After a strong season last year, KO’s boys varsity tennis team looks to continue despite graduating many seniors last year. Head Coach Andrew Krugman is excited for his 31st year as the varsity coach working with a younger team.
Senior Captain Will Jacobs plays an integral part of the team, motivating them before practices and games. “He stays late, picks up balls when no one asks him to,” senior Arav Kumar said. “He helps out the girls team constantly, motivates everyone.”
Coach Krugman recognizes that the youngness of the team will cause growing pains “They will continue to grow and develop,” he said. “It’s sort of like an investment for the future,.”
The team still believes that they can compete at a high level. “We have a lot of just really strong players,” Jacobs said. Freshman Ciaran Concepcion agrees with Jacobs. “We’re a strong team with a lot of potential for improvement,” Concepion said. “I’m excited to be with the team.”
The team started off the season with a scrimmage against Hall. “We didn’t really keep score, but I think they got the better of us,” Coach Krugman said. He believes that the matches will help the players gain more experience.
The team also competed in the KIIT, KO’s Invitational Tennis Tournament. The tournament consisted of a tough field with opponents from Hotchkiss, Choate, Groton, Deerfield, Lawernceville, Westminster, and Hall. “The field was so elite that we got better just by playing it,” Coach Krugman said.
In their next match, the team won with a 6-1 victory over Hamden Hall Country Day School.
The team looks forward to some of their upcoming matches. “Hopkins is a really fun one,” Jacobs said. “They recruit for tennis. It’s always kind of impressive to see their play styles. Deerfield is also a really strong team.”
Coach Krugman hopes for competitive matches. “I want us to make our opponents’ lives as difficult and hard fought as possible,” Coach Krugman said. “My goal is to have us play as well as we can play.”
Additionally, Coach Krugman wishes for the players to build experience as they play. “The goal is to build experience. A match they may not win this year will come back to help them in the future,” he said.
He also emphasized the importance of building relationships. “I want them to make friends on the team,” Coach Krugman said. “I want them to be excited about continuing to play tennis regardless of the team’s record.”
The team prepares for their next matches against Cheshire Academy and Westminster School! We wish them the best of luck for a great season!
