Team Match

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  Wai'anae, Hawai'i
  Tennis is not commonly recognized as a team oriented sport. Even the greatest tennis players are usually known for their independent achievements and championships. However, for Waianae High School’s tennis team, they can’t spell tennis without t-e-a-m. The idea of teamwork and having fun is the most important concept for these Seariders to understand.
  
  “Its good to build that team bonding feeling so everybody feels like they're being supported no matter who’s on the court, we got someone in their corner rooting for them,” said Coach Brent Yamagata. Building the bond for these players is what makes them different from other teams. While opponents may focus more on wins, this team never forgets to have fun. Fun for them is not just the movie or beach dates, it’s the sport itself.
  
  “We emphasize the sport as competitive, but we also want them to have fun, and when they start to have fun they have a really good bonding experience,” Yamagata said. To find their perfect balance, the team exercises both their bodies and their sense of fun. They create nicknames from adjectives that represents a positive characteristic of each player. This way, the team members will always be positive towards one another and become even a stronger team.
  
  “There will be a day that we will be like everybody call each other by their adjectives and not by their first name.” In tennis they also use their rankings of their abilities to create a stronger bond. They see the players who are struggling and help each other get better both as an individual and a team.
  
  “They start to play with each other a lot more and see each others weaknesses and that way they can help them out,” said Yamagata. Positivity is what also keeps these Seariders going throughout the season. With the help of Freshman Elizabeth Ufi, positivity is not hard to come by. She encourages the other people on the team to do their best both as a team and an individual.
  
  “Sometimes you're gonna need someone to pick you up, I believe that there is no I in team and tennis is not just one man show,” said Ufi. Picking people up is what she does, sometimes literally. On the court Elizabeth encourages people and helps people up, when they fall. One of Elizabeth’s teammates agrees.
  
  “She pushes me by always telling me good things about myself, like with words of encouragement. She always tries to help other people too,”said Ryston Bell. Pushing people to their best is what Elizabeth feels needs to be done to achieve as a team. Weather its on the court playing doubles or playing one on one, these Seariders will there for eachother.
  
  ‘We like to support the outside players of the people playing and its like they have their own cheer squad with them the whole time,” Yamagata said.

“Its good to build that our team bonds, so everybody feels like they're being supported no matter who’s on the court.”

said Coach Brent Yamagata.

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Looking Back

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"I found the high school tennis team to be one of the nicest group of people I have ever met."


Wainani Wetter, Reporter

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 "Watching them practice, has influenced me to get back into doing physical activities."


Angelika Ayau, Photographer

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