Lady Flames tennis team hoping to bounce back after pandemic-led season
Photo by Reily Rogers courtesy of Lee Athletic Communications.
Last season the Lady Flames tennis team finished 9-6 overall. This year, after an uncertain season amid of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, the team looks forward to improving and playing a semi-normal season.
The Lady Flames will play their first match in the Young Harris Hidden Dual team championships at Young Harris College in Georgia on Friday, Oct. 8.
Sierra Donaldson, senior sports management major and tennis player, said the girls on the team grew close last year despite the pandemic forcing them to separate. Now that protocols have lessened, Donaldson says the team looks forward to strengthening their bonds.
“With it dying down a little bit, we hang out more, and we try to do more stuff with each other,” said Donaldson.
On Oct. 1, President Mark Walker ended the mask mandate for campus. Ensembles and athletic teams, however, will continue to follow testing protocols.
According to senior international business major Lauren Good, the team now cherishes every moment spent together after the uncertainty of their last season.
“We’re more appreciative of teammates, traveling, the sport and normal practices,” said Good. “Even apart from tennis, [the pandemic] made you realize how much you take things for granted.”
Tennis coach Patric Hynes said he loves learning about each player’s story, as well as watching the team compete and represent their school. After being a coach for Lee University’s tennis team for eight years, Hynes said his time as coach has been very rewarding.
“It’s a really rewarding position. Every day I get to spend time doing what I love to do, so it doesn’t really feel like work,” said Hynes. “Being a coach has been really impactful on our entire family. Our two children have basically spent their entire lives around our teams, so it’s really important for them to have great role models.”
Hynes looks forward to the fall season but is especially excited for the spring season when several home matches will be taking place.
For a full schedule of the Lady Flames tennis matches, click here.
Update Oct. 11: This article mistakenly attributed Sierra Donaldson as Sierra Donald.
