This year’s coed tennis team has 22 players on the roster and 8 seniors leading the charge! Despite the team facing a new challenge this year — due to construction at Tilles Park, they are now playing home matches at Oak Haven Park — the Eagles are focused on making the most of their season. Plus, it’s Coach Heinrich’s last season as he is retiring this year! Come support the team at senior night on Friday, April 25th vs Bayless at 4 p.m. at Oak Haven Park!
“A player that started out as a beginner and finished his career as an experienced and more advanced player” is how Coach Heinrich described senior Lucas Kelley, who has held the No. 1 spot on the team both last year and this year.
Not only was Kelley a beginner, as Coach Heinrich described him, when he first started playing tennis as a freshmen, he had never even played the sport. “I first wanted to play because the upperclassmen told me it was a fun sport, and I knew Heinrich was the coach, and I think he’s a fun dude, so that was another big influence,” Kelley said.
“When I started my freshman year, I really loved it. So that made me want to get better, which led me to want to play outside of school, so I took a few tennis lessons in my sophomore year. Other than that, Heinrich’s amazing encouragement was all I needed to become number one, I couldn’t have done it without him.”
When he is not playing singles, Kelley’s doubles partner is Nolan Schulz, who he always has fun with. But Kelley’s favorite person to play with is Coach Heinrich. In fact, Kelley describes his favorite memory on the teams as: “Any time Heinrich is at practice because he’s just such a fun guy and he always has fun and we never do anything serious, so I enjoy that.”
— written by Nadia Woodman
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Ever since Nick Reeds and some of his friends decided to attend a tennis summer camp in middle school, he’s loved the sport of tennis. His favorite part is warming up with his friends by listening to music and practicing together.
Reed’s favorite way to play tennis is competing in doubles, which is where there are two partners playing against two partners in a match. Braden Steiner is also a senior on the tennis team and Reed’s doubles partner.
“Nick knows a lot more about tennis than me and always is teaching me the new positioning to help better our performance,” Steiner stated.
In addition to this being Nick’s last year on the team, it’s also Coach Heinrich’s because he is retiring this May. Coach Heinrich has been coaching them for 12 years and has made a great impact on the players. “He pushes me to be the best version of myself,” said Reeds.
Including Heinrich, Reeds says his father is his biggest supporter when it comes to tennis, for he is always there to watch his matches and push him to keep playing his best. Reeds would like to shout out to both of his parents for supporting him and his fellow team members throughout the years.
Lastly, some advice Reeds would like to give to his young teammates and hopeful new members is, “Play Tennis!”
— written by Geniyah Johnson
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“I like the solo aspect of tennis,” said Nolan Schulz who has played for BHS for all four years of high school. “You still get the team feeling, but you don’t have to rely on other people while you’re playing, and they don’t have to rely on you, so there’s less pressure in a sense.”
Schulz started playing tennis in elementary and middle school through summer camps, but didn’t get serious about the sport until high school. As a senior, he’s now one of the top seeds on the team.
One aspect he likes about the sport is how it’s technique based. “In soccer, if you’re not a certain size, it’s easy to get muscled out,” he said, “but in tennis, it doesn’t matter as much.”
What he will miss most about BHS tennis, besides the friendships, actually has nothing to do with the sport. “The banquets,” he said. Schulz described how Coach Heinrich hosts the banquets at Brentwood’s sand volleyball courts where the team will play volleyball and pickleball while Heinrich grills them food. “They are always really fun.”
— written by Mrs. Cohen
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“You better do what you are supposed to do,” said Ege Alanoglu, quoting his favorite song – “Headlines” by Drake – to listen to before a match. Alanoglu has been playing on Brentwood’s tennis team for all four years of high school. He got into the sport because all of his friends were doing it, and they needed more people on the team.
Alanoglu’s favorite way to play tennis is playing singles. “I like singles better because it’s up to you. You have to figure out how to problem solve for yourself, and that’s really challenging but also beneficial.”
Alanoglu’s biggest supporter is his coach, Mr. Heinrich. “He has taught me everything I know, and he just has so much aura,” Alanoglu said.
His favorite memory with Heinrich is when Heinrich would give him rides to and from practice. He would like to thank Henrich and his parents over the years. He would also like to leave a message for his younger team members, which is: “Play Tennis and have fun!”
— written by Geniyah Johnson
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Zach Nelson has been playing tennis for all four years of high school, but he’s been enjoying the sport for much longer.
“I used to play when I was younger, and it is just a fun sport to play outside when it’s springtime.” As for his time on the high school team, Nelson mentioned that he has a lot of funny memories from over the years, but one sticks out in particular.
“There was one time when another player, Ege [Alanoglu], was bending down to tie his shoe, and Nolan [Schulz] served the ball, and it hit him in the head and made a really funny noise.”
This season, Nelson hasn’t been able to be as active with the tennis team as in years past, for he is also juggling being in the spring play, A Midsummer Night’s Dream. There are six main roles in this play, and Nelson is one of them. Nelson has been doing theatre for three years, and his first show was the spring play in his sophomore year. So, although he isn’t a huge part of the tennis team, he still tries to be a good supporter for his teammates.
— written by Nadia Woodman
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Will Reeds has been playing tennis since his junior year, marking his second year on the team. His favorite playing partner is Braden Steiner. When asked about his most memorable moment, he shared the same one as Zach Nelson — when Ege [Alanoglu] was bending down to tie his shoe, and Nolan [Schulz] served the ball, hitting him in the head and making a hilariously unexpected noise.
What Will enjoys most about tennis is how it feels like the type of sport that someone can very clearly improve in. “The emphasis on how linear it is when you’re progressing,” he explained.
His twin brother Nick is also on the team, so he always has a built-in playing partner even in the off-season.
— written by Nadia Woodman
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Senior Braden Steiner has been playing tennis for BHS for all four years of high school. He wasn’t really interested in any other spring sports, so he decided to try out for tennis. Steiner’s favorite part about tennis is winning. He competes in both doubles and singles, but prefers singles more.
“It’s lot easier to play singles because there is a narrower court and it makes me focus harder on winning,” Steiner stated.
Steiner’s favorite memories are bus rides with his team and Coach Heinrich. As far as Steiner’s biggest support, he credits his coach, Mr. Heinrich.
“The best advice I’ve received from Heinrich would be to always be in a good tennis mindset, it has helped me in the past,” Steiner said.
His advice for hopeful new members would be to “Always play aggressively and make good shots.”
— written by Geniyah Johnson
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This is Luca Bostick-Valero’s second year playing tennis. He ran track in the spring of his freshman and sophomore years but wasn’t getting the results he was looking for, so he decided to try out tennis. Now in his second season on the team, Bostick-Valero’s favorite way to compete in the sport is playing doubles.
“My partner is sophomore John Li, who is great. He gives us a higher chance of winning the match,” Bostick-Valero said.
Bostick-Valero will miss his underclassmen friends very much, and he would like to give them a bit of advice: “Practice your serves in and out of practice and listen to Heinrich!”
Sadly, Coach Heinrich is leaving this year because he is retiring. His impact on the team has been huge.
“He is a good coach, just the way he teaches, he knows how to help all of us individually, which helps a lot,” Bostick-Valero stated.
Bostick-Valero would like to thank his mom and Coach Heinrich for their support!
— written by Geniyah Johnson
