The 2025 boys’ tennis season ended in high aspirations and accomplishments, yet ultimate defeat. Despite being underdogs throughout the entire state tournament, they somehow managed to last until the state finals against Conestoga High School—just the same as the season before. Each court had competitive, nail-biting matches, but the Aces ultimately didn’t stand a chance.
After the ups and downs of last season, Coach Harris Mailman and assistant coach Austin Scheier recently took a new approach for how to run the team, focusing on cultivating a strong team culture among both varsity and junior varsity. Instead of prioritizing improvement during practices, the coaches have decided to host team-building activities in an attempt to build camaraderie among players. Senior captain James Conybear ’26 points out that “this year is more of a transition year,” considering that “we have a lot of seniors and freshmen,” which has led the team’s focus to be heavily on “mentoring” and “creating a good culture for years to come.” So far, Ethan Aizenberg ’29 confirms that “the team really nurtured a great environment for the incoming freshmen and sets a good example for how to treat underclassmen in our future.”
To plan for the future of the team, one must understand the success that LM boys’ tennis has experienced in the past. Over the past decade, in state championships, district championships, and league matches, the team’s performance has been nothing short of domination. However, as the team’s skill wanes due to a decrease in incoming talent and old talent graduating, the Aces are nothing like they once were. Since last year, the majority of the varsity team has graduated, forcing returning and new players to step up and take charge. Conybear explains that “last year we had a lot of good players and were favored in most matches. But this year, we have a ton of new players, so the main focus is on helping them improve.”
Throughout the offseason, the team was welcomed to attend some girls’ tennis practices as well as numerous optional practices, doing specific drills to improve certain aspects of play to train and prepare for another underdog season. The team continues to try to make the best with the talent they have, but Mailman strongly believes that, especially early in the season, developing team culture is more important than improvement. Jonathan Gutman ’27 elaborates that “[Harris] changed the tryout format, which made it feel more relaxed. He has also discussed changing the way we practice to further include the team and build the togetherness culture. I like the changes because in the last two seasons, the team felt very separated between varsity and junior varsity, and I think these changes will bring the team together more compared to the last few years.
How the Aces will perform this season has yet to be determined, but the team has never felt more connected and inspired by one another. Raphael Muthu ’29 says that “the support and advice on and off the court that the team has given me has been invaluable, and I truly am grateful to have such dedicated teammates leading the way.”
