Credit to Miranda Fabian

Kai Gustafson celebrates after hitting a ball against a teammate during an extra practice on April 13.

The varsity boys’ tennis team put in the work this offseason through multiple different programs. Many players trained at nearby locations, such as Vetta West and several gyms, to improve their skills for the season. Jace Jameson, ranked third on the tennis team, and teammate Kai Gustafson were among these players.

“Me and Kai coach for Vetta,” Jameson said. “Anytime we get free court time, [we] go up there and hit, pretty much every day. The top six as a team all did our clinics through Vetta, and most of us do private lessons through Vetta as well.”

However, the team has focused on more training than just Vetta West. Athletes such as Max Fitzsimmons and Edward Lee helped set up the FHN Pickleball Club as well.

“Me, Kai and Edward are some of the founding members of the Pickleball Club.” Fitzsimmons, who trained with Jameson at Vetta West said. “A lot of people at our school love pickleball and want somewhere to do it as an activity at North. It’s been so successful.”

Fitzsimmons believes that the extra practice in pickleball can work for them in the tennis season, despite pickleballs’ differences from tennis.

“Pickleball has helped a lot of people who were going to play in the tennis season,” Fitzsimmons said. “Any racket sport, you’re gonna learn hand-eye coordination, and if you play pickleball, even though you learn less mechanics of tennis’s swinging and serving, you’re going to get the hand-eye coordination where you can make good contact with the ball. [It] also stresses short movements, which is very important in tennis.”

His teammate agrees with Fitzsimmons’ idea of improvement in tennis through pickleball.

“Edward plays tennis a lot like pickleball, which honestly works really well for him,” Jameson said. “So that would translate great for Edward.”

The team has also physically trained for the season. They go up to gyms in groups to work out and build endurance for the season. Multiple athletes go up on their own as many as five times a week.

“Last year, we all worked out before we practiced,” Jameson said. “With school, gym and tennis all together, I’m not sure we would’ve kept it up if we weren’t doing it all as a team.”

Some players also frequent courts at Vetta West, hitting together and practicing their strokes. This, above tennis coaching and pickleball, translates most directly into tennis.

“[The best exercise we did was] probably just hitting with each other,” Jameson said. “It’s important, having that ability to hit together.”

But almost all of their training happens outside the gym. When on the court, communication works just as hard as any physical training on the court. Many of which believe their closeness as friends actually translates into the sport, bringing fluidity to their play.

“We all stay pretty close as friends, so we do a lot of team bonding like going out to eat,” Fitzsimmons said. “I really do believe that chemistry as a whole in a team, being close like that, can really transfer onto the court in doubles. It also helps with motivation.”

All in all, the team believes this year’s off- season was successful. Their focus on Vetta West, pickleball and physical training, as well as just being together, was a triumph for both the team’s skill and togetherness.

“I feel like training in the offseason and doing that team bonding worked out perfectly,” Fitzsimmons said. “I think we’ve had one of the better off seasons that this team has ever had.”