05/26/2024
It was an exciting two days of tennis at the state 2A tournament at UW.
I’m so proud of my daughter for always giving it her best and being a constant source of encouragement for her peers.
Getting to a state championship in the sport of tennis isn’t easy. You are either competing as a single player or on a doubles team. Only the top varsity players go to sub-districts, then you have to place in the top 4 at sub-districts, then place in the top slots at Districts to move on to state. Each time the level of competition increases significantly.
Experiencing State level competition made me proud of all our W.F. West tennis kids. Not only did they play well and show incredible skill, they demonstrated exceptional sportsmanship and camaraderie. They encouraged other teams from our league and added their voices to the cheering squad.
We may have been the underdogs going in, but came home winners in medals and spirit!
It also made me proud that even though our kids don’t have the advantage of being able to train year-round, like so many districts do, they persevered. They take lemons and make lemonade time and time again and prove even if you don’t have the same opportunities, hard work goes a long way.
Now just imagine if these tennis players could train all year! Imagine if they had more than one court and one certified trainer between all of them all year. Well, that’s exactly why I’m so excited for our future indoor tennis facility. It’s time to level the playing field. Thanks to so many generous supporters we’re on the verge of accelerating the sport of tennis in Lewis County. Not just for our Bearcats who represented us all so well at the state championship but also for the Tigers, the Pirates, the Vikings, the Loggers, the Riverhawks and all the schools in Lewis County to have the opportunity to have future generations of tennis players representing them.
Sorry for the shameless plug but I HAD to mention the new tennis facility, it really is just so exciting!
But of course the real stars of the show were the kids this weekend. Truly amazed and so proud. There was laughter and tears- both joy and sadness, inside jokes, lots of snacks, new friends made, bonds strengthened, many edge-of-your-seat moments, and through it all there was 6’8” angel watching over them, beaming with pride from his oversized camp chair in heaven. Jack believed in these kids with his whole heart and never doubted this years players ability to go to state, just like so many of the kids he coached had in years past. New coach, Megan, got a real taste of the level of anxiety that comes with watching your players battle on the courts vs being the one on the court! And even though assistant Coach Boo tried to retire earlier in the year we are all so grateful to her for stepping back into her role and supporting the new coach and the kids to the finish line. I didn’t get it on video but at one point we even witnessed her jumping for joy! 😆
🏅Go Bearcats! 🏅
🎾Katelyn
🎾Lilly
🎾Ema
🎾Ellie
🎾Javyn
🎾Justin
Lewis County Tennis Association
WF West High School
Brian Mittge
Cherryl Weera
Rose Wood