Junior Brohdy Mackey playing tennis. Photo courtesy of Tyson Johnson.
The Hastings Senior High tennis team is hitting the courts with a nearly brand-new lineup for the 2025 season.
Stepping onto the court for the first time this season are freshmen Griffin Baack, Braxton Bartlett, Hadyn Bockerman, Porter Kusek, Zach Schram, and Hoa Vuong, junior Khris Matul Rosales, and seniors Florian Bertram and Issac Russell.
“I’m excited for them to get that taste of that excitement,” Head Coach Mark Gueswell said.
Returning are junior Brohdy Mackey and sophomore Maverick Day. Though the team lost many of its members, Gueswell looks forward to seeing more students return alongside the two.
“I hope [former members] come back. Tennis is a lifelong sport, and that’s what makes it fun,” Gueswell said.
With only two returning players, the team’s focus will be not wins and losses but improvement.
“Their expectations of these matches should not be to win them,” Gueswell said. “They should be shooting to get better.”
Being new to tennis means a lot of fundamentals and repetition, so practice plans are being adjusted to focus on the basics such as serving, rallies, and court movement. Gueswell knows nerves might discourage the new members, but he also says it is when the most growth happens.
“When you’re in the beginning stages, you see the most growth in those first two years,” Gueswell said. “The amount of growth they’re going to see this year will be a giant jump.”
The Tigers will face tough competitors as well as mental and physical challenges, but Gueswell does not want the team to let those struggles define their tennis experience.
“Have fun. Enjoy it. You’re going to get beat down, but it’s how you respond to those moments [that matters],” Gueswell said.
