Freshman Lydia Hatfield returns a hit during tennis practice. Photo by Jack Burden
With almost half of the team being freshmen, the girl’s tennis team is adjusting to their many new faces. Some of the freshmen are more experienced then others. Freshman Lydia Hatfield has been playing since she was a child, but just now starting playing competitively this year.
“I always played infrequently when I was younger but now I am more serious about it,” Hatfield said.
Freshmen Nancy Carrie Logan has been playing all of her life and she has tennis genes in her blood. Her dad, Danny Logan, played at HHS and in college. He played at West Virginia University of Charleston. Her brother, who graduated from HHS in 2003, was a star tennis player. Her sister also played for HHS, where she graduated in 2005.
“My brother was seeded at number one all four years and my sister was top six all four years,” Logan said.
Hatfield needed a spring sport and decided to play tennis. Athleticism does not come naturally to her, but she loves the game. “I really like the sport [of tennis]. I am not very athletic but tennis is appealing to me,” Hatfield said.
With positives come negatives. Hatfield does not enjoy the hot temperature of the courts. She also thinks that tennis is an easy sport to make mistakes. Hatfield feels she is improving in the short amount of time the team has been playing.
“[Tennis] is going pretty well. I think I have definitely improved over the three weeks we have been playing,” Hatfield said.
Logan enjoys getting to know her fellow freshmen and upperclassmen. She doesn’t enjoy having to go to practice every day. Logan has played since she was little at the country club in the summer. She also played at Eastover with her dad.
In Hatfield’s eyes, the girls are looking good.
“We have a lot of returners and people who have experience,” Hatfield said.
For Logan, the upperclassmen are her roll models. She thinks they are fun and she learns a lot of different techniques. She is not in the top six, but she is hopeful. Logan doesn’t know if she will play because the tennis team hasn’t had their first match.
Logan, and the rest of the team, has an opportunity to work with a great tennis player. Logan’s dad, Danny Logan, helps out every Wednesday and Thursday. He goes around to each court and works with top six players and the other girls not top six.
“I like having my dad there, when he is, I always play better,” Logan said.
Hatfield, Logan, the other freshmen, and the upperclassmen are looking forward to a great season. A year of team bonding, team wins, and team success.
Recent Comments