Tennis is typically a year-round sport, but for our Milford players it is seasonal. Walled Lake, Novi, Livonia and other areas are closer to indoor facilities; therefore, they have players that never stop improving. With Milford players, many only play during the summer and fall, then put down their racket until the snow melts. Other players have had other obstacles toward improving.

One of Milford’s best players, senior Rob Gibbons, missed out on his junior tennis season because he was in China, and was not able to practice. “The air quality was really bad, so it made it hard to play. Once I got back I did have to practice a lot, and after days of serving I was really sore,” explained Gibbons. “I didn’t realize that being in China would have impacted my skill so much, but I’m happy to be back and on the courts because I missed it a lot.”

Even with that disadvantage, our boys’ tennis team spends as much time as possible preparing for the season. Beginning in June, there were three one-week camps held at the Milford High School tennis courts open to all players. These summer practices for Milford tennis are crucial to regroup their skills. Coach Kynast believes the most important part of off season training is playing tennis regularly, even if it is just once a week. Right after these camps were over, the season was underway. With a new regional division, new teams to play, and a lot of new players, they did not know where this season would take them.

Practices are typically based on how the team is performing. During practices they will do certain drill sets. However, if there is a match the next day, they will not have as much physical demand and the goal is just to keep in rhythm. The team then gets put in a line-up for the match; the line-up is based on the player’s consistency, and skill level. The players are then given either a partner, which would be a double’s match, or they play alone, which would be a single’s match. Milford’s team has been struggling to get a lot of wins, with a season record of 3-7 overall.

However, the team continues to stay positive, and they always enjoy spending time together. Senior Jack Robertson, a Milford 3-doubles player, joined the team this year because of his friend, senior Nick Scheske, who is also on the team. “My favorite part is definitely the people,” said Robertson. “I’m going to miss going out with the guys after school and having fun.”

Senior Jacob Niffin, a four-year tennis player and Milford 3-doubles player, loves leading all the other grades. “I’m going to miss hanging out with the boys and hitting the ball around,” said Niffin. Even though their wins are not yet where they would like them to be, they are having fun getting together and doing something they all love.

During the season, the players put up a tough game during all their matches. Some of the players’ favorite matches were against Lakeland and South Lyon. During the South Lyon match, Sophomore Hayden Long, #3 single player, put up a tough match and ended up with a win. Out of the three games played, he won two of them with a final score of 7-5 and 6-4. South Lyon and Milford are relatable in terms of their skill levels; however, Milford lost 4-5.

Coach Kynast has one major focus for next year – to get the youth involved. “We have all these seniors that just joined,” explains Kynast. “But I would’ve loved to see them 3 years ago.” Kynast is encouraging younger athletes who have an interest to play tennis to get involved; if anyone has this interest, and wants to be a part of a team, this is your cue.