The Republic tennis team travels to Bolivar today, coming off a Senior Night celebration that honored the program’s largest graduating class. The program recognized 12 seniors last week.
“Some of them have been with us all four years, some of them more recently, but they’ve all contributed to our program,” coach David Smashey said. “They’ve been part of the growth, numerically, of our culture, of our group, but also culturally.”
Smashey credits the senior class with helping develop the team’s identity and improving its level of play.
“We’ve become, I think, more dynamic, and we have more athletes, and we’re learning to play tennis faster and better than ever,” he said.
The large senior group has taken on leadership roles, guiding younger players through example rather than direct instruction.
“They welcome the younger players, they make them part of the team, and also they just kind of show them the ropes,” Smashey said. “They tell them we need to pick up the balls, we need to get things in before we finish practice, and it’s more subtle. They don’t really order them around, but the younger girls just know to watch them, and they do what (the seniors) do.”
Republic faces Bolivar in an away match today as the team looks to build on its 9-0 Senior Night sweep of Webb City.
