By Emily Coughlin
Staff Writer
As the season comes to an end, the freshman of the St. Bonaventure University men’s and women’s tennis teams are looking back at their first year as a Bonnie.
Starting in the fall, the six new members were introduced to a concept that was different from their younger years playing tennis: team work.
It is very important to have a strong sense of togetherness as a team in order to work hard, because points are counted as a team rather than individually, said freshman Guillermo Garcia.
“I think the dynamic of the team has been improving as the season has been passing because we are spending more time together, we are getting to know each other better, and we are creating very strong friendships,” said Garcia.
Head coach Michael Bates said over the course of the year, the upperclassmen have helped the freshmen adapt to the style of Bonaventure tennis and to college life in general.
“The older players give them tips about how to handle pressure and how to handle different opponents,” said Bates.
The upperclassmen set a great example for the underclassmen to follow by talking to them before meets, give them advice and help them stay focused before a match, according to Bates.
Freshman John Rutkowski agreed this advice is what helped him the most and allowed him to improve over the season.
Rutkowski said the upperclassmen always remind him and his teammates not to worry about their individual matches, but rather they should think about the team as a whole.
“This year, I have found a greater appreciation for the connections I have made with my team and am very grateful for all they have done for me,” said Rutkowski.
Though the upperclassmen helped the younger players every step of the way through their first year playing at the college level, Coach Bates was extremely important to adjusting as well, said both Rutkowski and Garcia.
Garcia gave a lot of thanks to Bates for helping all the freshmen with time management, focus and goals for the future.
“Coach gives me plenty of confidence when I am practicing by always reflecting onto the team a strong energy through positive words of encouragement,” said Garcia.
Rutkowski said, with the help of his coach and teammates, he has reached many of the goals he had set for himself this year and is prepared to reach even more in the upcoming seasons.
Freshman Clara Herberts said this year, the freshmen have played in many different environments and against many different people.
This has improved their skills and their flexibility immensely because they always learn new things from playing different teams and playing on different courts.
The freshmen have learned many things that are useful to them in tennis and in social situations.
The skills they have formed are important to be understanding of others and how to be a team player, said Rutkowski.
“This year has prepared me for upcoming seasons and also my future in general,” said Rutkowski.
The freshman feel that without their teammates or coach, they wouldn’t have learned as much or become the people they are today, said Herberts.
“I am very thankful for all of the friends I have made because of this team, and I am excited to help the incoming freshman as much as the upperclassmen have helped me,” said Herberts.
The teams recently competed at the Atlantic 10 Championships in Orlando, Florida. The tournament marked their final matches of the season.
coughleg16@bonaventure.edu
