With a racket clutched in her hand, sophomore Eva Garon steps out onto the tennis court. As she takes a deep breath, she makes eye contact with an unfamiliar opponent on the other side of the net. A bright yellow tennis ball whizzes over the net in a silent greeting, and Garon quickly returns the gesture.
New competitors have become the norm for Garon, as Archer’s junior varsity tennis team is competing in its first year in the Gold Coast League.
Prior to the 2024-25 school year, the JV tennis team competed in the Liberty League. This year, however, the team moved up to the Gold Coast league, joining Crossroads, Brentwood, Campbell Hall, Sierra Canyon, Windward and Viewpoint. So far, the team has won five out of the six matches they have played, only losing to Brentwood 10-8. According to Coach Paula Feigenbaum, in terms of competition, the Gold Coast League is three steps up from the Liberty league.
“Archer tennis, for six years, was undefeated. We’ve never lost one match in six years. So it was time to grow into another league,” Feigenbaum said. “It’s very challenging to go from being able to dominate [to] still being able to win matches, but there’s not an easy match.”
For Jaya Srinivasan (‘28), since entering a new league, she has struggled with keeping a positive mindset. Srinivasan plays doubles, where she shares the court with a partner. She said she fears she will not only disappoint herself but her teammate too.
“The mental aspect is probably the most challenging part. Staying mentally strong is tough, especially [because] I play doubles,” Srinivasan said. “Singles might seem like it’s mentally challenging because you’re all by yourself, but in doubles, [you’re] not only letting yourself down, but you’re scared to let your partner down as well.”
Garon said she finds her doubles teammate comforting when she feels overwhelmed during increasingly challenging games.
“I feel like there’s a lot of pressure, especially when there’s a lot of people watching, so I get really nervous when I’m playing doubles,” she said. “I get scared for myself, but then I have a teammate, and talking to the teammate actually makes it much easier for me to get out of my own head.”
Feigenbaum said the Gold Coast League’s more competitive nature can be a struggle for the team, especially considering their previous domination. However, she said the players have used the challenge to guide them, bettering their skills and excelling in their matches.
“Every match is going to be tough. They are [impressing] themselves. The other day they beat Crossroads 15-3, which was amazing,” Feigenbaum said. “When we were in the Liberty League, the matches were a lot different. So, the biggest challenge for them is playing in a more competitive environment, and they’re rising to the occasion.”
Srinivasan said she has learned a lot about her own athletic abilities this season and has started to recognize her successes as a result of growth rather than attributing them to luck.
“I am actually capable of doing things that I never thought I could do,” Srinivasan said. “Sometimes in a game, if I hit a really good shot, I’m like, ‘Oh, that was lucky,’ but now I’ve learned that I actually can do that. I just have to really be mentally strong and actually believe.”
Eleven out of the 15 JV tennis players are freshmen, a unique ratio compared to previous years. Leani Al-Midani (‘28) said while the disproportionate amounts of grade levels may have initially made students feel divided, they were quick to find community.
“I think we were a little shy with each other at first, especially because there’s a bunch of ninth graders, an 11th grader. But I feel like recently, we’ve been getting a lot closer,” Al-Midani said. “For example, we have a tennis playlist, and we’ll play music.”
Feigenbaum said tennis is a sport players can enjoy for the rest of their lives. She said she hopes her students can take the sport with them wherever they go, creating friendships and communities that can continue to prosper, even after they’ve set their rackets down.
“When they go to college, I encourage all of them to take their rackets. One of our recent graduates sent me a photo: her dorm room overlooks all the tennis courts at her university. So that was very exciting for her, and she’s going to go down and meet people,” Feigenbaum said. “So take a racket, meet a friend, and you never know what it’s going to lead to.”
