The start of the first Osakis boys tennis season hasn't gone according to plan. However, head coach Ryan Maddock is excited about the number of kids who were ready to take the court for the first time for Osakis this spring.
The COVID-19 pandemic has halted spring activities through the Minnesota State High School League while students remain out of school classrooms. The Silverstreaks are excited to get going if teams do somehow get in some type of season.
"We have 15 boys who are planning on participating," Maddock said. "We expected to get the team up off the ground and get the sport introduced to those boys who expressed interest.”
The first season was set to be all about learning for these kids.
“Our season would revolve around getting kids experience in playing tennis matches and having them see what it takes to be successful at this sport,” Maddock said. “We realized that as a team we would be focusing on individual improvements that would help the team be successful. Individually, we think we have some players who can already be pretty successful."
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The Silverstreaks don't have a senior on the roster, but they have two juniors who are ready to help lead the way. Jacob Uhl and Logan Grove are the upperclassmen on an otherwise young roster. Eight of the 15 players are in seventh or eighth grade.
The first season might come with growing pains, but Maddock is looking forward to adding to the Osakis tennis program. After many years of success with the girls team in the fall, he hopes that one day the boys will emulate it.
"As a coach, I miss the opportunity to teach a sport that I love to coach," Maddock said of this first season being put on hold. "Tennis is a great sport from a coach's perspective as there are so many ways for players to make noticeable improvements to their games in a short time frame. I just miss being at our courts and being around the players and the game."
(Editor’s note: Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Minnesota State High School League spring activities season is suspended through at least May 4. Whether a season will be played at all is very much up in the air, but these spring preview stories are meant to give coaches for area teams an opportunity to share what they think their players might be capable of if any type of season is played this year.)
OSAKIS BOYS TENNIS ROSTER
JUNIORS- Jacob Uhl, Logan Grove; SOPHOMORES- Eli Kulver; FRESHMEN- Connor Gulbranson, Carson Hendricks, Isaac Maddock, Marcus Wolf; EIGHTH GRADE- Mason Grove, Jacob Taplin; SEVENTH GRADE- Noah Karrow, Mikah Moore, Bryce Moan, Dylan Nathe, Mazin Al-Amira, Michael Laumeyer; HEAD COACH- Ryan Maddock
