Head tennis coach Jaclyn Peene and assistant coach Amy Doot have been carefully guiding Hawthorne High School’s girls’ tennis team through their 2011 fall season.

Many of the girls who joined the team this year had never held a racket or had never walked onto a court before tryouts.

“They have the determination and drive to improve every single day,” said Jaclyn Peene, head coach.

The girls who joined the team this year have made improvements since starting out from day one. “All of them had one thing in common,” said Amy Doot, assistant coach. “The desire to learn and become a better tennis player. That’s what matters. The team made many improvements since the beginning of the season.”

Improvements by the team are noticeable from not only their current record but also noticeable by their techniques on how their matches are played. “The team has made many improvements since the beginning of the season from the little things such as foot work and stability to having more control over ground strokes and court coverage,” Doot said.

Coach Peene and Coach Doot were both former players on HHS’s girls tennis team who played tennis their whole lives and love everything about it. “The great part about coaching tennis is it’s a life sport,” Coach Peene said, “so my players are learning skills they can use to play long after high school.”

“During my sophomore year, I told the athletic director I was going to coach HHS Girl’s Varsity Tennis Team one day… and here I am now,” said Coach Doot. “I’m not the type of coach who will just feed balls and be satisfied with a mediocre practice. I wanted to show the girls what tennis is really about…it’s more than just hitting a ball over a net.”

The girls feel that everyone on the team has potential, and they know what they want to achieve during their season, which is to win. The girls also agree that because of their respectful attitudes towards each other, they have gained a relationship with each other, which shows throughout their matches.

“We all get along great and that shows… and that makes us better players because of our chemistry with each other,” said player, Christina Pecoraro.

Coach Doot explains how even in the off season it’s important to keep practicing and never give up on yourself and to stay focused.

“You can’t expect to be just as good as you were at the end of the season than another year later without any practice,” Doot said. “If the girls stay focused on tennis throughout the year, the team will become much stronger in the future.”