By Paige Jackson ’24
With over 40 students trying out for each tennis team and only around 30 spots available, students are frantically trying to find back up plans. Practices began the first day back from Spring Break and many students realized they don’t have what it takes to play Gunn tennis. Other spring sports are filling up quickly though, so what will happen to the overflow of unfit tennis players?
Official tryouts started immediately, with around a dozen students due to be cut from each tennis team. Students who didn’t make the roster can join art, the dance team, or possibly the JV lacrosse teams. But firstly, and most pressingly, why are so many students so eager to play tennis? Highlander News spoke to Girls Varsity Tennis captain, Layla Copen ‘24, in an attempt to get to the bottom of this mystery.
“I think tennis is a sport a lot of people choose to do when they don’t really have their own sport because it’s very chill and easy to pick up so it’s something a lot of people like to try.”
For those who were unable to make the cut for the tennis teams, Layla recommended softball, saying “If I didn’t already play tennis, I would do softball, it seems so fun.”
On Friday, cuts took place on boys tennis, and the girls followed suit on Saturday. These displaced athletes are required to find a new home by March’s end. On the bright side, this just shows how many people adore tennis as a sport, and our tennis coaches must take this as a complement. A few years ago, there weren’t even enough female tennis players to form a Girls JV Tennis team, and now, there are a dozen too many. In addition, consider how many students will get to try something new after being deferred from tennis. Students who might have never considered trying lacrosse, dance, or art could discover a new passion or talent. They could also try out managing a team and learning more about that sport, as well as bonding with those players. This is an opportunity for new beginnings.
