Senior Conor Cunningham hopes to win State alongside his teammates this year on the varsity tennis team. He has participated on the team for three years so far, and hopes to end his high school career with a successful season. In order to do so, the team must overcome their primary adversary from last year, Hamilton Southeastern, whom they lost to in the Sectional match.

“We have the most depth and talent out of everyone in the state. If we work hard and everyone pushes themselves and each other, the there is no reason we won’t win,” Cunningham said.

Head Coach Mike Bostic agrees. “This group of guys has only lost two matches in two years, and it is their time to use what they have learned to get over the hump. I expect our seniors to lead the way,” he said.

However, with three seniors who graduated last year and a large handful of incoming seniors, the team may have difficulty finding and balancing leadership. Cunningham, who played three singles last year, envisions himself as someone who could be a capable leader. He defines a leader as more of a supporting friend rather than using the denoted meaning. “A leader must support his teammates and encourage them,” Cunningham said. He sees himself as the type of guy who encourages his teammates and pushes them to the best of their abilities when facing a formidable foe. Bostic agrees, but also emphasizes that there can be more than one team leader.

“It depends on the kid,” Bostic said. “Some kids are more vocal and some show leadership through work ethic.”

Cunningham sees himself more of the latter. However, junior Elliott Yee, who played two singles last year, sees the role that language can play in making a leader. “A leader of any team in general should always be positive, encouraging, and confident,” he said. Yee believes that the responsibilities of such a person include making both the team and its members better, even if it means running sprints or drilling endlessly.

According to Bostic, Cunningham and Yee, the goal of this team is to win State. With an abundance of individuals capable of filling the void from last year, a good candidate to lead the team to victory should be easy to find. Additionally, since many of the players are interdependent upon each other, everyone knows each other. Tennis, is a year-round sport, and the players bond as a result of off-season play and intensive summer training.

“Normally, most people play for a couple of hours each day and travel to tournaments on weekends,” Cunningham said. He also participates in the Carmel Racquet Club’s Grand Prix summer camp for competitive players from 8 to 11:30 a.m. each day. Yee also trains for most of his summer. He plays tennis everyday and conditions three to four times a week. The team has already developed an emotional attachment to each other through these daily summer sessions.

However, a leader must eventually rise out of the collection of talented players. “I can envision several kids stepping up as leaders,” Bostic said. “Chris Bertolini, Pat O’Neill, Conor Cunningham, Drew Dunn, Kyle Frankenberger and Evan Rhea are the seniors and I will be counting on them to set a good example on and off the court.” He also sees Yee and teammate junior Mihir Kumar, who played one singles last year, as having something to offer besides their talent on the court.

According to Bostic, although many of the players train year round and play tournaments to keep their skills sharp, they must also be aware that high school tennis is a different ball game. Much of what is going on involves teamwork and a web of support to fall back on.

“Tennis is really interesting because during the whole year outside the season it’s more individual, but when the season comes, you have to play for the team,” Cunningham said.

Among the players, who have known each other both on and off the court, there has to be someone to be the pivot, providing a guiding hand as well as psychological and emotional support. Certainly, many players have their skills to offer for the team, but only time will tell when a leader can be effectively distinguished from the rest of the group.

“I encourage the kids to be themselves, but you really need someone that can put into words what the team is going through at any particular time,” Bostic said. “The team with the most talent doesn’t necessarily always win. When you are playing for something greater than yourself, special things can happen. We hope this is the case in 2010.”