The Bob Jones Tennis Team is off to a strong start as they kick off the new season. The team is slightly smaller but more streamlined than ever. In spite of losses to Florence but definitive victories over Austin High and Cullman, this may turn out to be the most exciting tennis season up to date.

The team has been working harder than ever. Because of the nature of the game, the players have been going through both physical and mental training to perform their best. The key to the team’s success thus far has been the preparation. “Attitude is everything,” senior Abby Davenport said. “You have to tell yourself the motions that you are going through.”

Unfortunately, like many of the other sports at Bob Jones, tennis suffers from a lack of attendance from the student population, with only 6% surveyed saying they have ever attended a Bob Jones Tennis match.

In a previous Patriot Pages article, “The Student Section Seriously Needs Your Help,” Principal Sylvia Lambert addresses the attendance problem at Bob Jones Basketball games.  “We need more. We need more people, we need more energy, and we need more fun.” Although the tennis team won their matches this week, they would no doubt benefit from a little extra boost in game attendance from the students.

Tennis may not suffer from a lack of interest, but rather a lack of exposure. A shortage of information concerning the dates and times of the games may be playing a part in the weak attendance. Of students surveyed, 57% said they either would or might be interested in attending a tennis game, but many do not know when the games actually are or that the season had even started. You can find the schedule here.

We all know the level of school spirit this Bob Jones is capable of, assuming you have attended one of the BJ-JC football games. If we could take that spirit and bring it to other sports such as tennis and basketball, even to just one game a season, our school spirit could reach an all-time high, and this tennis team deserves it.