By ANDREW CRUM, Staff Writer
Although district play may be a couple months away, players at the Brownsville Varsity tennis tournament are using the time to hone their skills in preparation.
Pace junior Andrea Marie Garza and other players from schools including those from Brownsville (except Lopez), Los Fresnos, Port Isabel, Harlingen High, Harlingen South and several others across the Rio Grande Valley, gathered to compete in the semifinal rounds Friday.
Tournament host Pace held the boys doublesand the mixed doubles matches on its courts, Brownsville Veterans Memorial played host to girls doubles, Hanna held girls singles, and boys singles were played at the BrownsvilleTennisCenter.
The semifinalists advancing will compete in the finals today at Pace.
“It’s practicing their skills,” Pace coach Ana Rodriguez said of the open tournament. “Granted we would love to win, love to come home with a trophy, but it’s more of a practice and getting players that practice. At the end of the day, it’s what did you do that was right and what did you dothat was wrong, and then reflect on that. What we need to focus on in practice.”
Garza, the Lady Vikings’ No. 2 player, was playing mixed doubles Friday, but the change had a purpose.
“Since I usually play singles, I’m playing doubles to help me with my net since I’m not used to playing net,” she said. “When they do a drop shot, I run in net, and this really helped me with my skills and got me back on my feet because I’m not used to it as often. Each tournament gives you a chance to work on a different skill.”
Garza says tournaments like this bring different levels of competition.
“I like to play girls that are better than me because they challenge me and I learn from them,” she said. “It helps me improve. It shows me my flaws, and I can work on those during practice.”
During practice, Garza especially likes to compete against Samantha Aguilera, Pace’s No. 1 singles player, a close friend and her former doubles partner.
“I love playing against her. Sam is really strong,” Garza said. “She is really good with placement. She picks on my flaws and aims for them, but that’s why I like playing with her because she challenges me.”
Another skill that players work on during these tournaments is reading their opponents.
“Know your opponent. That’s important, it’s something we talk about. Even their own teammates,” Rodriguez said. “I do emphasize that, know your opponent, knowtheir weaknesses and strengths.”
This is especially important for Garza and the rest of the Lady Vikings who will remain competing in District 32-5A, but the cast of characters is different.
“We’re in a new district so we’re playing new teams, but she has continued to be consistent,” Rodriguez said of Garza. “She is always here for me and her team (during practice). She works very hard.”
Garza said she helps her teammates just as they help her read players during tournament play.
“There’s a lot of players that I have played or have seen play,” she said. “We do that for each other all the time, especially during team tennis if we’ve played them before. Pointing out this is really strong or this is weak for them.”
The Pace tournament, like others of its kind, is helping teams prepare for district play starting in late March and in April. Rodriguez treats the events as another form of practice, as the team is always improving and a “work in progress.”
“It’s continuing to practice every day, and focus on what they do,” she said. “I do emphasize at practice what you do here is what you do on the court (against an opponent), so you have to give everything here. You have to give it your all, because that’s what you’re going to do when it comes to the real thing.”
Andrew Crum covers sports for The Brownsville Herald. You can reach him at (956) 982-6629 or via email at [email protected]. On Twitter he’s @andrewmcrum.