This year, there is a new but familiar face on the tennis courts, boys wrestling coach Patrick Naughton, who stepped up as assistant coach for the girls tennis team alongside head coach Marshall.
This year Naughton shifted his focus, stepping into the scorching sun of the tennis courts. New to the sport, he brings a fresh perspective and hopes to enhance the overall performance of players with unique approaches.
As the season progresses, Naughton and Marshall collaborate on new strategies, rotating athletes from varsity and junior varsity.
“When I was a freshman, I was way behind everybody else,” Naughton said. “When there’s a huge gap your first year, it can be pretty brutal.”
He hopes to foster a welcoming environment that is fun and less intimidating, especially for newcomers.
“My first goal is to have fun while doing it because it can be frustrating, just like with wrestling, especially when you’re starting out,” Naughton said.
Naughton hopes to foster this environment by communicating healthy support to his athletes.
“Also making sure that they know, everything [they’re] doing is paying off,” Naughton said. “So then you take it to a different level of competition, and they excel.”
Senior Aaliysah Lanning, a third-year player, noted the significant shift in their routines.
“This year he’s making it a big goal to go to state,” Lanning said. “He’s trying to see where people fit in the most.”
Lanning also appreciates Naughton’s positive attitude and insight into the team.
“I think it definitely gives a lot of people a shot, and it gives a little bit more hope,” Lanning said.”
Naughton has an extensive history as a coach of multiple sports.
“Well, in my 29 years in the district, I’ve coached almost every sport you can think of,” Naughton said. “I started at South Junior High, as a wrestling coach. I’ve also coached track, football, cheerleading, and even girls tennis for a year.”
Drawing from his experiences, Naughton applies lessons he has picked up from other coaches and sports, modifying these strategies to fit his new role.
“The best thing you can get is stealing ideas from everybody else,” Naughton said. “The main thing is taking what works for somebody, and molding it to work within your group.”
Building on this mindset, Naughton also emphasizes the importance of pushing through challenges.
“It’s all the same thing, you put in all the work and techniques,” Naughton said. “You’re gonna have your pitfalls, you’re gonna have your good days, you’re gonna have your bad days.”
Junior Hailey Bills appreciates the positive uplifting spirit, recognizing Naughton’s impact on the team.
“He uses strategies from his other sports, like wrestling, he doesn’t have a lot of knowledge in tennis, but he finds his ways to still improve us,” Bills said.
Naughton recalls his early coaching days with Marshall, during which they adapted to the hardships of limited space for junior high wrestling.
“We had 60 kids, you have 60 kids wrestling at one time, the thing is about half the size of a tennis court” Naughton said, “Half the team ran for an hour while the other wrestled, then they flip-flopped.”
Naughton plans to leave one important lesson behind.
“There’s not a prize, you have to be consistent, you have to practice with intent,” Naughton said. “Things will pay off in the end.”
Naughton believes tennis can profoundly impact the lives of athletes, providing them with skills and a sense of belonging, extending far beyond the local courts.
“[Athletes] have a sport where they feel they belong to, have camaraderie with, and have some fun with,” Naughton said. “Tennis is something they can take with them for the rest of their lives.”
