Girls' tennis team rallies with Covid-19 and inclement weather.
By: Taylor Orcutt
The Athens High School Girls Tennis Team has battled on the court, entering mid-season with a 3-7 record.
The team’s latest match on Sept. 29 was at Vinton County.
The team has fought through a rainy fall season, with seven cancellations.
The girls continue to show up and show out, with players returning from their previous seasons and new faces on the team.
Athletics are the soul of any high school. Student-athletes sport their jerseys and equipment in the Athens High hallways.
“The importance of sports in high school is to encourage student-athletes to demonstrate more confidence, social skills, leadership and self respect.”
“With this in mind, the student-athlete should have a sense of being prepared for the future to maintain time management skills, a life of health and wellness,” said Coach Dana Morehead.
Coach Morehead returned for her third season with the Girls Tennis Team after coaching the Boys’ JV team in spring 2021.
Athletics have sustained a major impact from the global Covid-19 pandemic. Mask mandates, quarantine rules and other restrictions have plagued athletes and coaches since March 2020.
“It has definitely brought a unique set of challenges,” said Coach Morehead, “but this has been better than last year, considering we do not have to complete temperature and wellness checks.”
“As a coach, I depend on the student-athletes and their parents to make decisions if they are healthy or not to perform. The student-athletes are in class this year face-to-face, and I am able to make daily contact with them. It really has been a much more positive outcome, minus the rainy tennis season.”
The players also had insights into the challenges of playing during a global pandemic.
Senior Ali North, a second-year player, said, “The only way the pandemic affected us is having to wear masks between games. I have heard [players] had to wear masks while playing last year when everything was worse.”
Anna Chen, a senior who has played tennis for 13 years said, “Masks were required during breaks, and we also had to bring our own tennis balls with our initials written on them, so the whole team wouldn’t get sick by sharing germs from touching the same tennis balls.”
The Bulldogs continued their fight at Sectionals on Oct. 4.
Photo Credit: Taylor Orcutt
Seniors Ali North and Destiny Chiki face off with Lancaster opponents in a doubles match.
Photo Credit: Taylor Orcutt
In a singles match, junior Rachel Strickland volleys with Lancaster opponent.