Girls’ tennis player Claire Desmarais is new to the sport, as the junior has only been playing for a little over a month. She was introduced to the sport during her sophomore year in Mr. Robichaud’s history class, who also happens to be the tennis coach.
“He was encouraging me to try out, even though I was on the fence at first I thought it was a good opportunity to try something new,” Claire said.
Robichaud said Claire has hit the ground running.
“Claire has been a welcomed addition to the Blue Devils girls’ tennis team,” Robichaud said. “Although she has only been a tennis player for the past month, she has quickly acclimated herself to the sport and has transitioned from second doubles to one of our top singles players."
Claire said she has learned a lot during her first month.
“So far this season coach Roby has taught me to not let other people or yourself bring you down,” Claire said. “Being too harsh on yourself can get in the way of your accomplishments. It is important to balance the stress and criticism you put on yourself so it doesn’t affect you negatively.”
Robichaud said Claire’s compete-level is off the charts.
“Other players may have better tennis skills at this time due to having had more experience on the court, but no one has been able to match her drive and determination during matches,” Robichaud said. “She has held her own against older players who have had four or more years of experience on the court as opposed to the four weeks of time that she has been playing tennis.”
Claire also said the tennis team is a tight group.
“My teammates on the tennis team are so supportive and encouraging which makes it so much more enjoyable to play when your teammates are cheering you on,” Claire said. “If I hadn’t joined the tennis team, I wouldn’t have met the people I’m close friends with today.”
Claire’s feature sport at LHS is soccer where she is the varsity captain, but she has truly enjoyed her tennis experience so far.
Robichaud said Claire’s soccer experiences have helped her in tennis.
“Claire is a natural leader,” Robichaud said. “Voted a team captain only one week into the season, she has taken on many leadership roles and exposed the team to new skills and drills that she has brought over to us from her time on the soccer pitch."
“The thing I like most about tennis is even though it is a team sport, there are a lot of individual aspects to the game,” Claire said. “Since I’ve been playing singles, it has been easier to recognize mistakes made by myself and where I need to improve.”
After high school, Claire is planning on going to college and studying math or science.
“Specifically I am interested in the different types of engineering and the jobs that they offer,” Claire said.
Outside of LHS, Claire is constantly working on improving her soccer game. Her favorite hobby is photography.
“My grandma is the one who introduced me to photography and it has become a passion of mine just as it is hers,” Claire said.
“My favorite subject in school is math,” Claire added. “It has been the class I enjoy the most in school for a long time. So far in high school my favorite teachers are Ms. Comeau, Mr. Robichaud, Mrs. Piragis, Mr. Woodward, and Mrs. Anderson.”
No comments:
Post a Comment