Loyola’s tennis team is running high on its current two match winning streak.

Normal hardships hit the revived program in the face early in the season, but all that is in the past.

Despite very disheartening results in their first three matches, they have managed to turn it around and dish out some good competition.

This, however, does not surprise me. Their coach, Zubin Engineer, is the real deal. Back in August, he said he would not only focus on the tennis aspect, but also on the mental one as well.

“Over the years I have developed a philosophy where you have to coach the whole person. That would be, not just about tennis, but teaching them to be able to control their minds in competitions, as well as control their emotions,” he said. “My job would be to facilitate to them to be able to improve their skills to the best of their ability.”

At first I was a little hesitant to believe this, and I did not really understand what he meant. All that has been cleared up now. I totally get what he meant back then.

“I look forward to putting together a team that is strong in the mind and the heart,” he said. I think I wished him luck with that, but he got the last laugh.

He has done an incredible job of keeping the team focused and motivated to keep going out there and winning. Loyola’s tennis team does not have just students playing for them, they have warriors.

This competition is unique, since it involves singles matches as well as doubles matches. In the end, the players have to come together as a whole to win tournaments. Through all the tough times faced at the beginning of the season, the team never pointed fingers at each other and just regrouped and stuck together, managing to turn things around.

What is even better is that things are looking great for next year. All of their players are eligible to return next season, with their oldest player , Claire Landry, being a junior. This will allow for leaders to emerge. They will be able to return and not worry about adjusting to a new program and a new level of competition.

This sport and their success give fans the opportunity to follow specific players. Each player has a different style of play and different way of acting on the court that might appeal to different people.

It’s not just about watching the matches and rooting for your players, but also admiring their techniques and how they approach their matches. Some scream. Some are quiet. Some are cocky. Some are confident. It is very interesting to see them all have their different approaches and have them work.

Tennis is here to stay and from the looks of it, it seems like we are going to have something to cheer about.

Eduardo Gonzalez can be reached at [email protected]