The Season that Never Ends: Varsity Tennis Player Alex Swords Trains for the Upcoming Tennis Season

By Katrina Vassell

Its common knowledge that our school's tennis players train vigorously during the season, but most people are unaware of the hard work and time our athletes dedicate to their sport the remainder of the year. Our school's players have already started to perfect their serves and build endurance months before the season begins. They believe that stepping onto the courts with endurance will enable them to focus on technique and pinpoint specific weaknesses right before the first tournament.

Senior Alex Swords, varsity's newest player from Cincinnati, elaborated on the importance of pre-season training. He explained that during the season, he plays for two hours on the school's team each day. Although he works less on specific tennis stills off season, he conditions for an additional hour with an emphasis on endurance and stamina at Chelsea Piers. "I definitely train for more hours off season. I spend a lot of  time conditioning so I can focus on my skills during the season without worrying about stamina." When living in Ohio, Swords was one of the top 20 players and has continued to thrive at DHS. Last year he qualified for semi-finals at State Championships with varsity player Rio Usami, and attributes his success to the team's philosophy of year round training.