Finishing the spring tennis season with an 8-1 record, Dennis R. Jeffrey has stood out as a member of the boys tennis team.
As a freshman, Dennis played as third singles and was undefeated throughout the entirety of the season. He was awarded the Rookie of the Year award for his efforts at the annual Sports Awards.
Speaking to The Classic, Dennis shared that he began learning to play tennis entirely by chance.
“I started playing when I was, I think, 5 years old,” he said. “I was supposed to meet friends at the park and it just turned out they were giving free city parks tennis lessons there so I decided to try. After that I just continued to keep playing lessons and started to eventually play in tournaments.“
Since then he’s become an essential member of the THHS team. “I’m going to have to be depending on Dennis after all the seniors this year graduate,” said Dr. Stephen Mazza, coach of both girls and boys varsity tennis.
“Dennis not only helps the team win but also brings energy and fun to the team. To me, he’s someone that works really hard to accomplish his goals but also is a great teammate and friend to those in need,” said Ashley Zeng, who joined the team as manager this year. She also mentioned that he has the “ability to lead and inspire the team to continue going. He’s a player who lifts others up and that’s what makes him so great.”
Tennis team members praised Dennis’s skills and commitment. “Dennis is always the first one at practice,” said Ryan Lin, a sophomore on the team. “Him and his dad also offer to drive people to practice or games when we don’t have the van all the time, so that’s always a plus as well.”
“Even though Dennis is only a sophomore, he is definitely deserving of being captain next year,” said Justin Xia, current captain of the team.
“Whenever we have a game, we never have to worry about whether or not he’s going to win or lose,” Ryan said. “He’s always there to cheer people up after a loss as well.”
Dennis doesn’t limit his athleticism to just tennis. He also does cross-country in the fall and indoor track in the winter. Last year, he won the award for Rookie of the Year in Cross-Country as well.
“Even though I would be as or even more competitive for top spots in track compared to tennis, I don’t regret my decision to do tennis in spring,” Dennis said. “I really enjoy playing a season of tennis with the school. It’s going to be sad to see all the seniors leaving.”
“I’m just hoping that Dennis can keep leading the team for the rest of his time at this school,” said Coach Mazza
“Thinking about the future [in high school and then college], I’m not too sure what I want to do,” Dennis said. “I’m looking into opportunities to teach tennis to little kids at a low level. I see it as a way to still be connected to the sport even if I am not in tournaments and competing. I hope that I will be able to give back and teach kids the way that I had people teach me.”
