By Dave Belcher
Moapa Valley Progress
The Tennis season is the shortest athletic season in High School Sports in Nevada. The season ends the first of October if you make the playoffs. So if you blink you might miss it.
The Pirate Tennis teams haven’t been very competitive in recent years due, in part, to low numbers. But the bigger factor is that the best kids in Vegas play all year round and can benefit from having professional coaches training them.
It’s really not fair. The Pirates must play with the big boys in the 4A league because there isn’t a 3A league. Imagine Andre Agassi when he and his sister were in High School at Bonanza. Andre eventually went to a private school, but in the 1980’s his sister did play against Moapa at the Logandale park courts.
Even so, the Moapa kids still play tennis, if just for the pure love of the game. They play hard and win a few matches. But when it comes right down to the nitty gritty at tournament time, they usually don’t stand much of a chance. Few Moapa athletes are even there.
But this has nothing to do with the coaching. Coach Sidney Bounds (boys) and Coach Donna Swanson (girls) do a great job at teaching kids the fundaments and giving them the opportunity to compete at this high level.
MVHS Boys and Girls Tennis 2010 Schedule
Aug 27, 2010 2:30 PM @ Desert Oasis
Aug 31, 2010 2:30 PM Legacy
Sep 02, 2010 2:30 PM Boulder City
Sep 07, 2010 2:30 PM @ Desert Pines *
Sep 13, 2010 2:30 PM Rancho *
Sep 14, 2010 2:30 PM @ Las Vegas *
Sep 15, 2010 2:30 PM Canyon Springs *
Sep 21, 2010 2:30 PM Eldorado *
Sep 23, 2010 2:30 PM Sunrise Mountain *
Sep 27, 2010 2:30 PM @ Valley *
Sep 29, 2010 2:30 PM Chaparral *