Woodstock
“You teach your kids, your kids learn and you move on,” Hopewell said during Wednesday’s 7-0 victory over Rutland at the Woodstock Athletic Club. “I thought I’d finish up after she was done. … Not so much.”
His day job as WAC’s head tennis pro makes Hopewell available to his players on a year-round basis. Several of the Wasps engage in other sports or activities outside of spring, but some don’t stray far from the club, a location that serves as the team’s home venue.
Grace Frazier is the No. 2 singles player for Woodstock, which carries a 13-1 record into today’s home match with Bellows Falls, the Wasps’ last of the regular season. She normally plays four times a week during the offseason.
“(Hopewell’s) been my coach since second grade, so I’m with him all the time,” Frazier said. “It’s great; he’s the best coach. He’s honest with me, so if I’m doing something wrong, he tells me and he fixes it, improves everything.”
Frazier’s co-captain, senior Sarah Findeisen, is a regular at the club, as well. The No. 3 singles player appreciates the guidance her veteran coach provides.
“He has lot of experience,” Findeisen said. “We tend to fool around a lot, but when Tom’s there, we kind of know that this is time to play tennis, but we can still have fun.”
Hopewell has seen plenty of his co-captains around the indoor-outdoor facility, especially with Frazier working summer clinics and helping out with the courts.
“Those two played consistent tennis all year long,” the coach said of his captains. “You typically don’t see that in high school tennis. It’s usually 10 weeks out of the year, put the racket down and see it next year.”
While he’s happy to instruct his players outside of springtime, Hopewell doesn’t expect a year-round commitment, appreciating that many play multiple sports.
“I’ve got athletes, and I’m happy,” the 19th-year coach said. “That’s what we want; we want athletes. I’ll take care of the tennis.”
Woodstock has been nearly unstoppable, losing only to Mount Anthony, 4-3, on April 28. They have shut out nine opponents, including their last six.
Then it will be off to the postseason and a possible top seed. For the Wasps, heading into the playoffs conjures up memories of a one-sided recent history with Montpelier — the Solons have bounced Woodstock from the Vermont Division II tournament the last eight consecutive semifinal rounds.
“It’s really nice,” Findeisen said when asked about her team’s impressive record this year. “But we always know Montpelier is always down the road, and we never play them in the regular season.”
The Solons were 6-2 entering Friday, with four wins over Division I opponents. The Wasps have five such victories under their belts; the one loss to MAU also involved a D-I foe.
“Montpelier’s got a great program,” Hopewell said. “We battle hard, and last year it was as tight as it could get (a 4-3 score in the finals).”
The Wasps won a state title in 2000, and have the semifinals or finalst every season since, including six runner-up results. They will work to keep their edge during the home stretch of a dominant campaign.
“I tell them, ‘You are your best training partners,’ ” Hopewell said. “ ‘Take friendships out of it and battle,’ and they have.”
Second Serves: Sophomore Momo Biele plays No. 1 singles for Woodstock. She and her twin sister, Kenzie (No. 4 singles on Wednesday), have been playing tennis for 12 years. “We have an older sister who started early,” Biele said. “So we just followed quickly after her.” Their mother, Kimble Biele, is a Woodstock assistant coach. … Emily Haynes, who played No. 1 doubles with Katie MacMaster against Rutland, played regular tennis at the club throughout the winter. The sophomore said she enjoys both singles and doubles for various reasons, acknowledging the latter is less predictable. “There are a lot more surprises in doubles,” Haynes said. “People at the net can, out of the blue, just poach the ball over to your side.” … Chloe Noble (No. 5 singles) also scored a point for the hosts on Wednesday, as did Lydia Howe and Olivia Marsicovetere at No. 2 doubles.