Playing a team sport is no easy feat, and team captaincy necessitates even more responsibility towards your teammates. FHS varsity girls tennis player and former team captain Aarohi Kale is quite familiar with this concept. Kale was first introduced to tennis at the age of five and has been playing since.
“My sister was on the tennis team for Fremont as well,” Kale said. “I got inspired by her as a child, so I started playing tennis as well. Our whole family plays tennis.”
Kale plays competitive tennis outside of school, which resulted in her making varsity as a freshman. She plays tennis nearly every day of the week during the season, and her teammates agree that her dedication shows through her record. varsity tennis player Natalie Chang reflects on Kale’s infectious enthusiasm during games.
“Every single time I’m feeling down or maybe my partner’s feeling down, we just have to look [up] and see Aarohi playing really passionately,” Chang said. “She’s really just the embodiment of [dedication]. She practices really hard, you can definitely tell that tennis is her life.”
Kale has played varsity singles for her past three years at FHS, and was team co-captain last year. Being team captain as a sophomore was unprecedented, further highlighting Kale’s dedication to tennis.
“It was an experience,” Kale said. “It helped me learn how to teach. I also got to talk to everyone in the team, not only just varsity but JV too. I felt like I made a family within the team, which is really nice.”
However, Kale reflects that it is challenging to balance schoolwork and tennis. As a junior, she tries to maintain her grades while giving her all in every match. Her hard work has certainly paid off, as Kale has gone nearly undefeated this season, winning all her games, except against Lynbrook High School.
“[Aarohi] has grown in leaps and bounds,” varsity tennis coach John Musser said. “It’s outstanding for any player to be looking at an undefeated season, or even just losing to even one player. I think that’s fantastic.”
Although the 2023 girls’ tennis season is over, Kale aims to continue to improve during her senior year.
“I want to win league championships, become number one in the league,” Kale said. “I think we can [win] next year, because we have really solid players.”
Playing tennis outside and on a school team can be challenging, which is why most players tend to choose one or the other. However, Kale states that her impetus for continuing with tennis at FHS on top of playing outside of school is the community it brings.
“I really like the team,” Kale said. “I was going to dip after freshman year, but then, I realized how much I really like it. I made a family and they became like my best friends, so I stayed. I’m going to stay until my senior year.”
Kale looks forward to an even better season next year and plans to continue playing tennis in college.
