Just taking the tennis courts under their school’s banner is already a victory for the Hockinson boys tennis team.
The Hawks have not had a boys program until now.
And the fact that they doubled in size after just the first week is a victory for coach Scott Fish.
“We had seven guys the first week, and now we have 14,” Fish said last week as the team began its second week of practices. “There are players on the team that will find tennis to be a sport where they can excel and find success. Opening up those opportunities for student athletes is why I coach.”
Fish, whose hiring was approved by the Hockinson School Board at its Aug. 26 meeting, has experience in just about every racket sport, with squash and racquetball among others.
Hockinson has always had a girls tennis team in the 2A Greater St. Helens League, but any Hockinson boy who wanted to play had to be part of the Prairie High School team as the schools had a co-op arrangement. Prairie is in the 3A GSHL.
Juniors Jahlen Miller and Wen-Ming Hsu were two Hockinson students who played for Prairie last year. Miller even played No. 1 and 2 doubles the past two years. Senior Aidan Willis hasn’t played a high school match, but has tennis experience. And senior Cameron Pulsipher said he has played pickleball and wanted to try tennis.
Many of the players already have a strong bond as members of the high school band. Start with just one bandmate who plays tennis and that person talks with other bandmates about joining as well, and, well, a team has formed.
One thing they all have in common is that they are all excited to be playing as Hawks.
“It’s my first time on an organized team,” Willis said. “I’m excited to see what the competition is like.”
Willis, whose mom Carrie is a volunteer coach for the Hawks, said he kept hearing about the possibility of a Hockinson boys tennis team since he was a freshman.
“They were always talking about it,” he said. “Eventually my mom told me they were going to have a team. I didn’t believe her.”
Fish said support from Hockinson athletic director Kathy Pacheco and superintendent Steve Marshall were key in getting the program launched. In fact, Fish said Marshall has been out on the courts with the boys team as he also once coached tennis.
“Our school enrollment has continued to grow in the last four years, and so has interest in creating a boys team at the high school,” Pacheco said. “We are fortunate that our district and community are very supportive of athletic programs and we were able to offer it this year.”
For a team with a mix of experience all the way down to beginner, the Hawks do have potential. What they do need as a new program is equipment like practice tennis balls, ball hoppers, among other things. The team is currently using some of the girls practice equipment.
Carrie Willis has set up a fundraiser on Facebook to help the first-year Hawks’ program.
FIRST TEAM
Hockinson High School is fielding its first boys tennis team and has 14 players on its initial roster.
Seniors: Cameron Pulsipher, Aidan Willis
Juniors: Levi Brown, Aiden Hsu, Jahlen Miller, Ben Vu
Sophomores: Cameron Allmon, Gavin Matheson
Freshmen: Oliver Fallows, Owen Heil, Gus Juon, Simon Neve, Rhys Ruhl, Kaleb Williams
