SETting up for success
Northview tennis team shares their strategy and mindset going into the new season
Photos courtesy of Kelly Angel and Riya Havanur
Natalie Damer-Salas, Opinions Editor & Alexandra Gray, Staff Writer
Anyone walking into a Friday night football game will witness screaming fans, body paint, and themed outfits, but not all sports receive the same attention. For the past two years, Northview’s girls varsity tennis team has won the state championship. Combined, the girls' and boys' varsity teams have won 12 state championships, but have not drawn significant crowds to their courts.
“It is not a high profile sport like football or baseball, but it has given us a lot of championships, a lot of banners hanging in the gym,” varsity boys tennis coach Mike Dixon said. “I do enjoy being able to bring recognition to the school through our championships.”
Their recognition continues to grow as the glass cabinets in the school hallways are filled. Two years ago, the boys' varsity team won state - a feat Coach Dixon felt certain was attainable with their team at the time. The season before winning state, the team was made up of the same players but time conflicts led to gaps in the lines which cost them points and eventually the potential to obtain the state championship title. Since then, the team has changed significantly.
“Last year we lost seven of our seniors so we have a whole new team,” senior Jonathan Chen said. “A lot of [the varsity boy players] are underclassmen, so we are just trying to get into a stride and build team chemistry.”
Even though they may not have gotten the state title last season, Chen is not discouraged and enjoys being a part of the team not just for the trophies, but also for the connections he has made with his teammates.
“The most rewarding part of last season was getting to know the team a little bit better, building a lot chemistry, and going to Quick Trip,” Chen said.
For the girls, the most rewarding aspect was the surprise of their success particularly due to the fact that both the Chattahoochee and Cambridge teams switched from the higher region 6A to Northview’s region of 5A. Because of this change, the Northview team doubted their ability to win against a team that had previously played more advanced opponents.
“Our coach had a lot of hope, but we really did not think we were going to win, especially since we were facing Cambridge and Chattahoochee, whom we had not won against in a long, long time,” senior Riya Havanur said. “We were going in with a happy mindset just to have fun.”
That happy mindset paid off. Not only did the girls beat Cambridge and Loganville, but they went all the way to state. Ultimately they won the state title against their feared rivals, Chattahoochee, making them back-to-back GHSA 5-A Region Champions. The boys have a similar relaxed approach as the girls to the upcoming season.
“Our goal is probably just to play our best and have a lot of fun while doing it. And if we win, that's great too,” Chen said.
As both teams have proven themselves within the Northview community, and hope to further this next year, they are hoping the support grows as well. Currently, although they do not have a large student section, their fans are loyal.
“In the spring, it's difficult because there are so many kids doing so many sports and everything that you can't quite get a lot of fans to come out,” Dixon said. “It's great when the kids go out there and see us. So we do get that nice little fan base that comes.”
Although the team has previously won state championships multiple times, Dixon recognizes the inevitability of change when it comes to high school sports teams. He views it as not something to fear, but rather something to appreciate as the nature of the sport.
“It’s just an ebb and flow. You realize when you are coming up on that wave when you’re riding it, then you realize there are going to be a couple of years you might be down, then you’re right back up,” Dixon said. “That’s what we’ve done, year after year, as time has progressed and we’ve ridden those good waves, rebuilding and always wanting to come back around and have a good team.”
