Last year, the Campbell Hall football program came to an end meaning the end of what was the main event of Homecoming every September. The removal of the football program left a significant void in filling the schedule to replace what had been spotlighted for the prior 37 years at Campbell Hall’s biggest school spirit event of the year. This void was never going to be easy to fill but last year for the first time ever, girls volleyball got a spotlight at homecoming and it blew away all expectations. From the court, to the jerseys, to being under the lights, volleyball was a fantastic addition to Homecoming.
More importantly, this shined a light on the fact that the Campbell Hall athletic program is made up of many talented athletes in many different sports and an event as big as Homecoming should be giving the spotlight to more than just one sport.
This year, that is exactly what happened. For the first time ever the girls tennis team was given a spotlight at Homecoming in an exhibition match. In the match, four of the school’s best girls tennis players got to showcase their skills at Homecoming and for them, it was an experience to remember.
But more than anything, the team showed that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. Every single player on the team, it didn’t matter if they were playing or not, they all showed up to the tennis courts for the match. While the four players selected by Coach played their match, every single one of their teammates were there cheering them on showing the unity of the girls tennis team. Audysie James ‘27 is a captain and was one of the four players playing in the match and more than playing tennis, she’ll most remember the experience she had with her teammates on the court and the support she got from her teammates off the court.
“Just being with Sophia, India, and Shayna and sharing that moment with them,”
“It was really nice to know that my team wanted to come out and support and was there cheering the whole time,” James said.
The Campbell Hall girls tennis program has set a remarkably high standard for success. In the last 22 years, they’ve won 15 championships including four division 1 championships as well as the division 2 championship last year. The accolades speak for themselves, Campbell Hall has a really good girls tennis team and they deserve to be featured at a big event like Homecoming.
The team features players in all grades of high school and each come with different roles within the team. Freshman India Jones, being one of the youngest on the team, is learning as much as she can from her teammates.
“I learned to be a good teammate, because they said that we need to work on being more connected as a team. I think that that’s something I’m really taking from the older players,” Jones said. Meanwhile senior Lily Goldberg being one of the more experienced players on the team is focused on helping her teammates build a positive attitude.
“I’m always encouraging a positive attitude, and although I’m not captain like Sophia and Audyssie are, I can be an unofficial captain and encourage everyone to be positive. We always say, head up, head up, you got this,” Goldberg said.
Head coach Steve Kuechel is proud of his team and he wants his team to get the spotlight they’ve earned.
“The tennis courts are out here, and they see how beautiful the tennis courts are out here, how hard the girls work, and come watch matches. People are going to realize we have had courts on campus for so many years,” Coach Kuechel said. But Coach is not only focused on turning his girls into great tennis players on the court, he’s also focused on helping his girls understand that to succeed as a team, each individual has to be playing for more than themselves.
“Hard work pays off. Preparing before matches, understanding that this is a team sport, everyone has to support each other and also managing your time,” Kuechel said.
Campbell Hall has successfully turned a predicament into an opportunity. The challenge of replacing what was the identity of homecoming is now a chance to show that our athletic program runs far deeper than just one sport and Homecoming can be used as the stage to show that.