Macomb High girls tennis coach Ryan Wilson believes the work done by the players this summer will be beneficial come this fall.
The program held a number of camps during the summer. That gave Wilson the chance to evaluate potential players and give him a good idea about the talent coming in.
“It’s turned into a really neat part of the program,” said Wilson of the summer camps. “I really enjoy it and I hope the kids do too.”
He’s opened the camps to those fifth grade and older. On the flip side, some of Wilson’s former players return in helping out, adding to the vibe the program is looking to generate.
Getting ready for the new season, Wilson was pleased with what he saw during the summer.
“They all can play,” he said. “They all have intermediate skills or better.”
“A lot of years you’re working with some people that are brand new to tennis,” Wilson added. “There’s a learning curve there and a lot more goes into it.”
“But it seems like this year, even the freshmen, have experience from the summer camps and it seems like it’s been a faster start to the season. The kids are in a better place.”
This year’s roster includes three seniors in Taylor Baldi, Isabella Gage and Sophie Hansen. Baldi is in her first year of playing tennis after having been a member of the volleyball team.
“We’re counting on that trio to be our leadership,” said Wilson. “It’s so important for those seniors to develop that good, positive culture and have the rest of the team follow in that leadership.”
Other returners for the squad include junior Sejal Sharma, along with sophomores Maria Bice, Scarlett Brooks, Jiwon Kim and Gwen Severs.
“That’s a nice returning group that played for me last year,” said Wilson. “They came to almost all of the summer stuff and they’re in a strong position to hopefully take off.”
Junior Elenah McFadden, who’s sister Darah was a four-year player for Wilson before graduating this past spring, also joins the team.
Rounding out the squad are junior Conlee Magee, along with freshmen Deena Mangalaraj and Lily Winbigler.
Macomb finished last season with a final record of 11-7 in dual meet competition against a schedule of primarily larger schools.
Part of that equation includes a significant amount of travel time.
“That’s a big part of our sport,” said Wilson. “The travel distances play a factor. You’re going to be on the road for an hour and a half or better to play matches, because you’re going to be traveling to bigger school districts.”
“That comes with the territory,” he added. “Getting those girls ready, the mental part of it, having the idea of that mental toughness of ‘We have to be ready for those bigger matches.’ In years past, they’ve always stepped up.”
While the physical skills are indeed important, Wilson noted the mental aspect is every bit as critical.
“We have a lot of talks early about the mental part of the game,” he said. “The idea of our strategy is to outwork (opponents). No matter how much in resources they have, our mentality is that we’re going to try to outwork those bigger schools with each point that we play.”
“They’ve responded so far to that,” he added.
Like other sports, the goal for Wilson is for the players to be at their peak come sectional competition.
“Year to year, you’re never quite sure who has the firepower to break through,” said Wilson. “But that’s always the goal, working hard towards that.”
He noted that in sectional competition, players must win three matches in one day to move on.
“That is a long time to keep that focus,” said Wilson. “It would be hard for anybody. Maintaining that for six, pushing seven hours.”
“That’s always a challenge, to build up that mental toughness,” he added. “Even just the sheer cardio and fatigue factor setting in when you’re playing that long.”
Helping players prepare for sectional competition, they will take part in tourneys similar to what it will be like come postseason.
But like all other sports, keeping players healthy is a must.
“That’s something you have to watch,” said Wilson. “You hope for the best.”
Players for the 2026 Macomb High girls tennis team include the following. Left to right, Jiwon Kim, Maria Bice, Deena Mangalaraj, Sejal Sharma, Lily Winbigler, Elanah Mcfadden, Conlee Magee, Sophie Hansen, Isabella Gage and Taylor Baldi. Not pictured: Gwen Severs and Scarlett Brooks.
