Although the boys tennis season ended last fall, the work never stops. Senior tennis player Mitchell Kinsey gave me the chance to learn more about the details of the season and how it is more expansive than most people think.

With boys tennis being a fall sport, the Royal tennis players know that after the academic school year starts, their afternoons will be taken by tennis. “During the season, we’d have two to three matches a week,” Kinsey said. “We would typically get to the school around 4:30 and leave around 8:30, and later during road matches.” Moreover, on the days without a match, the team would meet for practices each day from 3-5.

While the regular season seems grueling enough, as it turns out, most players put in a ton of work in the offseason to stayed connected to the game in preparation for the season. “I play in a JTT Tournament with other Royal teammates against other clubs filled with high schoolers from around the state.” This league typically plays on the weekends and the teams often schedule practices themselves. Kinsey also stays close with tennis in the summer season.

“Over the summer, I coached at a tennis summer camp that included mainly kids aged 5 through 14,” Kinsey said. “Most of these kids will become future Royals or Tigers, depending on which high school they choose to go to.”

Kinsey, now getting set to graduate in the spring, is very thankful for his time here as a Royal tennis player. “It was a rollercoaster of emotions,” Kinsey said. “From the lows of being cut sophomore year to the highs of spending the last two years within the program.” Kinsey said that he doesn’t regret anything and it was the little moments along the way that made all the hard work worth it. For example, when asked for one of his favorite moments from this past season, Kinsey said “Probably something like one of the underclassmen attempting the ‘Blazin Challenge’ at Buffalo Wild Wings.”

Kinsey greatly values his experiences he’s had here, and is thankful for everything tennis has given him over the years. “I was introduced to the game by my parents at a young age,” Kinsey said. “My dad played varsity all four years of high school, and my mom got involved in the game about 15 years ago as well.”

Moving forward, Kinsey is excited to stay involved with the game, and he is looking to be a motivator for others within the tennis community just as his parents, coaches, and teammates were for him.

Story by Noah Spirek.