The Value of High School Tennis

Last season, the Syosset girls’ tennis team put together the best season in program history, winning its third Long Island title in four seasons, and going one step further than it had in the past, capturing the New York State Public High School Athletic Association (NYSPHSAA) Team Championship.

A key factor in that success, and a major reason for the Braves getting over the hump, was the addition of Skyler Lin to the team. The eighth-grader joined an already formidable Syosset team, and she stepped right into a pivotal role in the lineup.

“It was very exciting to be part of winning a State Championship because I felt like we all contributed as a team and worked really hard to earn our success,” Lin recalls.

In the state championship against Horace Greeley, Lin defeated senior Sadie McFadzen in straight sets at second singles, a big win for the underclassman and her team.

“When I walked onto the court to play in the finals, I was really nervous because during the Individual Championships, my partner and I lost to my opponent and her sister pretty badly, plus she was older than me and had a higher UTR,” Lin explains. “Although I was very nervous, I wanted to put my best effort forward and try my hardest no matter what. I tried to keep my head up the whole match, and by the time my match was over there was a pretty large crowd around my court cheering after each point. I’m extremely grateful because they were truly a big part of my success, and our success.”

Syosset head coach Shai Fisher praised Lin for her composure, and her ability to consistently rise to the occasion.

“Not just today, but if you look at some of the biggest matches throughout the year, Skyler pulls through. The better competition, the better she plays,” he said. “She plays a great game and gets to every ball. There’s times where she just sacrifices her body and does splits on the court or runs into the curtains. But she’s a tremendous money player for us; when the pressure’s on, she plays even better.”

It was Lin’s first year competing in high school tennis, and while winning made the experience a fun one, it was more than that.

For a sport that is often hyper-individualized, and where some top junior players choose not to play high school tennis to instead prioritize more training and traveling, playing amongst a team can be an experience unlike any other.

“I decided I wanted to play high school tennis because I believed that working as part of a team would be a great learning opportunity to teach me many important things,” Lin said. “I want to play college tennis one day, and I had hoped that I could learn what it’s like to be on a team.”

The Syosset team welcomed her with open arms, and she developed a camaraderie with her teammates early on.

“I enjoyed my first year a lot, mainly because I had a very supportive team who was there for me through every win and loss,” she added. “We all wanted to be helpful and supportive of each other, which made for such an enjoyable and uplifting environment to be in.”

Playing for her high school team did not negatively impact Lin’s tennis, in fact it helped it. As someone who has dreams of playing college tennis, learning how to play as part of a team is imperative, and she was still able to compete against high-level players.

Lin trains with Steve Kaplan at the Bethpage Park Tennis Center, someone who has been a supporter of players competing for their high school team for decades. He runs a free workshop for high school tennis coaches on Long Island every year, and encourages his players to play for their teams.

“It saddens me that some private coaches discourage players from the high school tennis experience,” said Kaplan. “There was a time in my career that almost every top player participated, but not today with so many persuaded not to play with the thinking that, ‘I’m not going to play high school tennis because there isn’t enough competition.’ This idea has unfortunately become a self-fulfilling prophecy.”

If more top players like Lin decide to play high school tennis, then the competition will  improve. There still remains a high-level of tennis played at the high school level, and the pros of playing outweigh the cons.

“I think more top juniors should play high school tennis because it’s a different experience from junior tournaments. Those can be lonely, even with family, coaches and friends supporting you, and high school tennis is the chance to be a part of an organized team that practices and competes together, sharing successes and failures,” Lin said. “It teaches important lessons, and I think if more top junior athletes joined school tennis, the level would increase which would make it more competitive and challenging.”

Lin added:

“Learning to be a good teammate, and learning to be a part of something that represented my town, my school and my team was an experience that I was grateful to be a part of, and I can not wait to do it again.”

The connection between the private tennis industry and high school tennis coaches is an extremely important one. It is something that Kaplan has spent his career trying to embolden, which is why he runs a free annual High School Coaches Workshop. This year’s Workshop is scheduled for Sunday, April 19 at 5:00 p.m.

“High school tennis can work hand and hand with the private tennis community to grow and enhance the sport. The state of the industry is diminished by viewing participation as a zero sum game where school tennis thriving means that commercial tennis is diminished. This is unenlightened, short sighted and self serving,” Kaplan explained. “High School tennis is an important part of bridging the gap between being a student and being an athlete. It’s a school team experience that is vital for juniors aspiring to have a collegiate team experience . I started and continue to conduct my coaches workshop to show support and to help educate the many Long Island High School coaches who care passionately about improving the sport, their students and themselves.”