With the sweet budding of flowers and plants- the spring season, unfurled at last- comes the not-so-sweet pinging of the tennis ball against the concrete court.
Girls’ tennis has begun at Tumwater!
Coached by Mr. James Clicke and Ms. Emma-Kate Schaake, the T-Birds bring an intimidating ferocity to the league; they’ve won all but one of their matches as of date.
Interviewing the Team
A few of the team members were interviewed on how long they’ve been playing, their favorite aspects of the sport, and more.
Kaitlyn Oakes is a junior at THS.
“This is my first year,” she shares. She joined tennis because, “My friend asked me to…My [favorite] part is hanging out with my friends. I’m doing it with a friend who does Running Start so I don’t see her very often, so it’s nice to see her every day!”
This is Casey Clark’s third year playing tennis.
“I really like the sport and the community with it,” she says, when asked why she joined. She loves playing singles and doubles.
A lot of people misunderstand things about tennis, Casey adding, “[People] take it as not a real sport… and it’s a lot more difficult than it seems.”
“I’ve been playing tennis since my freshman year of high school,” says Alexandra Parker. She joined because she wanted to be part of a sport in the springtime that wasn’t super hard or frustrating. “It became my favorite sport.”
Alex also agrees that tennis is a misunderstood sport: “[It’s thought] that you have to be on varsity for it to be important…You end up having fun either way.”
How has tennis changed Alex as a person? “It’s made me more physically fit. My whole life, I’ve used my legs a lot in sports because I played soccer. Because of tennis, I learned to use my arms more and sprint short distances- I’ve made a lot of friends along the way.”
Kayliana Chang is a freshman at THS and this is her first year playing tennis.
“My favorite part is being able to meet other people.”
She joined because her sister, Shylee Chang, plays, and it looked super fun to her!
Georgia Boerner is also a freshman in her first year of tennis.
“It seemed like a really fun sport and it sounded cool.”
Junior Amelia Carns started taking tennis lessons in November and it is her first year playing on the school team. “A lot of my friends do it and it’s super fun.”
Her favorite part is hanging out with her friends and “playing a chill sport.”
“This is my third season,” says Ashlyn Spencer, 11th grader.
“My favorite part is that it’s so fun when it’s nice out! You practice outside, and then have matches outside in the sun! You get tan, too.”
Ashlyn, when asked what people misunderstand about the sport, shares, “It looks easier to pick up than it is.”
Karis Jensen is a senior. “My sister started playing when she was in high school and it inspired me to do it, and then I [re]joined because one of my best friends was doing it, and I wanted to do it.”
What is Karis’s favorite part? “Playing with my doubles partner Autumn- she’s my best friend!”
How does Karis cope with nerves before a match? “Talking to someone definitely helps. Eating a snack; taking a break; drinking some water. Try to get out of your head.”
Sophomore Alexis Purvis is in her first season of tennis. “I was in between golf and tennis, and tennis just seemed more fun, and I have one of my friends playing.”
Her favorite part has been matches. “They’re very long but they’re also fun because you get to watch everyone else play before you get to play.”
“I kinda just try to relax and drink a lot of water,” says Alexis regarding tennis-related anxiety.
The Rules of Tennis
Scoring and gameplay is complicated and unique. Attend a match (or a few!) this season, and let this article be your guide so you have a better understanding of the game.
- 0 points= Love
- 1 point = 15
- 2 points= 30
- 3 points= 40
- Tied score= All
- 40-40 = Deuce
- Server wins deuce point = Ad-In
- Receiver wins deuce point = Ad-Out
The United States Tennis Association provides a full explanation for the sport.
“Tennis is a game played on a rectangular-shaped court, which can be one of many surfaces. It is either played with two players (singles match), or four players (doubles match). Players stand on opposite sides of the net and use a stringed racquet to hit the ball back and forth to each other.
Each player or team has a maximum of one bounce after the ball has been hit by their opponent to return the ball over the net and within the boundaries of the court… When a player then fails to return the ball into the correct court, the opponent wins a point.
The aim of tennis is to win enough points to win a game, enough games to win a set, and enough sets to win a match.
In order to win the game, a player must win at least four points. If you are up 40-30, 40-15 or 40-love, and win one more point, you win the game. If the score is tied in a game or set, you use the term “all” when announcing the score. For example, if you and your opponent have both won two points in the game, the score would be 30-all.”
Tennis Schedule*
Come support the team!
Tuesday, April 14 @ Capital High School, 3:30 PM
Wednesday, April 15 @ Tumwater High School, 3:30 PM
Thursday, April 16 @ W F High School, 3:30 PM
Monday, April 20 @ Black Hills High School, 3:30 PM
Thursday, April 23 @ Tumwater High School, 3:30 PM
Monday, April 27 @ Aberdeen High School, 3:30 PM
*Please note that these dates are subject to change due to weather and transportation issues.
Work Cited
“Tennis Scoring: Points, Sets & Games | Tennis Rules.” USTA, https://www.usta.com/en/home/improve/tips-and-instruction/national/tennis-scoring-rules.html. Accessed 2 April 2026.
