definitely a downside, but I of course understand why they are needed.”
Aside from the changes in practice structure, the smaller cohorts have changed the social aspect of the team as well. According to Ring, for many players, a close-knit team is very important to them, making this new transition more difficult for new players.
“The biggest difference I’ve noticed from the regular season practices to now is the atmosphere,” Ring said. “Because the whole team is not there, it feels less intense and slow, but once things begin to pick back up in the winter, hopefully everything will revert back to normal.”
While there are many differentiating factors within this new tennis season, the freshmen and new players are staying optimistic as they acclimate to their new teams.
“As a freshman, going into the P.E. class has given me the opportunity to meet new people while following the COVID-19 protocols,” Mitchell says. “The class is allowing players to improve their game while getting to know the coaches and teammates as well.”
While the future of the tennis team in the midst of COVID-19 is still unknown, both the players and the coaches have been adjusting well to these new circumstances. According to both Sampson and Yap, all of the athletes are excited for the day the team can return to normal.
“[We’re] hoping to have our regular team schedule take place in late January 2021,” Yap says. “It’s really just about being able to manage the social distancing in the team environment.”
Leave a Reply