The high school tennis team is ready to kick off the 2016 season with a new head coach at the helm, David Phillips.

Local tennis players may recognize the name, as Philllips is also the head tennis pro at CopperWynd. This is only one prong of a recent partnership between CopperWynd and the high school tennis squad, as that is also where the Falcons' practices and matches will be held this season while the Golden Eagle courts are primed for resurfacing.

Phillips said that he’s played tennis since about the age of three.

“It sounds really cliché, I know, but I was watching Wimbledon and apparently I went out, grabbed a racquet and my mom saw me serving, so I went to lessons and started playing,” Phillips said.

“I played for 15 years at the state level and national level and then had the classic case of teenage burnout. I was playing twice a week a hundred miles away from home and training four times a week 50 miles away from home and I stopped enjoying competing.”

Phillips said that, even though competing was no longer a draw for him, his love of tennis stayed, which led to coaching on a local level. At university, Phillips pursued a degree in geology at the University of Manchester but, not quite meshing with the field, continued to coach tennis on the side. He lined up a job with Cliff Drysdale tennis once school wrapped up, and he's been coaching professionally ever since.

“With tennis, you can never feel like you’re done, so I guess that’s what keeps me coming back,” Phillips said.

“You can feel like you played the best game of your life and feel amazing about that, but you know there are so many areas where you can improve. You can never reach the top. But put me on a tennis court and I still feel that childish joy of just hitting a tennis ball. It doesn't matter if I’m hitting with a five-year-old or an 85-year-old, it’s always fun.”

Phillips said that CopperWynd’s community outreach has stepped up over the past year, including taking part in local events and hosting a massive tournament this past fall. Looking into where local youth play, Phillips said he happened by a high school football game last year and was a bit shocked.

“I drove by the field and saw the lights were on, so I thought I’d stick my head in. That was my first experience with high school sports in America,” Phillips said, chuckling.

“It’s very different. At home, you’re lucky if you’ve got one parent walking their dog and watching. When I went [to FHHS], there were a couple hundred people, cheerleaders and a marching band; so I was kind of blown away.”

This led to a meeting with FHUSD Athletic Director Mike Briguglio, which eventually led to Phillips being tapped for the high school tennis squad.

Phillips is coming into the program fresh, but he said he’s excited by what he's seen out of the Falcons so far.

“I think we’ve got good strength and depth here,” he said.

“We’ve got 26 people enrolled this season. Even those players who haven’t played before, they’ve all been really receptive to the kinds of things we've been working on, so we’re happy about that. There's nobody on the roster who can't play tennis and, over the last couple of weeks, even the more inexperienced players have grown by leaps and bounds.”

Phillips said that the team spirit has been impressive, too, which helps out when it comes to more experienced players mentoring their newer teammates.

“High school sports can often get cliquey, with people working in their own little groups,” Phillips continued.

“We really haven’t seen that. They're acting well as a team and helping each other out.”

Helping Phillips out this season is assistant coach and fellow CopperWynd instructor, Elliot Manton, who also hails from across the pond. Between the two of them, Elliott said they’re having a lot of fun wrangling and educating the squad.

When it comes to coaching, Phillips said his philosophy is a simple one: You’ve got to have fun.

“That’s something I feel really strongly about, having been there and burned out,” he added.

“So when I’m coaching, I want to make sure everyone is enjoying it. If I can get everyone out here enjoying it, then they will definitely learn something.”

With the tennis season finally underway, the boys team will travel to Veritas Prep today, March 2, for an outing at 3:30 p.m. The team will be home next Wednesday, March 9, for another 3:30 p.m. match-up, this time against Buckeye Union.

Over to the girls, the local ladies will also travel to Veritas Prep for an outing at the same time today. The team will take place in a Mountain View tournament starting March 4, and will host Phoenix Christian next Monday, March 7, at 3:30 p.m.