Twelve brand new tennis courts! Probably the best outdoor facility in NESCAC. Everything was set up perfectly for a new tennis season at Hamilton. Even glancing at those courts from the far caused instantaneous pride and dignity to play for Hamilton. I couldn’t wait to start the season!
“Sorry guys, you don’t have a coach as for now.” These were the words of John Hind at the first official tennis meeting this Fall. Obviously, everyone on the team was shocked to say the least and was not prepared to hear that news. “How are we going to practice? Who will take over the coach’s spot? Will he or she be competent enough to lead the team?” These questions were bombarding my mind as I was trying to comprehend fully the seriousness of the situation. As I looked at one of my teammates, I could read the same bewilderment in his eyes. A couple of moments later, John Hind announced that Jaimie King, squash coach, will take over the team for the Fall semester. We all left that meeting without knowing what would come next.
Two days later, we had our first practice where we got to meet Coach King and his assistant, Coach Lamborn, for the first time in their new positions. At first, everyone was rather reserved, but the ice broke after several practices. The team started getting closer and closer each day. Sometimes, tough and gloomy days could be lit up by Coach King’s dance on the court or his advice on how to get rid of country club volleys. In general, practice was a great way to escape from ‘reality’ for two hours and just be with your friends on the court hitting the balls. Practice became a powerful stress-relief. Day by day, we were honing our skills to compete with other colleges at the invitational tournaments.
Daily practice paid its dividends at Union College, where the men’s team won three out of four flights (sub-tournaments). Although it may seem overwhelming to play tournaments every weekend, it was a great opportunity for the team to bond with each other even stronger. Hour-long car rides were brightened by watching old Terminator movies and commenting them out loud. We found it very satisfying to eat somewhere else other than at Commons once in a while. One of those places was Buffalo Wild Wings where we watched college football and proposed that college tennis should also be broadcasted. You can tell we love to joke. But, the nicest thing about those trips was coming back to what we call now our home, Hamilton. Just spending a few days off campus made us realize how integrated the whole campus is. It was always nice to be back, especially when you did not have Calculus 2 homework that day.
It did not take long for the team to become something more than just a team— a family.
We would end every practice with a resounding “Blue!” roar to emphasize once more that we are one big “Hamily” here. After spending every day together, and then going on the trips together, my teammates are now the first to offer help or invite me to their place over Thanksgiving break. During our last practice, instead of going over the standard drills, Coach King decided that we should play a game called “Kill the Coach.” The goal of that game was to aim every volley shot at defenseless coach. I promise nothing bad happened to him — we left something for the squash team. When the season was over, Coach King generously invited the whole team to dinner “as a way of saying thank you for all our efforts this Fall.” It felt like Thanksgiving dinner where the whole family gathers and spends some quality time with each other. What can be better than finishing the season on such a positive note?
