![Hosting the SCLA Casptone Mentor Dinner outside allowed for more attendees on September 27, 2021 at Silver Creek. This event would’ve usually been held inside. According to Lauren Kohn, a SCLA 12 teacher, “If we have a higher number of people, as long as we can host the event outside, then that seems to be keeping every[one] safe”.](https://schsnews.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/sxMAIGbSYGodZkqmrvTi5YWcJ1ssWA08ApkeMLpp-900x675.jpeg)
The Silver Creek High School Girls' Tennis Team is a family built by the connection and support of the team’s 32 girls, representing every grade. This year the team has grown their bond as well as their skills on the court.
“The bond that we all have makes everybody feel very supported,” sophomore and second-year Silver Creek tennis player Ellie Buehler said. “The underclassmen really get along with the upperclassmen, and it's definitely like a big family.”
Although tennis players work individually or in pairs, the positive attitude and support of the girls who create Silver Creek’s team makes the solo battle feel more manageable.
“It may be individual, but no one is ever out on the court alone,” assistant coach Justin Thompson said. "There is a mob of support behind them during every point, ready to scream at the next winning ball.”
Thompson attended high school at Silver Creek and even had the opportunity to manage the tennis team for three seasons. He came back when he was a senior at Colorado State University to coach the girls' team and has watched these players grow.
“This community likes to have fun, share stories, be silly, but most of all be there for each other when things get hard,” Thompson said.
The coaching staff focuses on fundamentals and building up to the harder skills. Recently, the girls' tennis team fought hard and pulled out a team win against the Hawks of Horizon High School in Thornton. The support of the team and the community brought these girls to the win.
“The sheer eruption of their teammates' screams streaming throughout the courts to celebrate their teammates and to celebrate our first team win of the season is a moment I will not soon forget,” Thompson said.
Along with building community comes inclusivity and positivity. Everybody being there for each other and working together, no matter what spot they are on within the team, is important to this organization.
“The team has always been really positive and as I've continued to play, I've noticed that there's been a lot more teamwork and mixing between the varsity and the JV, which I really appreciate,” senior and captain Lucia de La Lama said.
Not only working with each other on the court, but being able to get together outside of practice and matches is essential in building a family out of a sports team.
“I'm really trying to focus this year on making sure that everyone feels included and trying to host more team dinners to make sure that everyone is able to bond and participate outside of tennis,” de La Lama said.
The Silver Creek Girls' Tennis Team is more than just a group of athletes; it’s a family built on positivity, support, and teamwork that can overcome any challenge on and off the court. Through every match, every rally, and every cheer from the sidelines, the team is working together and creating an unbreakable bond.
