The Saints’ Boys Tennis players have been representing the Binghamton Patriots this spring and leaving their mark on the courts. Despite only winning one match so far this season, our Saints have learned and grown as players in response to stiff competition. Sophomores Reece Goodman and Simon Pangilinan share their experience so far this season and their belief that Seton deserves their own Boys Tennis team.

When asked about the atmosphere of the team, the two players agreed that practices are competitive and focused. “It helps us become better players each day,” said Reece Goodman. Reece, one of the team’s top players, attributes his success to hard work as well as what he calls “reading his opponent”. When Reece is in a singles match, he utilizes a variety of strategies to see how his opponent responds to each one. He uses this knowledge to formulate his attacks later in the game which play to his opponent’s weaknesses. Physical and mental dedication such as this was the catalyst in their victory over Johnson City, which Simon called, “my favorite moment of the season thus far.”

The team currently only consists of three players from Seton, and the boys are hoping for a spike in interest so that they can represent their own school in their sport. The two players are urging their peers to sign up for tennis next year in order to make the sport a bigger part of the school. Down the road, the two have hopes of eventually getting enough players to field the Saints’ own roster. Through their stellar play this season, Goodman and Pangilinan have drawn more attention to the sport from the Seton community, and they are now working to show their classmates just how worthwhile being on the team is. With the shared goal of bettering each other each day, and one day representing their school with the “Saints” logo across their chests, the boys players have put in a great effort all spring and have done a great job representing the Saints in a different colored uniform.

Simon and Reece have been very fun to watch this year, and the two have shown phenomenal improvement throughout the season. Holding one another accountable, they have pushed each other to get better every practice. Only being sophomores, they have plenty of time to develop into great players, but they aren’t wasting any of it. Goodman and Pangilinan put extensive effort into honing their crafts outside of practice, and Goodman shared with us that his time spent playing other sports actually helps him on the tennis court. Reece told us how basketball in particular mirrors tennis in a lot of ways. His time hooping has enhanced his lateral movement and court vision in both sports simultaneously.

The Binghamton & Seton Boys Tennis Team does not have a single senior player this season. The team is extremely young and, despite only being sophomores, Goodman and Pangalinin have emerged as leaders for the squad. Both have only started playing tennis seriously within the past few years and have plenty of time to develop into true tennis stars. Thanks to the two players’ hard work, expect to see growth in the amount of Seton boys tennis players next year. The Voice of the Saints will be rooting for the two, as well as the entire Boys’ Tennis Team, as they continue to push boundaries for the sport here at Seton Catholic Central.