Varsity:
The boys tennis team this season has dominated most of their opponents. They are working hard this season to prove themselves yet again and to represent their ranking as 22 in the division 1 bracket.
As more matches take place and as the season progresses, it’s really important to stay level-headed. However, it is also important to work as hard as one can and push oneself through the end, and not to give up, which can be easy.
“For me, I like to just remind myself that the season should always be cohesive, and my energy and my effort should stay level throughout. One of the things that really helps me is to treat practice with the mentality of a match,” said Michael Poorstra, senior.
A huge factor for most of the team is being mentally prepared. If they are mentally prepared for their match, they can focus on their goals and on bringing home the win.
“Honestly, the easiest way for me to lock in is to let myself have fun, but also understand that when I’m on the court, I need to implement everything that I have learned and just win. But after, I can let myself relax and support the rest of my teammates,” said Brayden Hess, sophomore.
JV:
The boys tennis team at OHS has excelled in the 2026 season. Currently 7-3 at the time of this article being written, the team is well on its way to prove its standing ground at championships and state.
Coach Jim Ticknor has really been training with the boys this season, not only physically, but mentally.
“Something that Coach Ticknor has been teaching us is really moving around and messing around with your opponent or messing up your opponent: getting them moving and like challenging all the different shots,” said Carter Allen, junior.
However, the boys tennis team is not only about challenging opponents and intensive training. It is the memories that are made along the way, especially when the players get to travel for matches and spend time with friends.
“Indian Wells and the party bus were so fun. I also love going on the buses to all the matches because all we do is mess around and eat snacks, but when we get there, we all lock in, and then after we get to mess around on the way home,” Allen said.
Self-growth and improvement are a huge part of the OHS boys team. With all individual players improving, the team gradually gets better and better.
“Definitely just improving my game and team morale for sure.] I feel like I fit in more with the team now. Parts of my game [have improved], you know, just playing more to help me a lot with my mindset going into match days,” said Ani Vignesh, freshman.
