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The student voice of Sycamore High School in Cincinnati, Ohio

The Leaf

The student voice of Sycamore High School in Cincinnati, Ohio

The Leaf

The student voice of Sycamore High School in Cincinnati, Ohio

The Leaf

Boys Tennis players discuss off season training

Nakul Narendran, 11, prepares to drive an overhead crosscourt. Narendran, who was on Varsity A last year, is now out with a torn MCL. “I was frustrated at myself at first, but know I’ve just accepted that it happened and that I need to work twice as hard to get myself in the best shape by season,” said Narendran. Photo courtesy of Alex Wittenbaum.
Nakul Narendran, 11, prepares to drive an overhead crosscourt. Narendran, who was on Varsity A last year, is now out with a torn MCL. “I was frustrated at myself at first, but know I’ve just accepted that it happened and that I need to work twice as hard to get myself in the best shape by season,” said Narendran. Photo courtesy of Alex Wittenbaum.

Although it is still months before the spring tennis season, boys trying out for the tennis team are pushing themselves to be the best players that they can be.

“The saying ‘tennis never stops’ is completely true. A lot of people play football one season and play basketball the next and stuff like that, but you can’t do that for tennis [because] if you take a break for a couple months or even a couple weeks you just start playing terribly,” said Regis Lou, 9.

First-time high school tennis players like Lou are training extra hard to make a good impression. He is on the tennis courts six days a week at both Harpers Point Tennis Club and Blue Ash Recreation Center.

However, for other players, injuries stand in the way of being able to practice and improve on the courts during this off season.

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Nakul Narendran, 11, who is nursing an 80 percent torn MCL, is frustrated at the injury, but confident about the upcoming season.

“I’ve been out for two months now and it’ll be another month before I’m cleared, but I know that with hard work and dedication I can get myself back to 100 percent before the season begins,” said Narendran.

Still, for other players, such as Nimit Desai 12, the upcoming season is the last opportunity to once again secure a reputable position on the SHS tennis team.

“You can’t expect to do well if you don’t play in the off season. For real. This is Sycamore tennis we’re talking about,” said Desai.

For more information on SHS tennis, go to shsleaf.com.

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About the Contributor
Joseph Ahn, Creative Projects Editor
My name is Joseph Ahn and this is my fourth and final year at SHS. I have worked for The Leaf for four years and I am currently acting as an associate editor and a creative projects editor for The Leaf and The Leaflet. Journalism and design has grown to become one of my passions and I am extremely grateful to the program and to Mrs. Jardine, who is one of the most dedicated teachers I have ever seen in my high school career. The Leaf has given my peers and myself an amazing opportunity to become the voices of over 1200 students. Away from journalism, I dedicate a significant amount of time to my church’s youth group, where I enjoy planning activities as a member of our Youth Leadership Team and leading praise for our English Ministry services. Through my church, I have been able to travel to Hispaniola each summer and build powerful relationships and experiences, which I often write about upon returning to room 115 in July. My most recent focal point in room 115 is “Walk the Wok,” a collaborative and slightly comedic blog in which Brenda Shen and I think about and discuss what it is like for Asian Americans to grow up in Cincinnati, Ohio.
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Boys Tennis players discuss off season training