Photo provided by Ashley Nilsson
Written by Emma Field
The Harding tennis team is gearing up for the 2023-2024 season, with practices every afternoon from 3-5 p.m. The men’s team has 11 players (with one player in Chile until spring), and the women’s team has 12.
Junior tennis player Madison Stafford started playing tennis in first grade but did not begin playing competitively until she was 11 years old.
“Life lessons can be learned from the game as well as the fact that it is a sport that can be enjoyed individually or as a group,” Stafford said. “However, for me, the most rewarding aspect of the game is the ability to share it with others through organizations such as ACEing Autism.”
This fall, players will compete in several tournaments throughout the season.
Head coach David Redding said being a successful tennis coach starts with building a relationship with each player and knowing their individual likes and dislikes.
“It is knowing when a player is in a high-pressure situation and what they need to help pull them through,” Redding said. “By developing a tough, competitive practice, then this makes it easier to play in tough matches, because you are used to tough practices.”
Redding talked about how tennis differs from other sports.
“When you grow up playing tennis, it is an individual sport,” Redding said. “However, when you are in college, it becomes a team sport. It might go against the grain to cheer for a teammate, but it is helpful to have your teammates pulling for you and encouraging you.”
Redding said the greatest challenge facing most athletes today is balancing their athletic life with their academic and social life.
“Ultimately, it is being able to find the right balance where it doesn’t break you as a person, and that you get the most out of your God-given abilities,” he said.
Sophomore tennis player Réka Pécsi started playing tennis when she was 8 years old. People discouraged her in her pursuit and told her that it was “too late” for her to play tennis.
“The more I was taught, the better player I became,” Pécsi said. “I didn’t know if I’d ever have the opportunity to play tennis full-time again, but here I am not only playing tennis but getting a degree.”
Pécsi continued to pursue her passion and later on in her tennis journey, she became a tennis coach. She described this time as a turning point for her.
“To everyone who wants to continue, but is too afraid to do so, I’d say keep pushing because it can turn into something amazing,” Pécsi said. “And no, it’s never ‘too late.’”
Redding said after a loss, he gives the players time to process before talking about it. He said he feels it is best for players to realize that winning is not the most important thing in life, and that there are goals still to be reached.
“Life’s journey is about being able to overcome your setbacks and defeats,” Redding said. “Everybody has them. I try to give my players the right perspective. It is very draining to lose a match because it takes a lot of you, but you have got to be able to bounce back.”
Stafford started the year with an injury but looks forward to being fully recovered for the upcoming spring season.
“On a personal level, I started the fall with a broken toe which has definitely impacted my level of play in all aspects of the game,” Stafford said. “While I hoped my tennis career at Harding would begin differently, I have faith this is part of God’s plan and I am thankful for the results I have been able to achieve despite my current limitations.”
The next opportunity to support the men’s tennis team will be next weekend, Oct. 13-15. Harding will host Rhodes College, Hendrix College and Texas A&M University–Texarkana in the HU Men’s Fall Invite.
The following weekend, Oct. 20-21, both the women’s and men’s teams will face off in the GAC Individual Championships in Russellville, Arkansas.
