The anticipation rises, winding up for each serve. Then they must wait around for up to 30 minutes to see if she will advance. This is how junior Maggie Koester’s 2021 district’s tennis match played out.The FHN tennis team competed in districts at Francis Howell High school along with many other schools. From 8 a.m. until around 5 p.m. on Oct. 1 is how long districts lasted.

Going from the last regular match of the season to districts is a slight change on the mental aspect of things, especially for Koester. Accepting her faults from previous times, and strategizing was her plan.

“Before districts I was coming off a rough loss at GAC’s so I just really wanted to do good and prove to myself and make myself proud and my coaches proud,” Koester said. 

During her matches Koester started to make a comeback and had the mindset of not wanting to lose. After her matches came to an end, she was relieved and tired from the long day of “controlled chaos”. 

Supporting, cheering from the top of their lungs is what could be heard from the FHN tennis team as each person began their match. Koester enjoyed the care from her teammates and all of the friendly and positive energy released on and off the courts. One person in particular is sophomore Hailey Zhang. 

“As the day continued my teammates finished their matches and left, I had Hailey there at the end with me, she’s my tennis bestie and my support system during the season” Koester said. “I was really glad she was there with me till the end.” 

“Maggie is such a fun person to be around,” Zhang said. “She’s so funny but also is super caring and supportive and helps the team a lot.”

As Koester inched closer towards placing and being the only person on the team to place shocked her. She did not notice until the end of her last match and saw where the rankings were. 

“My coach told me that I placed fourth and I was very proud of myself,” Koester said. “I was proud of myself that I had achieved my goal by receiving a medal. Once I arrived to school I went to Coach Farrar’s classroom and talked to him he gave me his speech and I was so amazed of myself and all the hard work I had done.”

As Koester’s successful season comes to an end for the 2021-2022 school year, she constantly reminds herself and her fellow teammates to not dwell on the past and to only grow on yourself personally and your own set of skills. 

“You can’t get down on yourself from a bad match or loss, you can not let that one bad game, practice, missed point define you,” Koester said.