Hastings Boys Tennis Team Wraps Up This Year’s 23-24 Season

The Hastings High boys tennis team are wrapping up their season with a 7-4 team dual record and they want to accomplish their goal of winning state.

“I believe that you can always win at any given day, it’s going to come down to how we are in the mind, and how we handle adversity,” said coach Mark Gueswell. 

This team has learned to get along by helping each other if needed or giving tips on how to fix small mistakes. They hold each other accountable and know when to celebrate and when to support one another. 

“I enjoy the atmosphere of playing with these guys, they are encouraging even if I mess up. The bond I have with some of them is a brother-like bond,” said junior Prestyn Long. 

Although the boy’s tennis team has made honest mistakes such as messing up on a serve or not staying positive if they mess up, they can learn from them. 

“When dealing with my mistakes I try focusing, and if that doesn’t work I come up with a whole new game plan. I don’t let my mistakes determine the way the outcome of the game is going, and I try to not let it get to my head,” said junior Moses Rhodes. 

In practice the boys don’t just get balls handed to them, they are expected to do the drills that are assigned to them. 

“There is a lot of live ball action. I am not a big believer in just hitting you fed balls because it makes you look amazing. When it comes to reality, people don’t hit balls right at you. A lot of our practice is structured around live ball, and modified live ball to be able to create real-life tennis experiences versus just having a ball handed to you,” Gueswell said. 

This team has played many schools. But through all of that, they know how to have fun playing a sport they love. 

“I started playing because I wanted to be active, I never knew I would end up loving the sport, and the encouragement I get from my team. If I lose or mess up I take a breath, hit my racket against my shoe, and start on a clean slate,” Long said. 

When the team is in doubt and is struggling, they constantly motivate and inspire one another by lifting each other up when something might not be going the way they want. 

“There are two approaches when the team is struggling. You can either get on the team when they need it, or you can be encouraging throughout the whole thing. I usually remind them of who they are, whether it’s tennis-related or person-related because if you are not in the right mindset of who you are and who you’re going to become, that’s got to be step one,” Gueswell said.