Being from around the area, Coach Edward Kardas knows Carlsbad High School well. He is the new head of the junior varsity tennis team, and he wants to bring out the best of each player in both practices and matches. By pushing the team to play their hearts out during practice and matches, Coach Kardas was able to witness each player improve their game and mentality throughout the course of a few weeks.

This is Coach Kardas’s first year coaching the junior varsity tennis team, and his first hand experiences have been more than enjoyable.

“I really enjoyed it because I’ve met a lot of young people,” Coach Kardas said. “My JV team is pretty motivated to improve and we’re actually doing okay as far as winning and losing, so I would say I’m enjoying it a lot.”

Throughout the season, the team has been able to learn a lot about the sport and give a great performance on the court. Although the beginning of the season was not all wins for the team, Coach Kardas helped each player with their technique and movement during practice. Soon enough, the team started to take more wins under their belt. During practice, Coach Kardas’s main goal is to give students a welcoming feel every time they step onto the court each day.  

“I [use] motivation to try to motivate [the team] in practice, in order to compete well and give 100% in matches,” Coach Kardas said.

Currently, the team has a record of 4-5 with a close win at both San Marcos High School and Sage Creek High School. The match against Sage Creek marked a great win for Kardas and the team, encouraging them to keep playing at the same level for every match for the rest of the season.

“Seeing the improvement out of most of the players has been very rewarding,” Coach Kardas said.

Coach Kardas has had a great experience seeing how far the team has come from the beginning of the year. The amount of effort the whole team has shown gives him a reassuring feeling about next season’s success and competitive spirit. Next season, Coach Kardas aims to give the team more constructive practices that would focus on technique and mental preparation going into each game. 

“We’re doing better than what everyone told me the team would do, and being able to spend time with the team and seeing the way they were able to beat San Marcos in a close match has been quite rewarding,” Coach Kardas said.