FALL PREVIEW: Park Hill Girls Tennis

First year Park Hill girls tennis coach Rustin Reys takes over a program in 2012 that has won an impressive five straight conference titles and is coming off a fourth place finish last year at state, a record that might imply a certain degree of pressure for a new coach, but Reys says it couldn’t be further from the true and that previously being an assistant and player will greatly benefit him.

“I’m more at ease than I’ve ever been,” Reys said. “As a head coach, I feel like I’ll draw upon anything one of my own coaches has ever said to me. I can hear coaches in my head because I’ve been in these situations before (as a player).”

Park Hill welcomes back four of its top six varsity players from a year ago including doubles state qualifiers Brooke Barnard and Kaylin Lake along with Morgan Pehlman and Abby Peoples. Barnard comes into the season as the Trojans top player and has accepted not only the on-the-court challenge, but the leadership tasks off the court as well.

“She’s got the pace, has played all year, really swings hard for as small as she is,” Reys said. “You can see it in her eyes that she’s ready to step up and how much of a competitor she is going to be.”

What will prove to be the most telling for Park Hill in 2012 is how the bottom of their lineup shapes up. With 35 players out for the team, Reys says there could be as many as ten different players competing for the last one or two spots on the varsity level.

“It’s our strength and our weakness at the same time,” Reys said. “We’re so deep that it’s going to be hard to decide who those spots go to. But that also means they’re pushing each other in practice. We may have to switch it up to see how it shakes out.”

Park Hill’s conference titles of the past have been no walk in the park, but with conference realignment, it won’t get any easier. Some of the Trojans toughest matches will be in conference against Lee’s Summit West and Park Hill South. In both matchups, Reys says more than talent may not be the determining factor.

“It might not necessarily about who is better, but who’s focused mentally, prepared, and whos in the best shape,” Reys said.

While Reys hopes to keep many of the successful components of the program together, he’ll have his own unique style of coaching which he says will attempt to be more direct to players in how they can contribute to the team.

“I’m trying to be very honest to the girls about what they can bring to our team and what their role is,” Reys said. “I’m relying on the fact that the girls have played over the summer because once the season starts, there isn’t a lot of practice time available. They’ve put in a lot of work and we’re hoping to capitalize off that.”

Early key matchups for Park Hill include competitions against Pembroke Hill on August 23rd and St. Theresa’s on August 31st.