By Harlan Rose
[email protected]
On April 5, MHS’ boys and girls varsity tennis teams served up the Pearl City Chargers at the Oahu Interscholastic Association (OIA) championship at the Central Oahu Regional Park. Both teams took home the championship title, making this the girls’ eighth consecutive title and the boys’ second consecutive title.
“I feel like all the hard work has paid off and that we have met one of the goals that we have set out at the beginning of the season,” said Head Coach Jason Agsalda, “I was just so proud to see all the hard work pay off.”
However, securing the OIA championship required an entire season of dedication and practice. “We just practiced a lot and we really focused on teamwork. We really emphasized the team instead of individual preferences and that was one of our major motivators,” said First Singles competitor Senior Alyssa Tobita. Agsalda added, “The players got better as the season progressed. I always (stressed) that we should see some improvement everyday.”
The team members also received help and inspiration from their coaches, who strived to instill a feeling of teamwork amongst the athletes. “The coaches really helped a lot. They supported us with all their hearts, they dedicated a lot of time to us and we really appreciated it,” said First Doubles competitor Sophomore Davin Lee. Tobita added, “They really emphasized that we need to work together as a team and sometimes (it) is inevitable that there will be trouble or a little bit of drama between players but they really just try to focus on the team.”
The players felt nervous initially, but did not let that stop them from capturing both the boys’ and girls’ titles. “Of course, there’s going to be individuals that are nervous, like the first year freshmen players,” Lee explained, “I could definitely see them being nervous but if you can get them pumped up and keep them out of their heads then they’ll play great.”
After the matches were over and the championship title was secured, both teams shared the happiness with each other’s victories, especially the boys’. “Although we were playing on separate teams for the girls and the guys, we were like one family, so I was really happy that (we) won,” Tobita said. Lee added, “It was a good win. We really wanted it and I know the girls have won, this is their eighth title in a row and for our boys this is only our second title, so it means a lot to us.”
However, the team members feel that there is still room for some improvement before the upcoming state championship tournament. “We could always get physically stronger, we could get mentally stronger. The amount of knowledge we know about the game and in-court situation could be better,” Lee said. Agsalda also felt that he could better his coaching. “I could improve by going to coaching clinics and watching more outside junior matches to help me scout the players to game plan accordingly during the season,” Agsalda expressed.
The teams are currently preparing for the state championship, which will be held on Maui from May 1 to 3.
