Junior Owen Roetto and sophomore Miles Kahn play in a home match against Rangeview. photo by Ava Graef
TJ athletes share their experiences about the season.
Tennis is one of the most distinctive sports in the world. It has a unique scoring system and has produced some of the world’s most iconic athletes, such as Roger Federer, Serena Williams, and Novak Djokovic. A single game can span anywhere from an hour to nearly four hours, and the sport is enjoyed by millions of people worldwide. At Thomas Jefferson High School, boys’ tennis is played during the fall season and has 34 athletes on the team and
The team has ended its 2022 season and played against schools all over The Front Range. For others, tennis may be a recreational sport, but for these boys, it was a lifestyle, and they were up for it. Many have been playing since elementary school and find it an excellent way to socialize and get outside with their friends.
The tennis season started in the middle of August when temperatures could reach up to 100 degrees on the courts. Being a very strategic and mental game, non-ideal conditions may require players to adjust their playing style to get through a match. Oliver Swats, a junior, is the top varsity tennis player and discussed how it is mentally challenging to play at that level. “It’s a challenge with a lot of pressure, but through that, I feel like I have gotten a lot better [at tennis] because of this.” Swats also discussed what he admires most about the team. “My favorite part about the team is the culture that we have built. It’s a great way to hang out with friends and hang out with current people.”
Alternatively, Max Hauer, a senior at TJ who has played tennis all four years of high school, and mostly plays doubles on varsity, reflected genuinely on why he joined the team. “Honestly, the reason I joined was that my mom wanted me to play a fall sport.” Even though most students do not play sports, many athletes would attest to how being involved in a sport or club can enhance the high school experience. Hauer also discussed meeting new people on the team as an underclassman, and claimed, “it helped me so much when it came to [meeting] new people who weren’t in my classes, and has helped me to this day.” Sophomore Miles Kahn also talked about getting involved in the TJ community, and said, “there’s no point going to high school and not getting involved by playing a sport.” Many of his teammates agreed, and Swats expanded, “we’re all great friends and through that, we can have fun and play tennis together.”
For students who are passionate about tennis and are interested in meeting new people, the tennis team might be a good fit for the next school year. TJ tennis shone bright this year and the sky’s the limit for next season.
