Roslyn Tennis Is More Than A Team, It’s A Family

Culture is a word that’s thrown around a lot when talking about the success of sports teams. For years, we have heard about the winning culture of the New England Patriots in the National Football League, or the gritty, hustle culture of the Miami Heat in the National Basketball Association.

And while it is a cliche to say that, cliches exist for a reason: they tend to be true.

When it comes to high school tennis here on Long Island, there is perhaps no better example of this than the Roslyn Bulldogs, a program that not only features a winning culture, but one that is rooted in family and brotherhood, and one that means everything to those who are lucky to be a part of it.

“Roslyn tennis is a family,” said Zach Sheena, one of three graduating seniors. “That term is not to be taken lightly. The team and culture that comes along with it has changed my life. This everlasting brotherhood stays together through all the highs, and more importantly, the lows. Joining the family in eighth grade changed my life and helped shape me into the person I am today.”

Like Sheena, many of the players who come up through the Roslyn program get their start at an early age, many times starting their high school tennis careers while they are still in middle school. Being a part of the program for so many years, sharing the court with the same brothers year-in-and-year out, and quite literally growing up during that time creates an unshakable bond between not only the players, but with head coach Kerriann Jannotte-Hinkley.

“I think every team has their own culture and strong relationships between players and coaches, but I think what makes us different is that I have a good percentage of these kids since they were in middle school,” said Hinkley. “I spend five years with some of them, and because they spend four or five years with each other, it changes the landscape of their friendship. They may not be friends outside of school, but being on a team together and spending so much time with one another, a bond forms.”

If you ask the players on the team, they give much of the credit for that bond to her.

“Coach Hinkley is the heart and soul of our team. No matter how hard things get, coach puts us before anything else, and we are all so thankful for her,” added Sheena. “I can’t imagine having any other coach, I really can’t. She has built a personal connection with each and every one of us. She didn’t just want to be a part of our tennis lives, she is a part of our lives as a whole.”

Hinkley took over as coach in 2007 and in the nearly two- decades since has helped take Roslyn from a 3-9 record in her first year, to a Long Island powerhouse that has county title expectations year-in-and-year-out, including a Nassau County Championship in 2022.

“I was terrified when I first got the job,” Hinkley says. “I know how strong the tennis community was and is here in Roslyn, it’s a huge part of the culture here in the town, so it was a little frightening to me as an untenured teacher to coach a sport that means so much to people here. But I felt the support of the athletic department, and felt that they had my back, so I quickly came to understand that I wasn’t out there alone.”

And she hasn’t been out there alone in her years as coach. Along with Sheena, Roslyn had two additional seniors on the roster this spring, Gavin Koo and Benjamin Fortunoff, who have been with the team for years, and have grown up within this culture.

“I learn a lot from them because they play far more tennis than I do,” said Hinkley. “I do help the kids with Xs and Os but really more than anything, I offer them unwavering support. In moments of struggle, I think what they are looking for in a high school coach is that I have their back. They know what they are supposed to do on the court, but they are still kids, and sometimes they need to know you are there for them no matter what.”

Hinkley does a great job of empowering her players both on and off the court, and much responsibility falls on the shoulders of the captains and the older players on the team. The younger kids take their lead from the upperclassmen, and as the years go by, it’s those younger kids who take the mantle to maintain the culture, standards and traditions.

“We have people as young as seventh grade all the way through senior year of high school, and we have a real family dynamic with the younger kids acting as the little brothers,” said Koo. “At the same time, I consider them my close friends and have so much respect for all of them. With tennis being so mentally draining, we try to have as much fun as possible on the court as well as off the court. This sport can be very lonely so our team tries to emphasize the team aspect, whether it is cheering loudly after an amazing point, or lifting each other up after a loss.”

Junior Justin Sherman added:

“This team is so special because the season is about more than just tennis for us. I can speak for everyone when I say we look forward to winning, but we look forward to being on the courts as a team more. We are truly a family.”

Sherman will be one of those players tasked with taking the leadership baton from outgoing seniors Koo, Fortunoff and Sheena, but as Sheena says, part of the Roslyn culture is knowing that the people who come after you are ready to step up.

“Being a captain on our team is more than just helping to create a lineup to win matches,” he said. “It’s about leading our family through the ups and downs of life. The captains have an obligation to look out for each and every member of the team on and off the court. Due to the closeness of our team, there is not much I need to say to our future captains. They know exactly what they need to do. Maybe they didn’t have the ‘captain’ title yet, but they most definitely took a lot of the captain’s role on throughout their time on our team.”

The Roslyn tennis family suffered an unimaginable loss this past spring when two of its players, Drew Hassenbein and Ethan Falkowitz, were killed in a tragic car accident while driving home from a dinner where they were with teammates celebrating a key victory over rival Syosset. The tragedy left a community devastated and broken hearted, and rendering it forever changed.

It’s in moments and times like this where that family mantra and culture is needed more than ever, and has helped the players, coaches, parents and community cope with their loss.

Roslyn co-captain Zach Sheena and Coach Kerriann Jannotte-Hinkley embrace during the team’s return to the courts this spring

“Our team is currently dealing with an unimaginable tragedy where we lost two of our brothers,” said Sheena. “Our hearts have been completely broken. On the days where I don’t feel like getting out of bed, these boys and coach give me the strength to get up and do things to honor the lives of my little brothers. The love we have for one another is truly unmatched.”

“I’ll never forget the loss of our two brothers, Drew Hassenbein and Ethan Falkowitz, and the way this team stuck together and supported each other,” added Koo, who won the 2022 Nassau County doubles championship alongside Hassenbein. “I’ll always remember winning the county finals as a team, and winning the individual county tournament with Drew. Dumping the ice cooler with my co- captain Matthew Stone on Drew’s head after he clinched the championship is a memory I’ll keep forever.”

Gavin Koo & Drew Hassenbein won the 2022 Nassau County Doubles Championship

To honor their fallen brothers, Roslyn made the difficult decision to finish out their season and compete until the very end, something they did with the blessing of the families. Roslyn was also without two key pieces to their team, captains Zach Sheena and Ethan Solop, who were injured in the accident but attended matches to support their teammates.

“What kept the team together during the tragedy was the love we have for each other,” said Sherman. “We have built a strong bond throughout my years here, and in times of despair, we need to be there for one another.”

Hinkley added:

“No one would have judged us if we decided not to finish the season. The two people who would be upset with us would have been Drew and Ethan. The courts were the only place that made sense to us. It’s always easier to just give up and stop, but they need to know that it’s okay to live their lives, and not be judged for having a moment where they smile. It’s also okay not to be okay, because we’re never going to be okay again.”

The Roslyn tennis community will never forget Drew and Ethan, and will continue to use their strong bond together as a family to mourn their brothers and attempt to move forward. The beauty of the Roslyn culture is the brotherhood formed amongst all players, past and present, which means they will have people they can lean on for the rest of their lives.

“The love we have for one another is truly unmatched,” said Sheena. “I am so thankful to have been given the opportunity to share the court for five years with a group of brothers who are and always will be there for me.”