{"id":531425,"date":"2026-03-12T12:56:19","date_gmt":"2026-03-12T12:56:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/531425\/"},"modified":"2026-03-12T12:56:19","modified_gmt":"2026-03-12T12:56:19","slug":"huskies-build-up-new-tennis-players-and-strengthen-returners","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/531425\/","title":{"rendered":"Huskies build up new tennis players and strengthen returners"},"content":{"rendered":"

OTHELLO \u2014 The Othello Huskies have returned to the tennis courts as they prepare to play in another successful season following the boys\u2019 top-three finish and the girls finishing as the Central Washington Athletic Conference league champs. Coaches Caleb and Priscilla Tovar said they are ready to bring up a new group of dedicated players for the 2026 season.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cThey definitely competed,\u201d said Caleb. \u201cWe lost quite a few seniors on both sides. It\u2019s a matter of rebuilding now, but traditionally around here, we get kind of lucky and a lot of kids enjoy playing and you get younger siblings that have played at least a little bit before.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

This season was the biggest start to the season yet, as the coaches said 108 players signed up to join the team.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe got a huge turnout, we normally do get pretty big numbers,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s kind of been just a matter of juggling all those kids and unfortunately not having a middle school program over here, we have a lot of first timers.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

With a large number of first-time players, much of the early season has been spent finding enough court space for everyone to practice and break down the fundamentals. Caleb said he has the players starting off with no ball and working on their swinging form, while giving them different tips on how to hold the racket and the different grips they can use.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cJust trying to find what works for them and letting them know that it\u2019s going to take time,\u201d he said. \u00a0<\/p>\n

Aside from new players, there are some strong returners such as seniors Shaylee Freeman and Faith Risenmay on the girls side who were the number two doubles team last season. Along with them are Olivia Harris, Hazel Roylance and a group of young players who have already begun to show their dedication.\u00a0<\/p>\n

On the boys side, there are only two returning tennis players with Camilo Mendez and Armani Zuniga. Much like the girls team, the boys squad also has a group who put in hard work in the offseason and has surprised the coaches in how much they improved.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve got some kids who just enjoy the game and they play a lot over the summertime, so there\u2019s a couple of kids that we were kind of surprised by how much they\u2019ve improved just over the summer,\u201d said Caleb.\u00a0<\/p>\n

With tennis being a sport based around individual improvement, a lot of success comes down to the players putting in that extra time to compete at a high level. Othello\u2019s coaches said they work to do whatever they can to keep the Huskies motivated and push forward.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cI think we\u2019ve built a good rapport with all our kids and I think the kids love coming out and we just try to make it fun,\u201d said Priscilla. \u201cWe\u2019re playing music at practice, we\u2019re encouraging each other, we really get their feedback on what they want to work on and that\u2019s how we make our practice plans.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

She said one of their main jobs as coaches is to foster a positive culture in the sport and doing that has been easy with the good sportsmanship from the athletes and the support from their families. These bonds combined with the dedication to the sport is where the coaches expect most of the team\u2019s growth to stem from.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cTennis is pretty laid back and these kids, they\u2019re go-getters, they seem to just want it,\u201d said Caleb.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The Huskies first meet of the season will be on the road against Sageview on March 17 at 4 p.m.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0<\/a> \u00a0Olivia Harris of the Huskies prepares to hit the ball back during a match against Quincy last spring.
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