Senior Abbi Shuman serves in a match against Maiden on August 23rd.
With a new school year starting, fall sports are up and running again with new players and goals for the season. The women’s tennis team returned for the 2023 season as conference champions and with a new addition to their coaching staff: Phoebe Boeschen.
Having moved to Boone recently from Missouri, Boeschen saw the opportunity to become the new women’s tennis head coach following Coach Pillow's departure from the program.
“Once I moved to Boone, I heard that Watauga was a great school to be at,” said Boeschen.
The women’s team represents Watauga’s positive legacy well, with five consecutive conference wins. However, Boeschen has new goals this season and is focusing on the games at hand.
“One of our main goals this season is to not look at the past record of the team, but go into every match and do our very best,” said Boeschen.
Not only does Boeschen hope to go into every game with a positive mindset, but she also strives to bring this mindset to the team and foster new relationships.
“My mindset on coming in this year is for my assistant and I to form trusting relationships with our players, support each individual athlete, and help the girls reach their full potential,” said Boeschen.
Senior Scout Gates has been playing on the team since her freshman year. Seeing how the team has grown over the years, she anticipates how Boeschen will help her and her team continue to succeed.
“Coach Boeschen pushes us to be our best,” Gates said. “She brings a really good drive and perseverance to our team and, overall, is a great source of encouragement.”
Senior Abbi Shuman has been playing on the team since her sophomore year and has noticed a change in the team since Boeschen joined the staff.
“The bond of our overall team has gotten so much stronger this year than it has in past years and I think a big part of that was our new coaches,” said Shuman.
Along with the new relationships, Boeschen has created a new structure for the team with differing practices and workouts from previous years.
“More technical skills have been brought into practices as well as more conditioning and I think that has helped mold our team tremendously," said Shuman. “The way she has structured practice and pre-season workouts has strengthened our team as a whole. I am very thankful she stepped in as our new coach, especially with this being my last year on the team. I think she is going to lead Watauga Women’s Tennis to a lot of success.”
The team’s newfound perseverance and skill, fine-tuned by Boeschen’s coaching, has led them to success so far in the 2023 season, starting with a record of 7-0 and ranking sixth in the conference.
“I have had an awesome experience with the team so far,” Boeschen said. “I have noticed how much the community supports the school, which I believe is truly amazing!”
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