Boys tennis serve up another ‘thriving’ season

The Dartmouth High School boys tennis team is feeling “confident” this season and according to Head Coach Donald York, they have reason to. 

Having been coach for the last decade, York said he has witnessed the continued success of the team from even before his own time. 

He said each season a “new batch” of athletes come with the desire to work hard and get better — and this season is no different. 

As of Monday, May 13, the boys’ overall record stood at 8-3, with close losses to Apponequet and Bishop Feehan, and they are 6-0 in the Southeastern Conference.

York said this year, he also has a deep team. Though five of the seven starters are seniors, he said he isn’t worried about those who will be replacing them next year.

“It’s such a great team,” he said.

This season’s four senior captains, Luke Bloom-Glover, Shreyas Rathod, Owen Nielson and Charlie Camisa, have all been playing together for the last four years.

Bloom-Glover and Rathod said they played tennis for fun as kids, but truly grew to love the sport once they joined the team in high school. 

Rathod added he’s had both a supportive team and a coach he can “look up to,” which has made this experience especially great for him.

He and Bloom-Glover said their goal as captains this season is to lead the team through a deeper run in the playoffs than they’ve had in the last two seasons.

Bloom-Glover said he believes it’s possible, adding, “I think this is the best team we've had all four years that I've been here.”

Nielson joined the team based on the encouragement of a former upperclassman who he played tennis with as a kid. Now as captain, he’s feeling confident in the team and wants his teammates to “fall in love with the game as much as I did.”

He added, “I started off with no experience, like I said, but my upperclassmen teammates helped bring me love to the game.”

Though Camisa initially disliked the sport after taking lessons with his sister when he was younger, but wanting to pick a spring sport, he said he ended up landing on tennis and “it was probably the best decision I could have made.”

Camisa said, “I like the positive attitude we have as a team, and I think we're really going to do great things if we stay close and work together — everyone improves off of everyone else.”

The fifth senior starter, Isaiah Beckwith, would have to agree. 

Beckwith, who has been playing tennis for approximately 12 years, said his time playing for Dartmouth High School has allowed him to grow his positive mindset. 

Beckwith added there is a lot of “positive energy” on the team and he enjoys the opportunities they have had to bond such as on the bus. “It makes me feel good knowing that a bunch of people here feel good about [the sport] and are having fun.”