Jake Bogartz's Take on Tennis

Tennis at Galloway is a vastly underrated sport and the players do not typically get enough recognition despite their many trips to the state championships over the years. Jake Bogartz, a third-year member of the team, has many thoughts and experiences about his time playing tennis for Galloway.

Tennis, from Jake's point of view, is a sport that teaches you patience through long matches, hard practices, and difficult opponents. His motivation for joining the team, in the beginning, was just for the PE credits, but now Jake is in it for the "life long memories and fun times." Although Jake has not participated in a match yet, he is hoping to make his debut on the court this season against Our Lady of Mercy.  He’s been practicing his forehand stroke in practice and has found it to be the best and most powerful stroke that rarely lets him down. While sitting on the bench for the last 2 seasons, Jake has become a sideline snack expert. In Jake's eyes, Max Myers' light trail mix is perfect for a quick source of protein and energy boosts, but full meals, such as pizza or Chick-Fil-A are also perfect for fueling up after watching a series of long matches from the bench.

Before a match, most players like to get pumped up with a specific song to put their head in the right space. Jake stated that he does not have one at the moment, since he has not had the chance to play in any matches, but if he does get the opportunity to play this season, he has Kodak Black queued up and ready to go.  If he does not represent the Scots this season, Jake says "it won't be the end of the world, but I would love to finally play."  Although Jake has not made an appearance in the matches yet, it’s clear from his enthusiasm, sense of humor and commitment that he is a vital part of the team and the Galloway Tennis program would not be the same without him. Jake is hopeful that this season will be the time he finally sets foot on the court and gets a win for the Galloway Scots tennis team.

By Kathryn Pope