Last season was a challenging one for the Trumansburg tennis team. Three years after winning the IAC championship, the Blue Raiders went winless. That’s all changed this time around, showing strong strides this spring.
The Blue Raiders ended the regular season with a 4-4 record. What makes their performances even more impressive is that they only have one senior on the squad.
“We’re a very young team also, so we’re heading in the right direction,” said head coach Eric Murphy. “Next year, they are probably going to do very well because I know a lot of teams around the league are losing a lot of people.”
Arguably the biggest highlight was taking down back-to-back IAC champions Lansing 3-2. Even in their few losses they stayed competitive, including in their first meeting against the Bobcats and against reigning division champions Watkins Glen. Murphy points to multiple factors in their immense improvement.
“It’s maturity,” Murphy said. “Tennis is really a lot of mental toughness also, so they’re growing up and being able to handle adversity. Whenever I end practice, we have a parent, Rich Paradisin, who stays two hours longer with a lot of the players, and they just keep on getting reps in and makes them better. They play a lot of tennis then, and they also play a lot of tennis over the summertime.”
While tennis is largely seen as an individual sport, one other key for the Blue Raiders’ success is how they’ve gelled together as a team.
“What helps so much is their sportsmanship and the way they get along with each other,” Murphy said. “They just do so well because they want to do well out there on the courts. They really get along and they’re helping each other out. I would say it’s the team camaraderie that really helps us from week to week.”
There’s also some added motivation for the team when it comes to their coach. This is Murphy’s final season at the helm as he will retire from teaching at the end of the school year. Murphy spent the past 12 years leading the tennis program and has coached other sports since he started working at Trumansburg in 1985. While winning that IAC title in 2022 was one of his personal highlights, it’s the bigger picture that he’s enjoyed most about coaching tennis over the years.
“What’s rewarding is just the positive experiences and that I can make a difference,” Murphy said. “Tennis makes a difference in their lives moving forward. Not that they’re going to play in college, but they get a positive experience out of it and learn how to problem solve and how to interact, and their social skills improve a long way, too.”
A trio of underclassmen make up the singles contingent. Freshman Ryan Paradisin is in the first singles spot with a 5-3 record. Sophomore Ezra Garrison is in second singles at 4-4, while fellow sophomore Tai Boshart has thrived in the third singles spot, sporting a 6-2 mark.
“They’re really improving on their mental toughness during games and not getting down on themselves,” Murphy said. “They’re actually three of the ones that really stay longer after practice, too. They have a great future ahead of them, but their work ethic is really awesome, and they just try to get better every day.”
The Blue Raiders have seen quite a few different doubles pairings take the court. But the most common partnership at the first doubles spot has been senior June Wofford and junior Lena Everheart. Junior duo Paetyn Howley and Allison Cooley make up the second doubles pairing, while sophomores Lucy Clementson and Lucia Caraher have filled in admirably for Howley and Cooley when they can’t play.
“I’ve had June and Lena forever, and they are model players in that they’re great leaders,” Murphy said. “Everybody looks up to them, and I’m really going to miss them. They’re a staple of our team as far as stability and leadership and just having fun to be around. This is the first year Paetyn and Allison have been on the ladder, and they are doing great. They improve from one week to the next and are a lot of fun to have on the team.”
No matter what happens at IACs and sectionals, the future is super bright for Trumansburg tennis. In the meantime, the Blue Raiders aim to make Murphy’s swan song at the helm a memorable one.
“It doesn’t matter how far they go,” Murphy said. “But as long as we really compete with everybody there and get the respect they deserve once they step off the court, the other team knows that they were playing someone that was really focused and wants to do really well… I’m leaving whoever takes over with a really nice squad. Not only have their skills improved, but they’re the nicest group of kids that someone could coach.”
