Sophomore Carly Billman Hopes to Achieve Great Things with Tennis Team this Season
By: Emma Cherradi
Carly Billman is a sophomore athlete on the girl’s tennis team at Timber Creek High School. She first started playing tennis in middle school. “My mom was playing tennis when I was in 6th grade, and then she put me in a tennis camp. I didn’t really like it that summer, but then I went back the next summer and I met some pretty cool friends, I even play with them still today,” Carly said. After this camp Billman was able to gradually become better at the sport and she was able to make the girl’s tennis team at TCHS. “Things were definitely more difficult in the beginning, but I’ve gotten a lot better. Even last year I was not as good as I am now because I’ve been practicing a lot on this team.”
Carly’s teammates and coach play a very important role in her life, on and off the tennis court. “We (teammates) are more like a family because we all bring like, full on meals to games, and even if we’re not playing we always cheer each other on. The matches go by pretty fast, so like some people are playing and some people aren’t, so you have times to talk to your other teammates.” Carly describes her team to be supportive and encouraging. Billman says that her coach is also very understanding and compassionate. “She gives a lot of moral support and she’s very kind. So when your playing and we are out here doing drills, you won’t feel like you’re being judged for how you hit or if you hit a ball out she will say try again and she won’t make you feel bad about it.” One of Carly’s biggest role models is Venus Williams. “I would say Serena Williams, but everybody says that, so Venus Williams because she’s Serena’s sister and she is still able to beat her. I think that is pretty competitive.”
One of the things Carly likes most about tennis is the fact that it is a sport that can show your ambition. “It’s a team sport, but at the same time, it is a singular sport. So that’s what I like about high school tennis. But regular tennis I feel like I can have a competition with people and usually I don’t know who they are so it makes it easier to beat them,” she says.Carly gave advice to other tennis players, that can be used to help them start off or even improve their skill in the game. “Constantly practice because practice does make perfect and it’s really difficult at the beginning to figure out how to hit by like watching videos and taken lessons or going to a camp like I did, that was able to really help me get started.”
Billman has high hopes for her and the team this season. “Last year we went to states with Alana Wolfberg, but I’m hoping we can get a few more people to go to states with her. I also definitely want to win Districts,” said the athlete. Carly isn’t the only one who is also expecting to see great things from the tennis team this year. Coach Summersgill is also hoping to accomplish many things that the team was not able to the previous season. “Last year we won Districts, so I’m expecting for that same thing to happen. Also we were eliminated whenever we got to regionals, so my goal is for us to get to regionals again and to win regionals this year,” says Coach Summersgill.
Coach Summersgill started coaching tennis when she was presented with the opportunity when she started working at Timber Creek as a math teacher. “I played tennis in high school and in college, and so whenever I got here the opportunity arose for me to coach, and it was always something that I wanted to do, to teach math and coach tennis.” Summersgill says that there is more that goes into whether or not you make the team, besides grades and skill. “Their personality and how they handle themselves on the courts; if they make a bad shot do they get upset at themselves, how do they handle themselves under pressure, that’s a huge thing. Their sportsmanship is a really huge factor.”
Coach Summersgill says that the team is this year is admirable and really positive. “They are really good. A lot of new girls came out to tryout, which I was really impressed by all of them. So there’s a lot of new talent, a lot of old talent, and I expect it to be a really good team. So I’m excited for the season,” says the Coach. She is hoping to see that many of the returning players have practiced and improved. “I’m hoping to see that they have done some practice and taken some lessons over the summer and advanced themselves not only skill wise, but mental skills as well; playing the game because having those mental skills are a huge part of tennis. So i’m just hoping to see they have been maturing in the game of tennis.” Coach Summersgill says that a typical practice consists of the team during practice matches and drills. “Right now they’re competing for lines; so who’s going to play first, who’s going to play second line, third line and stuff like that. On regular days sometimes I just get them to practice a match, sometimes we do drills, it just really depends on our schedule for that week; how many games we’re playing, if they take it a more light or serious practice.”
Carly and Coach Summersgill seem to be looking forward to the season ahead and they can’t wait to see what it has in store. They both have high expectations for this upcoming season and hope to see the goals they set be accomplished.
