As the national tournament approaches, Collin College's tennis players are focusing on conditioning and approaching their opponents with the confidence that matches their abilities. Coach Jamie Nanez said he is working to instill the idea that what matches are won before you even step foot on the court.
Nanez designed the season so that the teams were "playing like crazy" for a couple of months and then had the opportunity to step back and emphasize fitness and a winning mentality going into the national tournament.
"If we push ourselves to the limit, we can push others to their limits and hopefully they aren't as prepared," Nanez said.
He pointed to a Southwest JUCO Tournament match late this season between Ekaterina Orlova and Barton College's No. 3 player. The Barton player bested Orlova during a match earlier in the season. This time, even though Orlova was down in the match, she outlasted her opponent who defaulted because of cramping.
With the heat of summer coming on quickly, physical conditioning will be important, Nanez said. The team's focus on physical fitness is just one aspect of its preparation, though.
"One of the things we talk about constantly is, when adversity hits, how do we react?" Nanez said. "There is just so much adversity in nationals that if we don't respond appropriately, it will be a short tournament for us."
He said that he has worked all season, and especially late in the season, to ensure the players are coming to their matches ready to win. Nanez said that because tennis is largely an individual sport, it can be easy to get in your own head and lose focus on the match in front of you.
"What people don't always understand is that a lot of time the competition is won before you get to it, because you have put in the work," he said. "You've put in the time. You have that confidence. You have that swagger.
"When you get punched in the face, punch back."
The men's and women's teams will have the opportunity to do that, metaphorically at least, in the coming weeks. The women's national tournament is scheduled for May 6-10 in Tyler. The men's tournament will be held at Collin College from May 15-19.