While the FWCD Varsity Girls Tennis team did not have the season they hoped for, there were many small victories that they were able to celebrate along the way. They embraced every minute of every practice, every match. Above all, they really just got to know one another and develop a love for both the team and the sport.
Going into SPC, the team hoped to play for 5th place. Normally, tournaments allow you to play more matches even after losing; however, with the rain, one loss was immediate elimination this year. Head Coach, Debby Arnold, expressed her frustration on how her team was not properly represented.
“It doesn’t really show the full picture of how hard the girls worked and how they worked to get better every day,” Arnold said. “There were close matches and really well-fought matches.”
The team had amazing senior leadership with three team captains: Adelaide Butler ’26, Emily Davis ’26, and Anna Rollins ’26. Each girl left an impact in a unique way and inspired team members to work harder and improve.
“They’re just three amazing players and amazing people who really served as great role models with their attitude, their effort,” Arnold said, “They would show up and they were great communicators.”
While SPC brought lots of emotions for the coaches and players, they still tried to embrace the situation and enjoy the moment. In fact, the coaches treated the girls to hibachi and ice cream in Houston.
“It was disappointing for the team, disappointing for me as a coach,” Arnold said, “but we said, look, it’s not something we can control so let’s make the best out of it.”
For Arnold, one of the best things about the team was their coach to player relationships. Each of the coaches made a genuine effort to get to know their players. This truly made a mark on the girls, building the team’s overall connection. Similarly, for Rollins, the team’s biggest strength was their sincere love for both the game and each other. Being a senior, this season was special for Rollins.
“They are all some of my best friends,” Rollins said. “It was awesome to have one last season together.”
Arnold believes that success is not the main thing that matters in a sport. What matters most is progress, passion, and connection. The small successes are the real memories that players and coaches look back on.
“There’s a lot of small victories that we were having every day at practice and on the court,” Arnold said. “That would probably be the thing I’m the most proud of.”
Arnold retired this year after many years of teaching MS Spanish and coaching girls tennis.
The tennis team has lots of room to grow as of right now; however, the future looks bright. There are so many girls with a love for the game who have been inspired by role models. Progress will continue to be made, and it shouldn’t be long before their hard work pays off.
