By: Hayden Sutter
After a long offseason, the Syosset Boys Varsity tennis team is chasing history: a fourth straight state championship. The boys and Coach Shai Fisher have been waiting for this moment since they won their last state championship in June at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. The team has been finding every possible window this past week to play outside and get in extra hitting sessions, since it was impossible to do so all winter, as the courts were covered in snow.
What gives this team an edge over its conference rivals is its ability to overcome challenges and dominate. The boys did not view the cold winter as an excuse to ease off training and knew the work they needed to put in to stay ahead of everyone and have another successful season. Another strength of this team is its camaraderie. All of the teammates are very good friends and always have each other’s backs, which is crucial for a team’s success. The boys specifically thrive in doubles, which gives them a competitive advantage because every team may have one or two standout players, but Syosset has a very deep team with talent. In high school tennis, 4 of 7 matches must be won for a team victory. Therefore, one player can’t completely carry a team. Coach Fisher uses his team’s depth as an advantage by finding dominant doubles combinations that outclass other teams. Furthermore, Coach Fisher believes in outdoor conditioning to prepare his team. He said, “For the first couple of weeks, I always like to keep you guys outside for as long as possible to get used to the 40 degrees, because if you can play in 40 degrees, you can play in 70 degrees.”
The team is led by two captains: seniors Nikhil Shah and Aayan Mehta. The captains set the example for the entire team, demonstrating how to act on and off the court as real role models, especially for the younger players. Aayan said, “I definitely think that what would help us this year would be our depth in the lineup. From 1 to 20 on our team, we are extremely strong,.” In addition, when discussing the goal of a fourth straight state championship, Nikhil said, “It’s my last year, and I’ve been on the team for a bunch of years, so being able to even have the opportunity to compete for a fourth state championship in a row is just amazing.”
Led by the senior captains, the team looks poised to reclaim the title. Aayan said, “Everyone looks to get better every day” and Nikhil said, “It’s pretty incredible.” Big moments, and even bigger wins, lie ahead.
