Tennis officially kicked off for athletes of Klein Collins! Both Varsity and JV players are embracing this season with focused practice, conditioning, and an amazing attitude. Practices started earlier this month, leading them to a well-played match against Tomball High on Tuesday, August 19th. Our athletes were defeated, but still hold their heads high as they push themselves further at every practice. 

Senior Noah Jones, a varsity second-line player with a long love for the sport, gave his input on his personal journey with tennis, how it all started, and how he wishes to continue on after high school. 

“I was a chubby kid, and my dad played tennis in college at the University of Texas,” Jones said. “He thought I should be more active, so we played together every morning before school.”

Being close with someone who played tennis was a big change for Jones. He went from rarely playing any sports to anticipating the next morning’s match. 

“Tennis is a solo sport,” Jones said. “Even though your teammates are standing on the sidelines cheering you on, you’re still playing just based on your mindset.”

Jones thinks that tennis is a sport that requires friendship and focus between teammates, but on the court, everything changes. They’re your motivation, but your mind is the only thing coming between you and winning. This is what makes tennis different from other team sports, because your teammates play more of an active role off the court than they do on the field. 

“I don’t think tennis should be more popular because it’s mainly a personal sport,” Jones said. “I think it could use more funding, but coverage is fine as it is now.”

Even though, in Jones’ opinion, tennis shouldn’t gain popularity, he does look forward to playing on a day-to-day basis.

“I think building endurance is what I look forward to the most,” Jones said. “Like, most people think we don’t work out that much since it’s just tennis, but we get as much time in the gym as every other sport.”

This enjoyment would never pass the college level, though. While Jones agrees that this sport is special, he would rather do something else on a career level.

“I’d play tennis throughout college, or I’d be a tennis coach for other players, but I don’t think it would be a career choice.”  

While there are ups and downs when it comes to tennis, Jones holds it very close to his heart. The adrenaline on the court, the heavy practices, and even the long, overwhelming workouts are all things that Jones can talk about with a smile.

“It’s definitely a fun sport, I don’t regret getting into it,” Jones said.