With a new coach and a young team, the Plattsburgh State tennis team is expecting an exciting season. New head coach Annmarie Curle is a first-year coach of tennis at any level and is an avid player herself.
“Meeting the girls from the preseason until now,” Curle said. “It’s been a very short period of time, but in that short period of time I’m very excited.”
The team is made up of 12 players — two seniors and a majority of underclassmen. The seniors have shown the new coach great respect and maturity, which makes them exceptional mentors to the younger players.
“I definitely have taken on more of a leadership role because I’ve been here all four years,” senior Emily Carlin said. “I know what expectations there are for matches and I can let the other players know what to expect and how to act.”
The team is expecting a competitive season.
“Our team is looking really well,” sophomore Kaitlyn Healy said. “We have a lot of hard workers, everyone is focused, and we all have one goal in mind — just to win.”
The team has such high expectations because Healy said that the team has really good vibes right now.
“Annmarie is kind of the missing puzzle piece we needed,” Healy said. “She is very positive and brings a lot of good energy to the team.”
The players have enjoyed Curle at the helm so far, with Carlin saying she thinks of Curle as a strong leader and coach.
Curle echoes what her players have been saying about her and she feels that the players have responded well to her.
“Maybe they feel that way because I genuinely care,” she said.
The players have been receptive to any changes Curle has wanted to make, and her biggest change has been to implement a conditioning program. She said she never has to tell her players to do any of the conditioning, as they have embraced it. She said that she hasn’t left a practice yet and without being excited.
Curle is hoping that with all of the young talent and some consistent coaching, the team can become close and start to get better as a unit, perhaps dispelling the misconception that it is an individual sport and is, in fact, a team sport.
“We are focused on team unity,” Healy said. “If you know you have a good support system, it makes it easier to go out there and play.”
Email Matthew Sheehan at
matthew.sheehan@cardinalpointsonline.com
