Playing more tentatively than his usual style, Trevor C. ’28 was not off to the most confident start at his second-ever high school tennis match. He was down 3–4 games against his Pinewood opponent. Then, he won nine games straight, achieved best two out of three sets, and scored Nueva’s first win of the day.
Trevor credited his win to the team’s coach, Gerald Sargeant, for providing constructive advice and encouraging him to play more aggressively. “He said, ‘I don’t care if you miss the net. I don’t care if you miss long as long as you’re just going for it,’” Trevor remembered. “And I thought that was really valuable advice.”
Team members Brooks Wagonfeld ’26, Niam Kaul ’26, and Evan W. ’28 also cheered for Cho on the sidelines. In the past month, the team has played out nine matches—the majority of their season—and has just one remaining. This spring season, the team has enjoyed a newly bolstered coaching staff, an updated training schedule, and several traditions continued from previous seasons.
One of the most impactful developments this season has been the new five-day training schedule and three-person coaching staff. Composed of independent tennis coach Gerald Sargeant, I-Lab Engineer & Design Thinking Teacher Dan Norgan, and newly-hired assistant coach Jay Gubbi, the coaches have ensured that each player receives individualized feedback during practices and matches, according to team captain Jackson Lee ’25. The team previously had two coaches and practiced four days a week.
“Now, we really have the resources to be able to make everyone better at the same time,” Lee said.
Though the stakes are high, Lee is focused on himself and guiding the team toward individual achievement. “I really don’t mind what the results are for the team because, to a certain extent, you can’t really control that. I think the important part is that everyone is trying to be the best tennis player they can be,” Lee said. “And if we do that, then there’s nothing more I can ask.”
One way that Lee has sought this improvement is by building community and spirit with other team members. At the start of each match, Lee calls out creative nicknames while announcing players’ position in the lineup. For example, Vian Yang ’26 is “grandmaster Vian” because of his passion for chess, while Evan is “the Hungarian horror.”
The team has also continued their tradition of “Pablo in the Middle.” Lee says that tradition comes from “Mikey in the Middle,” in which former teammate Michael Sarboraria ’24 united the team in a non-traditional huddle before they played. Now, player Pablo Z. ’27 is at the center. “We get in a circle, and we move from side to side. We hype up Pablo, [who is] in the middle,” Trevor said.
The team’s traditions will be part of their match against The King’s Academy on April 22, which will finally close out the season for this year.
