Written by: Chen Kexin Edited by: Choa Zhao Xiang and Leung Lok Heng Photos by: EusoffWorks
The court brightened with awe as we saw serve after serve being returned by our glorious Tennis captains. Their accuracy and speed could match no other, and both showed intense looks of concentration. It is with great pleasure for me to introduce this year’s Tennis captains, Bobby and Le Yi. With at least 4 years of experience under their belt and a constant goal to keep improving their game, it can be said that they are ready to give their opponents a real fight this upcoming IHG!
Tennis superstars Le Yi and Bobby lead this year’s tennis teams.
However, before we delve into and get to know all about them, let us know more about Tennis. Tennis is a game played by rackets by either two pairs (singles) or four players (doubles), by hitting a ball back and forth over a net that divides a court. This rally continues until the ball is hit out of the court, hits the net without passing it to the opponent’s side or bounces twice before a player can return it to his opponent. The primary rule is that a player can only hit the ball once before returning it to his opponent. The game ends when one player wins a game by accumulating four points with a difference of at least two over their opponent. Matches are played in 3 or 5 sets. Once a player has won 2 sets in a 3 set match, or 3 sets in a 5 set match, play is then concluded and the winner is declared.
First up is our male captain, Bobby! His favourite part of Tennis would be when he is hitting the ball. He feels that with every hit, he can see himself get better, and that only spurs him to train harders. He especially wants to commend his team for always trying their best. He loves seeing the whole team improve together, and get stronger together. However, nobody’s perfect and Bobby sheepishly admits that he constantly forgets his socks on court, much to his teammates’ dismay. Perhaps their friendly team manager could bring deodorant or better yet, an extra pair of socks next time?
With or without socks, Bobby is a force to be reckoned with on the hardcourt.
When asked how to summarise Tennis in a sentence, he mentioned that Tennis to him is “a complete package of arthritis, tendonitis, muscle strain and mental breakdown”. He feels that split steps (taking a small step forward and staying on the balls of one feet to pivot easier) is one of the most important moves in Tennis, although he laments that no one in Eusoff actually does it. When asked about the kind of welfare he would like, he mentioned a trip to Bali with the whole team and TM after IHG, so no pressure TM, but you might like to start looking at plane tickets soon…
Next up is our female captain Le Yi! Her favourite memory of Tennis would have to be the first time she ever won a match, back when she first picked it up. It is especially dear to her as that was the first time she felt accomplished as a Tennis player, since winning any match always seemed like a goal she’ll never reach. She similarly also wants to give thanks to her team, for working hard together and trying their best. Even though they didn’t win, the bonds forged during the period was something she cannot forget. She recounts a funny story where she remembered how as punishment for losing a match, the losing side would be served with tennis balls. Think dodgeball style but boy did it hurt when you were really hit!
Le Yi sets her eyes on the championship title for her team this year.
She feels strongly about basics and strong foundations being key in Tennis. Basic moves like having a strong groundstroke (when players stand at baseline and they hit a strong forehand or backhand) or a good service (an advantage to the player starting the serve, as they make it hard for the opponent to return the ball) are moves that can make or break the score. She’s also full of praises for the male Tennis team, since they have many experienced players there that her team and herself can learn more from. To her TM, she appreciates the effort, but also cheekily states that she would like to make a humble request for 100+ that is not frozen.
An inspirational quote Le Yi lives by would be, “You miss 100% of the shots you didn’t take” by Michael Scotts and for Bobby “Energy = mass x speed of light squared” With both teams trying their best to train for the upcoming IHG, I think it’s safe to say that Tennis should be a sport to watch out for! Let us all support and look out for them this upcoming IHG!
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