April showers bring May flowers and also high school tennis season. The Plainfield South boys tennis team is dedicated to serving up an amazing 2022 season.
Kyle Black has been coaching the boys and girls tennis team for five years and says he began coaching as a way to share his passion with his students.
“My philosophy is that everyone is capable of growing as players and improving regardless of what level they start at,” Black said.
Black is a coach with ambitions that go beyond tennis. He helps his players grow and gain confidence in themselves. Mark Reyes, a varsity tennis player, is a prime example of this.
“I honestly think the vibe is just better because we have a lot of different personalities and experience levels,” said Reyes. “At the end of the day we all get along so well together, and we want to see each other improve.”
Reyes only played two seasons with the team (freshman and senior year), but that did not stop him from performing his best. He is determined to win every match with the expansion of the team.
“In the past especially during Covid years from what I heard there were only five to seven players, and this year we have over 10 which definitely improves morale and allows us to be more competitive against other schools,” said Reyes.
Reyes says the team continues to improve and is eager to kick off his last season with his new and old teammates. Like Reyes, Jed Bondoc is heading into his last season with the Cougars.
Bondoc is one of the team’s top players as he is undefeated. Once on the court, tennis becomes natural to Bondoc.
“I feel like for me I’m just more locked in and more mature in the sport. It’s my final year so I wanna leave with a bang,” Bondoc said.
Although it may seem that Bondoc was born with professional tennis skills, he put in the hard work at a young age.
“I started seriously around 8 years old and because of my dad, it was the sport he grew up playing and wanted to pass it down to me,” Bondoc said.
Every player has a unique story, and that’s what makes this team so well rounded.
“I think the best way to finish this season strong is to just take it a day at a time and give our best efforts every time we take the courts. We improve every match and Coach Kyle Black tells us to take bits and pieces of knowledge from each match and use it for the next one,” Reyes said.