This spring, the Varsity boys tennis team will have a fresh start with not only a new season, but a new head coach as well. After school nurse Sally Polley’s decision to stop coaching, Spanish teacher Brian Santos took charge of the team. And with his lifelong love for the sport, he hopes to help bring success to the team.

“I am really passionate about this,” Santos said. “Coaching really allows me to see the athletes in a different light outside of school, and I get to form mentoring relationships that last a long time.”

After six years of coaching, Polley decided to pass the torch to Santos for family reasons. Although she is no longer the Varsity tennis coach, there is still a place for it in her heart.

“I enjoyed the guys’ camaraderie and seeing them improve from year to year,” Polley said.

Losing a head coach as well as seven Varsity players may cause many ups and downs for the tennis team. However, they feel it’s great opportunity everyone can learn from.

“This year is a rebuilding year,” junior Chris Palmer said. “There will be more challenges we’ll have to face, but we’ll grow more together as a team.”

As a coach, Santos’ philosophy for the team is not all about winning trophies, but teaching the players key values that they can use in their own lives.

“My main focus is for the players to learn the game and learn good sportsmanship,” Santos said. “I look forward to getting to see my players grow and being a guiding light for them, not only as players but as people as well.”

Santos will learn if his coaching paid off when the boys play their first match on March 23.