With the competitive season quickly approaching the Men’s Tennis team, Head Coach Tommy Valentini is ready to practice hard and welcome the six new players to the family this year.

On what was only the third day of practice, players seemed fired up and ready to begin their practice, and to prepare themselves not just physically but mentally for their upcoming competitions for the season.

Valentini said the team’s goals for the fall are to get the new team members to feel comfortable and have an understanding of their system and their philosophy of the way the Gustavus Men’s Tennis team functions.  He wants the men to choose the Three Crowns.

“[The Three Crowns are] the choice to be positive, the choice to give their best effort, and the choice to compete with the highest standard of sportsmanship,” Valentini said.

The fall Tennis season is about four to five weeks long and Coach Valentini is looking forward to “competing well and having good results this year,“ he said.

During the season the Men’s Tennis team will be playing against Drake University which carries many Division one players, therefore they will pose a challenge to the Gustavus Men’s Tennis team. Another competition the team is looking forward to is the ITA Regional Championships for singles and doubles, which Gustavus will host.

In the meantime Coach Valentini works with the new players to “get in the rhythm of competing for Gustavus,” Valentini said.

Senior Tyler Johnson, said as a player he is most looking forward to doing well in the ITA Tournament and simply getting to know the six new team members.  Johnson believes the teamspirit has been great and looks forward to “taking it a step further,” he said.

He explained the first practice is always the hardest and has the toughest conditioning, but feels the team got through it well together.

Throughout the season Tyler said he hopes to “be a better doubles player than in the past” and improve his forehand.

Right now Valentini is focused on “seeing where everyone’s game is at and getting the family together,” Valentini said.

The Men’s Tennis team truly does work as a family and understands what the Triple Crowns concept means to them.

Coach Valentini is full of excitement and is ready to “live out our values as we put them on the line to compete,” he said.